Bathrooms are meant to be used only a few times a day, but it’s very important to feel comfortable there, especially when you are having a shower or a bath and want to relax and be ready for a new day at work. That is why it would be better to have all the things you need within reach. This aspect is very important and there’s nothing more unpleasant that getting into a hot bubble bath and realizing your shampoo is twelve feet away, in the cabinet that happens to be in the hallway. Not to mention the hysteria if you have small kids and they are waiting for you with the face stuck to the bathroom door. In this case the very simple solution is to place some small, but very useful bathroom shelves.

Of course you must choose the right kind of shelves for your bathroom, but they all should be made of stainless steel, glass or plastic because these are the only materials that are not affected by steam and water, all the other ones deriving from wood suffering all kinds of unpleasant changes in their structure. The place for the shelves can also differ a lot. If your bathroom is large enough you can choose these shelves to be situated on the side of the bathtub and this way everything you need will be within reach.

Then there is the possibility to place these shelves next to the mirror. There are even some special models of mirrors that have some small shelves attached, the design being really creative and useful and you can admire this in the picture. But my favourite bathroom shelves are by far the ones you can place in the corner, right next to the bathtub. You can use these nice-looking polished brass supports ($300-400) that are specially designed for the corner, the natural fiber corner little baskets or maybe simply some well-cut pieces of glass or transparent thick plastic that fits the corner perfectly, allowing you to deposit there everything you need.

Shelves and mirrors go hand in hand. It’s quite common to have a wall-mounted mirror above the bathroom sink with a few shelves or a small cabinet to its side.

A double sink or one that’s embedded into a counter leaves out plenty of space above for a unit with plenty of storage. A mixture of open shelves and closed compartments would be a good option in this case.

An interesting design detail about these bathroom shelves is their transparent front and sides which allow one to see exactly what’s stored in each section and makes it easy to look exactly where needed.

If you want to keep a minimalist and open look throughout the bathroom, simple and open shelves are a better option than closed cabinets. This can be applied to both individual shelves and vanities.

A ladder-style shelving unit can fit nicely in the corner of the bathroom or by the sink. You can use it to store towels, small necessities inside baskets as well as decorative things such as a small vase, a planter or a framed picture.

An actual ladder can work wonderfully. It would make a cool towel rack, giving the bathroom a casual and laid-back look. Also, for a cozy touch, use a vintage ladder. Metal ladders are good for bathrooms with industrial-inspired interiors.

Although it’s true that closed cabinets can make a bathroom look small and cramped, you can avoid that look by making sure they don’t look bulky. One idea is to opt for wall-mounted vanities that don’t go all the way down to the floor and which also incorporate some open shelves in their designs.

Two independent sinks and their sleek vanities can be beautifully complemented by a tower shelving unit placed in between. It can be a shared storage unit for toiletries and towels.

This is a simple and chic combination of accessories and furniture pieces. The double sink vanity has open shelves and a towel ring to the side and above there’s a long open shelf that creates continuity in the décor.

Geometric designs are usually associated with modern and contemporary interiors. This shelving unit is quirky and interesting, featuring an asymmetrical form and incorporating a multitude of small compartments of different dimensions and colors.

This is another interesting mixture of open and closed storage and display spaces. The open shelves are a great way to fill the gap between the sink vanity and the small wall-mounted cabinet which in turn has an open compartment at the bottom.

The impression of a spacious and open bathroom can also be created through color and placement. For example, this vanity is lifted on sleek legs and appears to be floating and the cabinet puts the closed compartment at the bottom, freeing up the space above.