Maximizing Under-the-Sink Storage: Double the Space, Double the Organization

A couple of weeks ago, we were hosting a guest, and as I went into my son’s bathroom to do some cleaning and prepping, I realized the space under his sink was in serious need of a better system. Our guests typically stay in our son’s room since it has an adjacent bathroom for extra privacy, and this area had become a bit of a catch-all. With limited time, I quickly set out to come up with a simple solution to optimize the under-sink chaos.

While I occasionally help my kids with organizing, they mainly take full ownership of keeping their spaces tidy. My goal is to create systems that are easy for them to maintain, but the under-sink situation was definitely not one of those times. There were random baskets, bins, and items strewn about with no real rhyme or reason—just a jumble of cleaning products, toiletries, a towel used as a floor mat, and some tools I’d left there after painting the bathroom walls. It was a bit of a nightmare!

One common issue I find with bathroom under-sink storage is the lack of usable space. There’s often a lot of room, but the pipes and awkward cabinet shape make it difficult to organize it effectively. This cabinet, which is nearly two decades old, is definitely on our future upgrade list, but for now, I needed a quick, affordable solution to make better use of the space.

I followed the same approach I always do for organizing projects, no matter the size:

1. Empty everything out.
2. Clean the space.
3. Sort through all the items.
4. Decide what needs to stay versus what can go.
5. Put everything back in an organized, purposeful way.

So, I emptied everything out and was left with some rather obnoxious liner that I quickly swapped for something more subtle.

My ultimate goal was to add a second layer of storage, halfway up the cabinet, to make better use of the vertical space. After heading to our local Home Depot, I picked up a 3/4″ thick, 2’ x 4’ white laminate board. It was just the right size to create a shelf and provide extra support for the shelf below.

Since the cabinet has a trim piece down the center of the door opening, I couldn’t install a single shelf that ran the full width. Instead, I cut two separate shelves to fit on each side of the cabinet, making sure to leave space for the plumbing.

I then measured the clearance needed for the plumbing and traced out the necessary curve for the shelf with the lid of a container. The beauty of the laminate board is that any pencil markings come off easily after making the cuts.

At first, I thought we would simply nail some ledger boards to support the shelves, but my husband suggested adding legs for more stability, especially since the front and far sides of the cabinet didn’t have any existing support. After dry-fitting everything, we nailed the shelves into place and left a small seam in the middle for flexibility down the line, just in case we want to remove the shelves in the future.

And there it was—double the storage!

To make things easy to access, I divided everything into pull-out drawers and bins. These are my favorite kind of drawers for organizing under any sink—bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, you name it. They allow for easy access and put things back with minimal effort, which is especially important when kids are involved.

The top two drawers are now designated for my son’s personal care items: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair care products, and more. The bottom drawer holds travel-sized toiletries, soaps, and an oil diffuser.

On the opposite side, I used taller bins to store bulkier items. One bin contains extra personal care items and a toiletry case for travel, while the other holds all the bathroom cleaning supplies.

The upper shelf is perfect for towels, keeping them neatly stored and out of the way. Now everything has a designated spot, and the space feels so much more organized.

After installing the shelves, we did need to replace the faucet, and I was curious if the new setup would be a problem. Luckily, there was enough clearance around the pipes that we didn’t need to remove the shelves. However, if we ever needed to, we could easily pull them out.

Looking back, if we had one regret, it would be paying more attention to the location of the water valves before determining the height of the shelves. This would have allowed for more precise planning, but overall, the shelves worked perfectly.

And just for fun, here’s a before-and-after reminder of how this quick makeover transformed the space:

The storage bins have been key to keeping the under-sink area organized, but adding the second layer of storage really helped maximize the available space. For less than the cost of pre-made shelves from a store, we created a custom solution that’s sturdy, practical, and fits our needs perfectly. Double the storage, double the organizational win!