Bathroom Mini-Renovation {Part 3: DIY Shower Storage}

Let me preface everything I am about to say with the simple unwavering truth that I love claw foot tubs. I think they are beautiful, add great character to a bathroom and I especially love old cast iron tubs when they’re in the homes they were meant for. With all that said, having a claw foot tub doubling as the only shower in our home can be a bit of a pain. There’s no storage, sometimes being encircled by shower curtains can create a bit of claustrophobia (akin to the E.T. quarantine scene), and the tub itself takes up a lot more space than a conventional shower stall, space that would be nice to have in our 6′ x 6′ bathroom. But, on the small budget set for this mini-reno, buying a ready made storage solution wasn’t an option and for a few reasons, not very practical.  So we quickly (about an hour) and cheaply ($18) made a storage solution for our showering supplies.

I was able to find two ready made storage options for a clawfoot tub, a corner tower and a tray. The tray takes up too much space and the corner tower is what we used before, but it caused water to drip down onto the floor under the tub, which I definitely don’t want on my new floors. Then, I saw a great clawfoot tub storage idea on Apartment Therapy that when slightly modified works perfectly for us.

Here’s what we used:

• Two metal baskets  ($8 each)
• Two hose clamps ($1 each)
• Bolt cutters (borrowed from my Dad)
• Flat head screwdriver

Here’s the original basket.

The white plastic handle grips peeled right off.

Initially, we hung the first basket with the metal handles still attached. But, I didn’t really like the look.

So we used bolt cutters to remove the handles.

{these will probably be good for something down the road}

To attach the baskets, we threaded the hose clamps through the wire of the basket and around the shower pipe. Then my husband tightened the clamps with a screwdriver.

 The end result was a simple weeknight project that greatly improved the functionality of our claw foot tub.

Quick side note: to hang our loofahs, I just slid an old shower curtain hook through a metal square in the basket – super easy. To see the original inspiring idea from Apartment Therapy, click here. To see before pictures of the bathroom and see my DIY privacy window, click here and here, respectively.