Home and Garden | Bathroom - Light and Storage – Decorating and Design

Towels are always handy with a towel rod attached to the vanity.

What bathroom couldn't benefit from more light, space, and style? Here are some ways to maximize sun and storage for a great-looking new bath.

Handy holders
Limited wall space led to some ingenious solutions in this master bath. A chrome rod mounted to the vanity front keeps towels handy, as does a hook on the glass wall just outside the shower door. Other storage includes a bench-height ledge in the shower for toiletries and vanity drawers equipped with electrical outlets so appliances can be easily operated but tucked away after use.

Mirrors are mounted at an ideal angle.

Two views
Mirrors that are shorter than those typically used above a vanity make it possible to preserve the high original windows in this bath. Sized to fit the bare space between the window frame and the backsplash, each mirror is mounted with hinges that position it at the ideal angle for grooming.

Hidden potential is discovered in this long niche.

No interruptions, please
Streamlining surfaces made this modest bath seem large. In place of a shelf mounted to the wall, a long niche cut into the tiled wall makes a handy but out-of-the-way ledge above the sink. A row of mirrored medicine cabinets recessed into the wall offers ample storage that doesn't steal space from the room. Even the floor seems more expansive as a result of a wall-hung sink.

Glorious storage is achieved in this bathroom while the pedestal sink maintains elegance.

Wall feat
Pedestal sinks are admired for their style and forgiven for their lack of storage space. The one in the bath prompted a wall of storage that rivals any vanity-bound sink. Glass-front cabinets flank the sink. Each features a narrow section that angles toward the wall, avoiding a squared-off look and adding inches of open shelving within reach of the sink. The half-wall that houses the plumbing is topped with a narrow ledge for additional display space.

Cabinetry makes use of tricky corner space.

Compact corner
An L-shape cabinetry design makes the most of a corner in this master bath. The vanity adjoins a storage unit that has armoire appeal. Keeping one side of the upper cabinetry open provides display space for decorative accessories. It also avoids the inconvenience of a cabinet door swinging across the sit-down vanity's top and against the wall mirror.

The bath is spotlighted as light streams through an arched window.

Separate but equal
This symmetrical layout not only puts the tub in the spotlight, but it also eliminates elbow-knocking at the vanities and offers an appealing combination of privacy and openness. Half-walls flanking the tub are just tall enough to give the vanities a sense of seclusion, while the open area above the dividers invites light from the arched window. A bonus: The half-walls create ledges for display.

Shutters provide options of both privacy and/or light.

Light-loving shutters
A porch outside the windows in designer Jean Callan King's master bath, made privacy a priority. to block the view when needs yet gain the benefits of natural light, Jean designed operative wood shutters fitted with white opaque-glass panels instead of louvers. Terry towel-like swags trimmed with black rickrack decoratively treat the windows without blocking the light or limiting the function of the shutters.

An original window is coverted for a beautiful bathroom mirror.

Through the looking glass
The space below an original bedroom window in this converted bath was ideal for the vanity. A traditional window in this space wouldn't have offered the necessary privacy, so waffle-patter glass blocks were chosen to fill the old window's space. A framed mirror hanges from screw eyes in the top of the window frame to make the vanity entirely practical.

Maximize Light and Storage