Goodbye Traditional Towel Racks: The Alternative From Home Depot That Adds Bathroom Storage

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Bathroom storage can be hard to come by, and while your towel rack might do a good job of allowing your bath towels to dry between uses, it likely doesn't accomplish much more than that. A better alternative is available at Home Depot. The Elie Bathroom Shelf with Towel Bar in Brushed Nickel by Kraus provides an additional bathroom storage shelf, in addition to helping you retire your old towel rack for a modern alternative.

Retailing for $134.95, this shelf with a towel bar isn't cheap, but it's made with long-lasting materials like solid brass that can bring substantial style to your bathroom. The product features four bars that make up the shelving surface, which measures 25 ¾ inches long and 8 ⅛ inches wide. There's a towel bar that hangs from the bottom of the shelf, which is the perfect spot to hang your towels when they aren't in use. The entire unit holds up to 22 pounds, so it should be sturdy enough to meet the challenge of moderate bathroom storage. This shelf is available in a range of finishes, too, including black, brushed gold, and chrome, although price may vary depending on which you select.

Customers seem to appreciate the product, specifically when it comes to its attractive appearance and easy installation. One five-star rating on Home Depot's website states, "This is a modern looking and functional shelf. I especially like the bar in the front so that nothing falls off."

While the Elie Bathroom Shelf's design makes it suitable for storing folded towels, the gaps between the bars risk smaller items falling through. In order to increase the rack's organizational potential, consider stocking the shelf portion with baskets for a better way to keep bathroom clutter hidden. Extra bathroom inventory — like rolls of toilet paper — that you don't want out in the open can be nestled inside the right baskets. Just be careful to measure the shelf before selecting your baskets and to not overload it with items that exceed the maximum load limit.

If multiple people share one bathroom, you can buy a set of S-hooks to hang from the towel bar, giving it the ability to hold even more towels. A novel application for this shelf and towel bar would be to install it in the laundry room where it could totally change the functionality of the space, serving as a drying rack for delicates. It is worth noting that there is some critical feedback from individuals who say that the piece struggles with performance in the long run. One single-star review on Home Depot's website states that the towel bar's arms have to be tightened repeatedly or they will droop down. That being said, the manufacturer's customer service representatives seem eager to rectify such issues, offering solutions to help unhappy buyers achieve satisfaction with their purchase.