Bathroom Shelves - Easy Home Update - Allisa Jacobs Home & Design

Making wood shelves is one of my favorite home updates. Not only is are they super simple to make but they add design and functionality. And while most of my focus is on kitchen shelving, adding bathroom shelves over the toilet is something I’ve done to almost every home. They make the best use of that otherwise unused space. Read on to see some examples and get my sources for creating easy bathroom shelving.

bathroom with black wall, tile. and wood shelves

Bathroom wall shelves are a pretty simple project with a few common tools. I’d say this project can easily be finished in about half an hour. And once you do one space, I guarantee you’ll want to keep making more shelves! I added shelves to both my Budget Bathroom Makeover and my Small Bathroom Remodel.

Really, you just need brackets, shelf boards, and a few common tools. I go through all the steps on my DIY Wood Shelves Guide. But it’s one of those projects where you step back and think, dang, I did that?

bathroom with black wall, tile. and wood shelves above toilet

What size should bathroom shelves be?

One of the nice things about bathroom shelves over the toilet is that they tend to be a pretty universal size.

I’ve found that shelves that are about 5″ -6″ deep x 22″ to 24″ long work best. It’s a good proportion above the toilet and still functional.

This is ideal because it’s easy to get a piece of common lumber (like a 2 x6″) from the hardware store and have them just cut it to two 24″ pieces – they do this for free!

white bathroom with two wood shelves over the toilet

Bathroom Shelf Sources

This little corner is part of one of my favorite DIY home projects for that year. If you’ve been here awhile, you might know that making shelves is my jam. My brother started Cascade Iron Co. – making shelf brackets so it runs in the family! Of course, this means I use his items, but they really are some of the best.

My Shelf Supplies:

Black L Brackets (can be installed in either direction, comes with bolts)
White Oak shelf (you could use any type of wood, the pre made wood shelves are similar to the ones I made)
I’ve also used Double Brackets (below) which are really quick & easy!

How to Decorate Bathroom Shelves

Just like larger kitchen shelving or bookshelves, there are some good strategies for decorating shelves. For these shelves, I focus on functionality more than anything but I also like to add some personality.

I use a mix of texture, shape, and contrast. Here are some of my favorite shelf styling items:

How to Decorate Shelves Above the Toilet

Just like other shelves, I like to make bathroom shelving functional and aesthetically pleasing. To me, this means keeping it minimal. I do have a little tool box of bathroom shelf decor I like to use again and again:

Vertical artwork, usually about 11″ x 18″ size
Small plants and greenery
Baskets with wash clothes
Extra bottles of lotion, soap, and room spray
Candles and little figures

bathroom with dark wall, tile. and wood shelves

Final Thoughts on Bathroom Shelves

I hope this helps gives you some ideas and inspiration for making bathroom shelves over the toilet! I think it’s one of the easiest and affordable ways to update a bathroom. It makes great use of extra space and adds design detail to areas that often feel boxy and boring.

If you’ve got a smaller bathroom, you might want to consider my DIY Corner Shelves to make the best use of spaces and add even more organization.