The Totally Unused Bathroom Space You Should Be Transforming Into Storage

Toiletries are a necessity of life, and there are many items that you may need for your bathroom, including towels, toilet paper, make-up, hair products, accessories, soaps, lotions, cleaners, and so on. It's easy to see how standard storage in a bathroom can fill up in no time. Unfortunately, it seems like even the best bathrooms don't have enough storage sometimes. Thankfully, some creative individuals on the internet have found ways to add additional room in your bathroom without taking up extra space. The secret is to utilize the gaps around your bathtub. There are hidden storage ideas perfect for fitting all your items in your bathroom, but sometimes they just aren't enough, or they don't work for your home. However, there is a lot of empty space under most bathtubs, making it a perfect place to give you a little bit of extra storage.

Building cabinets under a bathtub requires the same standard cabinet-making materials and tools. There are several ways you could do this, depending on how confident you feel and the area under your tub. Creating basic square cabinets is the simplest option if space allows. This involves making boxes that fit under your tub and fitting them altogether. Then, you just need the doors, which you can attach with some hinges for a nice swing option. You may also want to leave space at the back or include a secondary door inside the cabinet to maintain access to the tub's plumbing.

The square cabinet method may be the simplest, but it's not the only choice. If, for some reason, the area under your tub isn't nice and square, or you don't have enough space to fit swinging cabinet doors, then there are some other options. Unfortunately, they are a little bit more complicated. Yet Another House Project shared their under-tub storage design in a few videos on TikTok and Instagram, including some of the first steps for creating your own. In their home, they use push cabinets, which can be really helpful if your hands are full, as you can just apply a little pressure to open them. It also stops you from hitting your legs or toes against any handles or knobs that would otherwise be sticking out.

The design involves creating cabinets custom to your tub shape, which may not be perfectly square. This involves not only making uniquely shaped cabinets but also installing drawer slides. You can also take further steps to avoid common bathroom mistakes everyone makes by adding dividers and thinking about where you are storing items with care.

There are a few other simpler solutions, but they aren't as clean and can still take up a lot of space while not offering a lot of storage. Other DIYers have shown that you can just install some swinging doors on the tub, with no need for drawers. However, these require a lot of space to open up. Additionally, placing items under the tub can be a bit messy. Without organization, under-tub space can be hard to use and items may be difficult to access.

Yet Another House Project commented that this bathtub isn't anything special, just a standard acrylic L-shaped bath, but they do mention how the drawers can be refitted to work better with other tub designs, too, including ones that have feet. There is a hidden perk to having under-tub space as well. Because drawers can pull all the way out, they allow easy access to the pipes. This means if there is a plumbing issue or a leak, it's much easier to repair without having to tear everything out.

Unfortunately, there are also some negatives. One downside is that it may not actually provide you with a lot of space. Depending on how your tub is installed, there might not be much of a gap between the tub and the floor. While you can still potentially install a storage compartment, filling it with tall products isn't always possible.

To get the maximum benefits from this design, you might want to install the cabinets and tub around the same time. That way, you can get everything at the right height. Bathroom remodels can be worth the financial investment, but they are incredibly expensive, meaning they aren't practical for everyone. However, If your current tub has space underneath, you can customize it for storage without a full remodel. Like under the bathroom or kitchen sink, there is a chance that if a leak does occur, everything is ruined. To help prevent this, choose water-resistant materials and paints.