Whether you’re a shower person, a bath person, or a sheet-mask-every-day person, chances are you spend a lot of time in your bathroom. While we’ve rounded up the best accents for your apartment, bedroom, and kitchen elsewhere, here we’ve found the best inexpensive bathroom-décor ideas — from spruced-up versions of powder-room necessities to clever space-saving accessories to everything you’ll need to turn even the saddest, tiniest bathroom into an at-home, spalike retreat. All the things on this list are available on Amazon, but we’ve found some elsewhere, too, for those who like to shop around.
To keep your favorite books and magazines safe from toothpaste, bathwater, and other hazards.
“The matchbooks look like a prop from the Boogie Nights set, but all each carries are brief bursts of incense,” writes former Strategist senior editor Margaret Rhodes of these fragrant incense matches that she says are better (and cooler looking) than any bathroom candle. “Light one, burn it down a quarter of an inch, and it emits a brief wisp of fragrant smoke — no need to leave a lit candle unattended.”
These Turkish hand towels are known to be superabsorbent and quick-drying. They’re also a bit cooler looking than your average hand towel, thanks to the fringe and textured cotton fabric.
For those who prefer a stronger fragrance, this earthy, pine-scented room spray from Bay Area–based Juniper Ridge comes in an Aesop-esque bottle that’s nice enough to leave on a shelf (or a toilet lid).
These damp-and-heat-resistant floating shelves would be a serious upgrade from over-stuffed plastic caddies. Use them for face towels, toothbrushes, diffusers, plants and other toiletries.
For those who prefer a cleaner look, some of these all-white floating shelves may be a better option.
Who knew a toilet-paper holder could be so elegant? This one has a brushed-brass stand and a genuine marble base.
The calming colors of these hair-catchers for your shower drain will make them far more pleasing to look at, even when full of hair.
Wear this sleek cotton robe while drying your hair, doing your makeup, or indulging in a deep-conditioning treatment.
This waterproof mini Anker speaker is Bluetooth-compatible, surprisingly powerful, and lets you listen to podcasts in the shower.
A handsome handwoven laundry hamper with two compartments so you can easily sort your whites and darks.
Trinity Mouzon Wofford, a co-founder of wellness brand Golde, says this water filter is “essential for living in the city” and something she can’t live without. According to her, it removes a lot of the mineral buildup and chlorine from water that comes out of “100-plus-year-old pipes.”
If you need to get a bit more up close and personal while you do your makeup or put in your contacts, this compact vanity mirror should do the trick.
Here’s an adorable nonslip mat that will surely add some cheer to your your tot’s bath-time routine.
And here’s a slightly fluffier, tiger-shaped bath mat for kids — or kids at heart.
This acrylic organizer is a favorite of Strategist beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton, who recommends taking advantage of vertical space when storing all your beauty products. Obsessives like her will also appreciate how the see-through acrylic makes it easy to see your precious lotions and potions.
Treat yourself to an all-natural lavender-scented bubble bath that writer Hannah Morrill says “filled my bath with mountains of frothy whip.”
If you’re looking for more storage, this three-tier metal cart follows Rio’s vertical-space rule and is slim enough to slip into a narrow nook. The minimalist design and black color add to its unobtrusive feel.
This clever cover requires you to tip your Kleenex box on its side so that the top of the box can become a handy catchall.
When was the last time you could call your toilet-bowl cleaner cute?
Forget Marvis! This is the best fancy European toothpaste, which one Strategist writer describes as tasting “like if Fernet Branca were spiked with the most delicate whisper of spearmint.”
A candle that is beloved by candle obsessives in a scent that will make your bathroom smell of magnolia, tuberose, and purple geranium.
The larger compartments make this holder ideal for storing electric toothbrushes.
Charcoal that’s not in your juice or your toothbrush. Note: Stock is low.
We’ve written about our love for this cute, sustainable little soap dispenser before.
More charcoal, this time in a towel. Beauty enthusiasts swear by the powers of exfoliating with charcoal towels.
Bamboo is one of the few indoor plants that will do just fine in a humid and low-light environment like a bathroom.
This small white trash can from Brabantia is a sophisticated upgrade from boring stainless steel.
Swap the view of your backyard or an airshaft for this birch forest.
This nice-looking bamboo tray allows you to easily bring your books, magazines, hairbrush (and yes, wine) into the tub with you.
Strategist editors love a bamboo bathmat too, not only because it seems like something you’d see at a fancy spa, but also because it means you will never wash a grimy bathroom rug again.
More bamboo, this time in the form of bench (with two bottom shelves for extra storage) that you can put just outside a shower or a tub.
In the right bathroom, this space-saving wall ladder (a Strategist favorite) would be a more stylish (and more ventilated) way to hang towels, or clothes while you shower.
As fun as these are to look at, their giant bristle heads and comfy rubber grips make them even more fun to use.
For the kiddos, this submarine bath toy has a spinning rear propeller and looks nice enough to leave on a shelf between soaks.
Use this to keep all your extra rolls of toilet paper on hand but out of sight. It doubles as a small freestanding shelf.
Stick this small self-adhesive silicone organizer to the wall of your shower to store small items like your razor and toothbrush. The company also makes a small matching mirror to stick above it.
Sleeker than your average brush holder. Plus, its design keeps residue from yucking up the base.
A minimalist and (somewhat ironically) easy-to-clean soap tray.
Those in need of a soap tray for the shower will appreciate that this one has a convenient suction cup, making it easy to move around.
If, like crime writer Karin Slaughter, you get “about 70 percent of good ideas while in the shower,” you might like this (actually) waterproof notepad to jot them down on. It, and its included pencil, also come with suction cups to hold them in place.
According to one of our editors who keeps this color-changing nightlight in his bathroom, “for those who can rarely go a full sleep cycle without a trip to the bathroom, it may be the most life-altering mushroom you can legally buy.”
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