The bathroomunlike your front porch, say, or even your kitchenis a very private space. In the best of cases, it functions as a kind of shrine to your everyday rituals and overall well-being. In the worst of cases, its a total eyesore: Shower curtains remain drab and outdated, products are haphazardly arranged on counters, and aesthetics are neglected in favor of functionality. Its fine time for a little refresh of this essential space. And what better way to begin than by rethinking your shelf situation? These 20 top bathroom shelf ideastaken from the projects of our ELLE DECOR A-Listers and beyondare proof that your bathroom can indeed look as hot as you like your shower water to be. Youve heard of curb appeal; now, its time for shelf appeal.1Keep the Shelves LowNoe DeWittELLE DECOR A-List designer Alfredo Paredes placed a custom vanity in the bathroom of his Locust Valley, New York, digswith open shelving that keeps things at just the right level of showy. The rattan baskets are not only an organizational hack but also enter into fluent conversation with the vanitys wooden finish. 2Create a Niche (or Two!)Douglas FriedmanELLE DECOR A-Lister Martyn Lawrence Bullard is the king of exuberant and exotic interiors, which is plain as day in this bathroom setupas part of his beachside Maui project. After taking in those striking green zellige tiles, our eye lands on the two shelf-equipped niches flanking the door. Do what Bullard did and use them for towels, yes, but also for those objets dart that are close to your heart. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Add Some Backlightingalvarez//Getty ImagesShelves backlit in anything but white light run the risk of feeling tacky; this bathroom interior, however, is anything but. Inspired? Go with a darker, moodier color palette in your bathroom, ensuring your shelving pops out via LED light strips and metal finishes. 4Tile It UpKelly MarshallIn Megan Rapinoe and Sue Birds NYC crib, ELLE DECOR A-List talent Mark Grattan made sure everything was within reach inside the clients doorless showercourtesy of that shelf niche decked out in mint-hued glass tiles. The glass shelves themselves are narrow and thus perfect for a few demure essentials, plant included.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Try a Glass CabinetShai EpsteinIn this Tel Aviv, Israel, home, owned by artist Ivo Bisignano and architect Alex Meitlis, the bathroom is a work of artnot only due to all that Carrara marble but also the presence of a glass-fronted cabinet holding what appear to be decorative eggs, a mirror, and figurines. Functional? Maybe not, but glamorous to the max.6Embrace the Wonder of WoodFrancesco DolfoHospitality designer Eric Egan knows a thing or two about intentionally chic bathroom design, which is precisely how we would describe the one in his Milan flat. Its three perfectly placed wooden shelves are the perfectly subtle complement to that boisterous wallpaper (a custom print by Fromental).Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build a Teeny ShelfMikkel VangWere gushing over this tiny treasure of a shower niche from a New York bathroom designed by ELLE DECOR A-List firm Ashe Leandro. If your shower routine consists of just a few tried-and-true basics, a square nook of a shelfespecially one laid out in classic white tilewill be a trusty sidekick.8Go with a Standalone Shelf UnitGREY CRAWFORDIn his Paris apartments bathroom, A-List designer Jacques Granges modus operandi seemed to be gilded and splendid. After you finish admiring that candle-laden chandelier, move your gaze to the metal shelf unittopped by a white stone statue that looks straight out of a museum! If you dont want to ruin your walls, standalone shelf units are the answer.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Place CarefullyEric PiaseckiThis dolled-up powder room makes up for what it lacks in counters with a standalone shelf unit perfectly wedged between the marble sink and the toilet. If you take away anything from this visual (besides a penchant for that antique blue wallpaper!), it should be the fact that proper shelf placement is your saving grace against a crowded interior. If it doesnt fit, get another one.10Install a Shelf over the MirrorDouglas FriedmanThis bathroom, in Andy Cohens old NYC duplex, is absolutely phantasmagorical. Complementing Flavor Papers Cherry Forever mylar wallpaper is that red bouquetheld by a sleek shelf suspended from the partially blocked mirror. Its a perfect way to curb the bouts of narcissism were all predisposed to; besides, curating a bathroom like this will give you so much to look at instead. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Match SurfacesImgorthand//Getty ImagesIn the spirit of integrating shelves into the overarching composition of your bathroom, make sure they dont stand out like sore thumbsdoing so by matching their materiality to that of whatever surface theyre adjacent to. In this inspiring visual, backlit shelves in a green stone (sprinkled with touches of live greenery!) act as natural extensions of the shower walls.12Bring on the Built-InsRob Melnychuk//Getty ImagesBathroom shelves (especially ones that stand on the floor) run the risk of feeling a bit rickety. Show everyone who comes through your own washroom that youre all about solid, long-term investments: via built-in shelves that feel like theyre part of the homes foundation. In this image, the built-ins provide more than enough space for your plush towels, lotion bottles, and beyond. P.S.: Were enamored by those cubbies at the top.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Keep It FlushMint Images//Getty ImagesFloating shelves are modern creatures, particularly when theyre as flush to the wall as these two. If you want to keep your bathroom as minimalist as can be but also shake things up, simply replicate this look by staggering the shelves! Your bathroom motto from now on should be Dont forget to both flush and keep it flush.14Make Use of Your VanityPeter + Kelley GibeonIn this awe-inspiring bathroom, the vanitys glass shelves (next to those floating ones closer to the tub) just might beat the lush forest view. Were big proponents of vanities in general, convenient as they are for storing less aesthetic products inside the drawers and flaunting your special purchases (read: expensive perfumes, luxe skincare, and candles) on the open shelving. Compartmentalizing for the win!Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Fall for Floor-to-Ceiling ShelvesAlanna HaleIn the main bathroom of hotel magnate Barry Sternlichts Miami Beach sanctuary, high design takes center stage. Hes chosen to create a floor-to-ceiling shelf that doesnt shy away from bold contrast but is also a pitch-perfect match for those custom shower doors and black hardware. In other words, go tall (and fill the nooks with hotel-quality towels!).16Conceal to the MaxPernille LoofIn interior designer Vicente Wolfs Manhattan shower room (which, as that frosted-glass wall makes clear, is adjacent to the library), the shelves are basically poster children for tucked-away storage space. Theres something very cavernous about their layoutcontributing to the rooms whole futurism-meets-luxury aura.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Go Against the GrainDaniel Cortez//Getty ImagesIts easy to be tempted by typical rectangular shelves, stacked one on top of the other in a way thats functional yet predictable. Choose the road less traveled instead, and go with angled shelves (like the ones hanging above the laundry basket in this display). Another fun touch? Tiny square shelves surrounding a medicine cabinet. After all, more surface area for your tchotchkes never hurts. 18Spice Up the CornersAndreas von Einsiedel//Getty ImagesThis Provence bathroom masters a very rare thing when it comes to shelves: making corner ones look chic. The feminine vignette proves that, when choosing between gracing your shelves with beauty products or antique pottery, you should go with the pottery and never look back.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Tap into SymmetryAndreas von Einsiedel//Getty ImagesYour bathroom should be soothing on the eyes whenever you step insidesomething that can easily be achieved through symmetry. Here, two sinks, two bath mats, two sconces, and two floor-to-ceiling skinny shelves make order the name of the game. Were digging the shelves creamy white color too, which lets the wicker baskets do all the talking.20Lean into Ladder ShelvesVIKTORIIA DROBOT//Getty ImagesLadder shelves are attention-grabbers, so buying one will most certainly zhuzh up your bathroom situation. Often, the steps get smaller as they go higher, in which case, wed advise you to allocate your items wiselykeeping frequently used things within easy reach in the middle, purely ornamental touches at the top, and bulkier items (like towels or hair tools) at the base.Stacia DatskovskaAssistant Digital EditorStacia Datskovska is the assistant digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers news, trends, and ideas in the world of design. She also writes product reviews (like roundups of the top firepits or sheet sets)infusing them with authority and wit. As an e-commerce intern at Mashable, Stacia wrote data-driven reviews of everything from e-readers to stationary bikes to robot vacuums. Stacias culture and lifestyle bylines have appeared in outlets like USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Food & Wine, and Brooklyn Magazine.