One of the most challenging aspects of furnishing a bathroom is that you often work with a minimal amount of space. You can’t move a toilet or bathtub without a major room redesign. Bathroom walls are often short and broken by objects that cannot be moved: medicine cabinets embedded between wall studs, a single window for light and ventilation, doors that must remain permanently where they are.

When it comes to bathrooms, you need to be open to design compromise. A variety of bathroom accessories can help you make your bathroom with its unique design challenges work for you.

Cleaning is the main activity in any bathroom. Drying off is essential for that job: where do you put the towel and how do you keep it clean, dry and handy for when you need it?

A space saving solution is to hang a towel ring. It only requires a little space to fix it to the wall outside of your bathtub or shower. And if you have a small space next to the bathroom sink, you can install the towel ring there too. If you have a pool in your backyard, you can even install some towel rings in your patio to keep pool towels close at hand.

You have options when it comes to selecting a towel ring for your bathroom. The design is fairly basic: a ring, about six inches round or oval; closed or an open one like the letter “C”. The ring has an attached bracket to hang on the wall.

With the abundance of matching bathroom accessories available in stores, catalogs, and online, you can choose a towel ring that will perfectly match your existing bathroom décor. A wide range of finishes are available – classic polished chrome and brass, popular brushed nickel, and today’s oil rubbed bronze can give you a designer look.

When you are outfitting a kid’s bath, pool bath, or investment property, you can choose to find inexpensive options – an unfinished wooden ring or a simple plastic and chrome ring can work just as well as the higher-end versions for a fraction of the cost.

Consider some guidelines for placing the towel ring. Usually a towel hangs lengthwise, so inspect a towel that you would normally use in that space. If you are installing the ring next to the shower stall and you like to use extra long bath towels instead of a traditional bath towel, keep that length in mind when attaching the ring. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the towel, when folded in half lengthwise, clears the floor by 18 inches.

If you are installing a towel ring next to the bathroom sink, be sure to hang it high enough for the hand towel to hang down and clear the countertop. If you are going to place this in a bathroom for children to use, consider their height and place the ring at a height that is convenient for them.

A towel ring comes with a mounting base that screws to the wall. Try to locate a wall stud where you want to place the towel ring; Finding solid wood, whether on the wall or on the back of a door, ensures a secure installation. Place the mounting base against the wall and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Drill pilot holes, align the mounting bracket, and check their location with a short level. Use a Phillips screwdriver to secure the bracket to the wall with the screws provided. Make sure the mounting bracket is securely attached and slide the towel ring onto the bracket.