7 Ways to Use Bathroom Cabinet Towers
These high-reaching cabinets can expand storage and improve function
Traditionally the vanity has taken on the bulk of bathroom storage, with an occasional assist from a medicine cabinet. But lately tower bathroom cabinets have been taking hold with homeowners. These tall cabinets are most often installed atop a counter or as a freestanding piece of furniture adjacent to a vanity. Tower cabinets offer handy storage at eye level and provide easy access. They are also a great place to conceal electrical outlets, whether inside or on the side of the cabinet. Take a look at seven handy ways design pros have helped their clients expand their bathroom storage with towers in a range of styles.
2. Linen Storage
When planning a contemporary renovation for their bathroom, these homeowners requested extra space for linen storage. Architect Cynthia Karegeannes placed a countertop tower in a corner to keep the room feeling as open as possible. And she integrated it into the design by matching the room’s coved ceiling molding around the top of the cabinet.
Takeaway: Install an electrical outlet on countertop cabinets rather than cluttering up the nice lines of a backsplash with it.
Learn more about this bathroom renovation
When planning a contemporary renovation for their bathroom, these homeowners requested extra space for linen storage. Architect Cynthia Karegeannes placed a countertop tower in a corner to keep the room feeling as open as possible. And she integrated it into the design by matching the room’s coved ceiling molding around the top of the cabinet.
Takeaway: Install an electrical outlet on countertop cabinets rather than cluttering up the nice lines of a backsplash with it.
Learn more about this bathroom renovation
3. Backsplash Frame
Countertop cabinets can provide pleasing boundaries for a tiled wall backsplash. In this case they frame the tiles just right.
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Countertop cabinets can provide pleasing boundaries for a tiled wall backsplash. In this case they frame the tiles just right.
Shop for bathroom vanities on Houzz
Careful measuring allowed the full size of the square tiles to fit between the mirror frame and the cabinets.
Takeaway: Note the bottom drawers on these tower cabinets. They’re great for storing jewelry, electronic devices or everyday items like hairbrushes.
Takeaway: Note the bottom drawers on these tower cabinets. They’re great for storing jewelry, electronic devices or everyday items like hairbrushes.
4. Full Height
The towers atop this vanity extend all the way up to the high ceiling in this bathroom by JCD Custom Home Design, a scale that’s appropriate to the spacious bathroom. Indeed, the top cabinets are hard to reach, so they’re best for storing infrequently used items. But even if they remain empty, these upper cabinets are key to the pleasing proportions of the towers.
Takeaway: Countertop towers are to bathrooms what appliance garages are to kitchens. Outlets and pullout shelves installed inside make them great for storing and plugging in electric toothbrushes and shavers or for charging phones.
The towers atop this vanity extend all the way up to the high ceiling in this bathroom by JCD Custom Home Design, a scale that’s appropriate to the spacious bathroom. Indeed, the top cabinets are hard to reach, so they’re best for storing infrequently used items. But even if they remain empty, these upper cabinets are key to the pleasing proportions of the towers.
Takeaway: Countertop towers are to bathrooms what appliance garages are to kitchens. Outlets and pullout shelves installed inside make them great for storing and plugging in electric toothbrushes and shavers or for charging phones.
5. Display Space
Rendered in the same white oak as the vanity, this freestanding floor-to-ceiling furniture piece slides right into this bathroom by Zawadski Homes. Here it’s styled for display — it’s always nice to bring art and organic elements into a bathroom. But the open look also can be functional and attractive. Neatly folded towels and toiletries corralled into baskets would look great here as well.
Takeaway: When planning for open shelves like this, add closed storage on the bottom to provide balance.
Rendered in the same white oak as the vanity, this freestanding floor-to-ceiling furniture piece slides right into this bathroom by Zawadski Homes. Here it’s styled for display — it’s always nice to bring art and organic elements into a bathroom. But the open look also can be functional and attractive. Neatly folded towels and toiletries corralled into baskets would look great here as well.
Takeaway: When planning for open shelves like this, add closed storage on the bottom to provide balance.
6. Symmetrical Arrangement
The design pros at Plain and Posh flanked twin vanities with twin storage towers. This gives the cabinetry a more traditional furniture-like feel and provides symmetry that’s easy on the eye.
Takeaway: Use the sides of towers to your advantage. Here they provide a convenient spot for hand towel rings.
The design pros at Plain and Posh flanked twin vanities with twin storage towers. This gives the cabinetry a more traditional furniture-like feel and provides symmetry that’s easy on the eye.
Takeaway: Use the sides of towers to your advantage. Here they provide a convenient spot for hand towel rings.
7. Handy Hampers
Often a hamper is a freestanding piece in a bathroom — an afterthought brought about through necessity. In this case the homeowners wanted to improve upon the laundry basket in the bottom of their closet. This tower by interior designer Tara Lenney provides two hampers that make collecting and sorting dirty laundry easy and attractive.
Takeaway: Don’t forget to plan for a hamper or laundry chute when renovating a bathroom, laundry room or closet.
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Often a hamper is a freestanding piece in a bathroom — an afterthought brought about through necessity. In this case the homeowners wanted to improve upon the laundry basket in the bottom of their closet. This tower by interior designer Tara Lenney provides two hampers that make collecting and sorting dirty laundry easy and attractive.
Takeaway: Don’t forget to plan for a hamper or laundry chute when renovating a bathroom, laundry room or closet.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about bathroom storage
Find a bathroom remodeler
Shop for bathroom storage products
In this transitional-style bathroom, architect Amanda Ganginis stacked two cabinets to divide the sink area from a makeup table area. These cabinets also anchor two floating shelves on the left. Countertop towers like this one provide storage at eye level, which is especially nice to include in a bathroom that doesn’t have room for a medicine cabinet.
Takeaway: When placing a countertop cabinet between two areas like this, consider which side of the room it will serve the most. Then have the door open up to that side.
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