Bathrooms should not just be a place to shower, bath, wash your face, and brush your teeth. A cleverly designed bathroom can be a refuge from the bustling world – but to achieve this, it needs to be attractively laid out and well-organised.

“Hidden cabinets, wall shelving, under-vanity, and over-vanity storage spaces are just some of the ways of creating a bathroom that appears more spacious and organised,” says interior designer Storme Conradie, director of Signature Made.

Optimise

She recommends the following to optimise bathroom storage:

• Use multifunctional mirrors with storage: They hide the clutter and reflect and bounce light around the room, creating the illusion of more space.

• Choose a floating vanity unit: Lifting a storage unit off the floor visually makes a previously cramped room feel larger while still giving you the storage space you need.

• Opt for drawers rather than cabinets: Don’t underestimate drawers for your above vanity space. Drawers have several advantages over cupboard units – they allow you to see all the contents when opened and maximise every centimetre of height in the vanity without taking up more space.

• Maximise the height of your bathroom by installing floor – to-ceiling shelves: Rattan or fabric containers are ideal for storing all your bathroom knick-knacks on the shelves in an appealing way. You can also use them to roll your towels for hotel-feel linen storage.

• Build recessed shelves if you have the option: In this way, you can create more space without cutting into your bathroom area.

• Wall : mounted storage and shelf options will free up counter space, creating a less cluttered effect.

Custom-made

Above all, says Conradie, you should opt for custom-built joinery if it’s possible.

“Every room is different and so are your needs. This full customisation is worth every cent to maximise storage solutions.”

Advantages include:

• Custom joinery enables you to optimise an existing space for maximum functionality and aesthetics.

• You can tailor the design to suit your personality, lifestyle, and space.

• You will have greater freedom in designing form and proportion, as well as texture and materials.

• You can create a holistic and seamless look that ties in with the architecture of your home.

Custom joinery is usually more expensive than off-the-shelf and flatpack joinery products. However, it is an investment that can completely transform and add value to any space.