A bath is one room that needs plenty of storage but often doesn’t have the space for it. Happily for us, some of our favorite designers have come up with clever hacks to give their clients a place to store towels, tuck away toiletries, and even display art. From installing custom built-ins to repurposing furnishings more commonly found in the living room or study, there are plenty of bathroom storage ideas that are sure to inspire your own bathroom refresh, whether it’s a full renovation or just some new catch-all containers.

Petite power room or your only bath, there's no reason to let square footage stand in the way of style. All you need are the right pieces to take advantage of the space you do have, such as floating shelves, étagères, and stools. Also in order is a good purging session to get rid of all those unnecessary shampoo bottles, faded towels, and old toiletries that are adding clutter. If you're renovating there are plenty of space-saving elements you can incorporate into the design, including a shower alcove and a vanity with built-in storage.

For more small-bathroom storage ideas, we turned to Manhattan-based interior designer Nick Olsen. Olsen originally burst onto the scene as a blog darling known for imbuing small spaces with grandeur, wit, and the kind of high-end design once reserved for those with serious square footage. Though these days Olsen’s services are coveted by clients with space to spare (case in point: the Brooklyn brownstone seen in the August 2015 issue of Architectural Digest ), his skills for decorating tight spots are as bright as ever. Read on for his smart solutions to getting more space in the bath—as well as a couple of trompe l’oeil tips on making the room look larger, against all odds.

Rethink Your Sink

“Pedestal sinks can be attractive and have a nice vintage quality, but they’re not great when it comes to storage. You’re dealing with a basin you can barely put a bar of soap on! If you have a lot of accouterments, go with a console sink with a flat top or a converted cabinet with an undermount sink. You’ll have so much extra space, whether it’s to hang towels or store things behind doors or in drawers.”

Get Creative with Your Fittings

“A wall-mounted faucet is a very smart space-saver. Not only does it give you bonus counter space, it’s actually much easier to clean.”

Consider the Smallest Renovation

“If you can, hire a professional to poke into the walls just a bit to create a shallow recessed medicine cabinet. Or have them create a tile or marble recess in the shower, one just small enough to store your shampoo bottles. That way, they don’t have to sit out on the ledge of the tub, which looks terrible.”

Be Strategic with Shelving

“The space above the commode is great for adding storage, but you have to avoid that very rental-like look, with the chrome or white plastic shelving looming over the toilet. It looks like R2-D2—not very chic. Instead, cantilevered shelves over the tank make for a cleaner look, and you are still keeping the maximum amount of floor space open for a nice wastebasket, hamper, or étagère.”

When It Comes to Storage, Think Outside the Bath

“If you have room, I love an étagère. But if the space is too small, bring in a whatnot—it’s a piece of furniture literally made to fit into awkward corners. Maybe put one between the commode and the sink and use the open shelving to display stacks of white towels, beautiful perfume bottles on nice trays, all the pretty things.”

Edit Your Toiletries

“Be honest: How many shampoos do you really use? It’s always a good idea to take stock of your personal grooming products and streamline. Edit them down to the few you actually need. If you can’t stand to get rid of them, store the extras elsewhere and swap them in later. You’ll be amazed at how much space you’ll discover on your shelves and in the cabinets once you make the purge.”

Evict the Nonessentials

“When you’re dealing with a small space, there’s no room for the ugly stuff—get it out, now. A toilet brush and toilet brush holder do not need to live in here—move them under the kitchen sink or to a cleaning closet.”

Keep Materials Consistent

“In a larger bathroom, maybe you can get away with wood floors and a mosaic tile backsplash with a slab marble wall. But in a small space, things should be consistent and streamlined—the eye shouldn’t stop at the top of the wall. I recommend staying in the neutral color family for small bathrooms and definitely painting the ceiling to match, whether you’re going dark to match black subway tile and black grout or a light gray to go with a smoky travertine.”

Make Your Shower Disappear

“This is one more way to elevate the eye—you don’t want to see over a curtain into a tiny shower. Instead, create the impression that there could be something much bigger behind there by raising your shower rod as high as you can and getting a curtain that goes all the way to the floor. Or, if you have a door to the shower, make it full height as well. And with as little hardware as possible—the whole point of a glass door is to disappear. It shouldn’t be interrupted by a big handle or clunky hinges.”

Add a Petite Stool or Table

“I love bringing non-bathroom furniture into the room. It doesn’t have that same overly sanitary feel and makes everything cozier.”