Carina ClaassensIt’s difficult to find the balance between pretty and practical when it comes to adding bathroom storage, but with inspiration from these chic solutions, you’ll soon get it right
- Use baskets
As you can pull them out and see everything at a glance, drawers like the ones in this mod floating vanity, can be a more practical alternative to deep cupboards. Plastic woven baskets have been added underneath to provide additional storage for towels with some doubling as laundry hampers. The free-standing towel rail is a great idea to steal if you’re short on wall space. House designed by Van Biljon Barnardo Architects.
- Built-in cabinetry
Built-in cabinetry can be your best bet when it comes to making the most of every last centimetre of potential storage space. Rather than wasting the space under the arched window in this Cape bathroom, property developer Mandy Sayer cleverly added a window seat with drawers underneath. Open shelves provide room to display ornaments and store towels, while the vanity allows less attractive bathroom staples to be hidden behind closed cupboard doors.
- Add space with wall-mounted basins
Wall-mounted basins have a sleek contemporary look, but where do you stash your towels and toiletries? To instantly add extra storage, follow Bronwyn Hartmann’s lead and simply tuck some woven baskets underneath.
- Floating furniture
Christian Bense, formerly of Union 3, designed a floating vanity for this Durban bathroom in order to enhance the sense of space. “The fact that this vanity does not extend to the floor means that it takes up less space visually, but it still provides ample storage,” he says. The wallpaper is a Clinton Friedman design available from Union 3.
- Floating shelves
Floating shelves, like the ones in Carla De Fondaumiere of GDF Design Lab’s bathroom, provide easy access to small everyday essentials like make-up and perfume, which often get lost at the back of drawers and may otherwise end up cluttering your countertops. To create a less formal look, Carla chose to forgo cupboards in favour of baskets when designing the vanity. “If you can’t find baskets that are the right shape and size, commission a street vendor to custom make some like I did,” she suggests.
