Bathroom Tallboys

Bathroom Tallboys Buying Guide

A tallboy solves a specific spatial problem: it adds meaningful storage volume without the floor footprint a wider cabinet would need, since it stacks shelves and drawers vertically rather than spreading them across a wall. This makes it particularly useful in narrow spaces, awkward corners, or the gap beside a vanity that's otherwise too small to do anything with.

Style options

A tallboy doesn't need to look purely utilitarian, and this collection spans a genuine range of styles. A gloss white finish with discreet finger pulls suits a clean, contemporary bathroom, while timber accents and a crosshatch cabinet front bring a more rustic, farmhouse character. Woven basket inserts and glass-fronted sections both add texture and visual interest for a tallboy intended to be seen rather than tucked entirely out of sight.

Matching the tallboy's finish to the vanity nearby, a matte black tallboy beside a matching dark vanity, for instance, keeps the room reading as one considered decision rather than two separately chosen pieces of furniture.

Configuring storage to suit daily use

A tallboy's real value comes from how its internal layout can be matched to actual daily habits rather than a fixed, one-size layout. Shallow drawers with dividers suit makeup and smaller grooming items that get lost in a deep drawer. A lockable bottom cabinet is worth considering for household chemicals or cleaning products, particularly in homes with young children. Open shelving at the top suits items worth displaying, folded hand towels or considered styling objects, rather than hidden away.

Placement considerations

A few positioning options tend to work particularly well: beside the shower, keeping towels and products within easy reach; flanking the vanity, creating a cohesive station for a daily routine; or filling genuinely dead space, an awkward corner near the door that a standard cabinet wouldn't suit.

Whichever position is chosen, leaving at least 60cm of clearance in front allows the tallboy's doors to open fully without obstruction. In a particularly tight bathroom, pairing a slim tallboy with a wall-hung vanity frees up additional floor space, since neither piece touches the floor along its full width.

Why vertical storage works well in the bathroom

Vanity drawers are useful but limited, and filling them with infrequently used items, spare light bulbs alongside good towels, isn't an efficient use of that prime, easily accessible space. Open shelving looks considered but collects dust and doesn't suit every item a bathroom needs to store.

A tallboy addresses both issues at once: daily-use items can sit at eye level for easy access, less-used items go higher, and a closed door conceals general clutter when needed. This layered, vertical approach to storage also adds a sense of height to a small bathroom, which a purely horizontal storage layout doesn't achieve in the same way.

Choosing a size

This collection spans compact 500mm units, suited to an ensuite nook, through to larger 2000mm models capable of anchoring storage in a bigger bathroom. Between these, a range of widths suit most standard bathroom layouts, and it's worth measuring the intended space carefully, checking door clearances and any existing pipework, before finalising a size.

Completing the bathroom

A tallboy is easiest to choose once the vanity for the room is settled, since matching finish and proportion keeps the two pieces reading as one considered furniture choice. The Blue Space's Slimline Vanities, Small Vanities and Bathroom Vanities & Furniture collections are worth reviewing alongside a tallboy selection to plan the full room.