Bathroom Shelves

Open shelving puts everyday items within reach without the cost or bulk of a cabinet. In a small bathroom it is often the only storage that fits.

Open or enclosed?

Shelves are cheaper, easier to fit and keep things to hand. The trade-off is honest: everything on them is on display and collects dust and steam residue. If the bathroom is shared or tends toward clutter, a mirror cabinet or cupboard will look tidier day to day.

Where they work

Above the basin, beside the shower for bottles, or in the dead corner most bathrooms have. Corner shelves use space nothing else can. Inside a shower, check the shelf is rated for wet use and will drain rather than pool.

Glass or metal?

Glass looks light and does not visually crowd a small room; toughened glass is the only sensible specification in a bathroom. Metal and wire shelves drain freely, which suits shower use.

Fixing

Into tile with a proper tile bit and no hammer action. Consider the load — a glass shelf full of bottles is heavier than it looks.

Match the finish to your other bathroom accessories.