Give Your Bathroom A High-End Storage Transformation Using A Few Simple IKEA Products

For most people, a bathroom is a sanctuary of sorts, where privacy is expected and usually respected. Fun fact: According to a 2021 survey of American bathroom habits by bath product manufacturer Bio Bidet, 44% of us spend the equivalent of an hour per day in our bathrooms, with 8% spending an average of two hours or more in their bathroom. Ikea offers an ideal bathroom transformation solution that isn't particularly labor intensive and works with the space you have. Two products in particular — the ÄNGSJÖN high cabinet with doors and ÄNGSJÖN wall cabinet with door — work in concert with each other to provide you with a clutter free bathroom which, if you aren't already in the percentile of people spending two hours or more in there, may motivate you to be.

Other than pure aesthetics, there are other reasons these bathroom storage solutions are important. Clutter can have psychological and physical effects on you. It can raise your stress level (making it hard for you to mentally focus) and cause dust and dander to build up in cluttered areas. If you suffer from allergies, you already know how dust and dander can make you miserable. Figuring out a unique way to free up bathroom countertop space that helps to declutter your bathroom is not only good for your home, but good for your mental and physical health too. 

On average, the space between a toilet and the nearest wall is at least 24 inches, with a recommended standard of 36 inches. Along the same line, the average rear height clearance is between 21 and 31 inches. Ikea's ÄNGSJÖN high cabinet clocks in at a depth of 15 inches, so there's more than enough space for the cabinet to sit between your toilet and the nearest wall. The effectiveness of this solution is heightened by, well, the height of the cabinet, which offers an additional 77 inches of space. It comes with seven levels of shelving at 18 inches in length, so it easily fits on the list of items you can use to organize your bathroom.

The ÄNGSJÖN high cabinet comes in three earth tones: a dark brown oak, a light shaded oak, and a high gloss white (which will cost you an additional $30). If you're curious why the white gloss costs more, it's known to be moisture resistant and easy to clean with nothing more than a wet, soft cloth. At a starting cost of $249 with a 10 year warranty, an extra $30 for a moisture resistant storage unit in a room where things are often damp makes sense. By comparison, a custom made bathroom cabinet costs $700 to $1,000 per unit not including labor. 

If you need another easy bathroom storage hack to help declutter the space, the ÄNGSJÖN wall cabinet is another solution that makes use of the space around your toilet. As an overhead unit, it allows a comfortable amount of space between your head and the underside of the cabinet. You shouldn't feel crowded or like you're in any danger of conking your head on the storage space while you're taking care of business. Bathrooms are required to have a minimum height of 6 feet 8 inches from floor to ceiling. Assuming your bathroom complies with this minimum standard, at a height of 37 inches and a compact width of 18 inches, you should have ample space to position your wall cabinet wherever it makes sense — so you can skip the over-toilet cabinet altogether if that's not your cup of tea.

Design-wise, the wall cabinet can be combined with a high cabinet to create storage in a way that's modern and stylish. And since the cabinet comes in the same colors as the high cabinet, you can easily match them with the color scheme of your choosing. Elements like a suspension rail for easy mounting and adjustable shelving make this $119 storage unit well worth the cost. Similar to the high cabinet, white gloss adds a manageable $10 to your purchase and the 10 year warranty should offer you some peace of mind to go with your decluttered bathroom.