One of the best decor (and maybe storage) options you have over the toilet is a floating shelf.
It adds unique style and character to your bathroom without taking up floor space, which is great, but before you go ahead and start any installation process, make sure to have the right choice of dimensions so you end up with a shelve that fits your toilet well and doesn’t make it look odd.
That way, you’ll have the perfect shelf to accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish in the toilet: either storage or décor: I always prefer the latter when it comes to floating shelves and you can read why in the article I wrote on whether or not “Over The Toilet Storage Is Tacky”.
In this article, we’ll discuss the dimensions for the perfect floating shelves for every size toilet, and then present some pros and cons for various styles, arrangements and positioning of floating shelves above toilet.
The Quick Method: Blue Tape
Like any process in this world, there’s always a quick and easy way to deliver results, and “floating shelves” isn’t an exception.
Yes, there are guidelines (for dimensions) when it comes installing floating shelves above your toilet, but the easiest way to learn what fits your particular toilet and it’s style is to use a blue tape to mimic the floating shelves.
That way, you know the exact specifications to hand over to the the contractor or for your DIY project.
Planning a wall to wall span but not quite sure how it’s going to turn out? Fix blue tapes across the length of the wall and see how well you like the design.
You can even play around with dimensions such as depth and height above toilet seat or tank to see what sits well with you.
Heck, you can also mimic this for staggered shelving and those that don’t cover the entire width of the wall.
Doing this will give you a good idea of what should work for your toilet before ever needing to drill nails or make any modifications to the wall.
The Best Floating Shelves Above Toilet Dimensions
So that’s that concerning the blue tape method, and for those who’ve got some DIY spirit and want to take matters into their own hands, they can grab some painters blue tape, wear their DIY hats and begin some exercise.
However, for those that only want figures from other people’s experiments, they can check out the following analysis for the best dimensions for every kind of toilet situation.
Width
For width, the only two styles used are the “wall to wall” shelves, where they span the entire width of a narrow “bodyguard-wall” behind a toilet, and shorter shelves that don’t cover the entire niche.
Wall to wall shelves mostly work for toilets that have short width of wall with corners on both sides (or even on one side) to highlight the toilet, or even a recess wall behind the toilet which does the same thing too, and this is so they can actually cover wall to wall.
On a continuous wall, they quickly transition into short shelves, unless of course you don’t mind your toilet looking like an old school garage with strips of long wood nailed across the entire width of the walls for tool storage.
Not only is that tacky, it’ll cost unnecessary spending too.
Wall to wall shelves have the advantage of more storage and the ability to make a toilet look sleek, especially for smaller toilets that beg for some elegance, but it’s still easy to make the niche look crowded or heavy if many items are stored on it and the depth isn’t chosen perfectly. Plus it may be difficult to install.
Shorter shelves on the other hand give this lighter and airy feel vibe in the toilet and go with all types of walls: narrow or continuous, and all types of toilets as well, large or small.
Their only cons is that they will reduce storage space for décor items: I generally do not recommend floating shelves for main storage due to how easily things can topple over from them or collect dust, and I believe there are better alternatives like a single unit cabinetry, or mini racks above toilet tank for that purpose.
For shorter shelves, the ideal width is one that matches that of the toilet tank or has a slight overlap on both ends.
Thickness Of The Floating Shelf
When it comes to the thickness of the floating shelves, it should mostly be influenced by the overall purpose of the floating shelf.
Real storage with bulky items like baskets and bottles? Then you have no choice but to go with a thicker width in the range of 2 to 3 inches to be able to absorb all that pressure for long term storage.
I find 2 inches to be the perfect size because it keeps the floating character in place and still manage not look bulky or heavy.
A thicker shelf would make the entire” float” disappear and would introduce bulkiness to the space, which depending on the size of your toilet may be a horrendous blunder.
If you have light décor items instead like candles or clocks, or don’t plan to store anything on the shelves, then even a fancy metal shelf with very thin depth, around 1 inch would work the magic. It will create that floating effect, as well as give that airy and spacious feel.
Depth (How far out it extends from the wall)
How deep your shelves extend out from the wall is all about storage and decor. There are some floating shelves that right from installation, aren’t meant to hold anything at all or anything bulky or large.
Most of the times, they themselves are the décor, and so these normally have very short depth, as they add an elegant and sophisticated look to the toilet. Typical example are staggered shelves.
However, of you intend to store things like wall clocks, vase or even baskets on your shelves, then you would need to opt for a deeper shelve within the range of 5 to 15 inches so items don’t topple over: it may affect the aesthetic appeal, but not so much.
If you need even larger space, then go for the maximum 17 inches, but avoid placing this in a small toilet and very high up also, as it could increase the chances of dropping precious bottles or décor items.
A deeper shelve would also reduce visibility of décor items which is not so great if the initial plan was to decorate.
How High To Hang Floating Shelves Over Toilet?
Before I answer the question, I feel this needs to be put out there.
The higher the shelf is, the more space it creates in the bathroom (except if you have a low ceiling or a short wall), and the opposite is true.
So, if your toilet is already cramped up, then you should be looking at the higher range of whatever dimensions I’m going to be providing.
I must also say this too, when placing shelves above toilet, consider how high is “realistic and reachable” for your toilet especially if you’re primarily using the shelves for storage.
Placing shelve too high will make items less visible, which is a disadvantage if you have décor and personal items to display, and also less reachable by shorter people or children.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to the height of floating shelves above a bathroom is to have at least an 15 inches clearance between the bottom of the lowest shelf and top of the toilet tank. Or, between 35 to 37 inches above the toilet seat.
How Many Floating Shelves Above Toilet?
This one is easy, first answer the following questions for yourself: how much space do i need for storage? (if the whole purpose of the shelve is for storage).
And how much wall space do i have after taking out the initial 24 inches clearance from the toilet seat?
If you have enough, install up to three to accommodate more items, and you can make the shelves longer or wall to wall and deeper for more storage.
If you’re short on wall space, go for two, and if you need the shelves for décor, opt for 2 or 3. But never go above 3 as it may end up cluttering the wall. For the space between each shelves above toilet, aim for a minimum 13 inches.
When installing the shelves, you can align them normally or chose a staggered design instead.
What Do You Store On Shelves Above Toilet?
- Décor items like candles, vase, clocks.
- Personal products like skin care ointment, cleaners etc.