5 ways interior designers add towel storage that will make your bathroom feel 'like a spa'

Aditi Sharma Maheshwari

Wed, November 15, 2023 at 7:00 AM UTC

4 min read

A bathroom floating shelf with neatly folded towels.

Towels are a bathroom necessity, but unless you carefully considered storage ideas for them, they can end up as a bit of an eyesore in your space. However, in the best examples of bathrooms, they actually add something to the design, and if you pick some beautifully fluffy white towels, they'll make it feel like you're in a spa.

So how's the best place to store them? We reached out to designers who offered smart and bathroom storage ideas to keep towels organized, and always in the right place.

1. Place them on freestanding shelving

A bathroom in white, with a wooden rack that holds towels and other accessories

One of the most interesting ways to hang bathroom towels is on a specialist towel shelf. It allows you to use the vertical space in the room and is also a budget-friendly idea. On the lower shelves, you can store other bathroom accessories like candles, diffusers, small plants, etc. It's a greta way to retrofit some towel storage into your bathroom easily.

'Towel storage is essential, especially in small spaces like a bathroom,' says Alina Sulina, founder of Alina Sulina Design. 'It's a lifesaver when you have a freestanding bathtub or sink and no other place to put your stuff. I love towel racks that add a touch of homeliness to the bathroom. For example, in this guest house space, having a towel rack not only serves its practical purpose but also allows you to showcase some decorative items. It brings that warm and inviting vibe to the room.'

'Also, by utilizing wall space, towel storage frees up valuable floor or countertop space, making it an ideal solution for small bathrooms,' advises Alina.

2. Store towels inside baskets

A beige-toned bathroom with baskets used to keep towels in

Baskets are the most versatile, useable, and practical storage solutions and the answer to organizing a bathroom without having to build more shelves. Along with providing an easy storage solution, they also add a whimsy and an organic touch to the room.

'Towels folded neatly or organized in baskets keep everything easy at hand and well organized,' says designer Lisa Staton. 'And then some drawer space also allows for items to tuck away that would otherwise create clutter.'

3. Use open shelves for easy access

A bathroom vanity is a great spot for storing towels when not in use, but we're also seeing the trend for open vanity storage as a way to display towels, as in this design by Studio PCH.

'When it comes to designing bathrooms, we aim to create an atmosphere of spaciousness and practicality,' says Severine Tatangelo, studio principal at Studio PCH. 'To achieve this, we eliminate drawers and opt for open shelves, allowing for easy access.'

4. Hang them on a rail

A bathroom in all wood, with a long railing to hang towels

When you're dealing with a small bathroom, a towel rail is the most efficient use of space to storage towels.

'The project was designed to combine function and aesthetics, once we knew the intended use and available space, we aimed for these two objectives,' says Felipe Hess, founder of Felipe Hess Architects. This towel rail ties into the bathroom hardware for a cohesive addition to the space.

5. Place them inside the vanity niche

A bathroom vanity unit with small shelves or niches is the perfect towel storage idea. This will allow you to keep the towels close to hand for ease, but not overtly out on display.

'A bathroom is generally made up of hard materials – stone, tile, wood – so adding a layer of softness is where good design comes in,' says Kristen Pena of K Interiors. 'We do this with the texture of (hard) materials, curves and circles, and paint, but we also love to add soft furnishings to the space like window treatments or towels. They add that layer of cozy softness that you cannot get from your typical bathroom materials.'