I'm still hoping to get some sort of storage out of the space. Even if it is only 6" wide after a frame, drawers, and the track, the drawers will be very deep and could be however tall we want and you could stuff some towels in there or even a laundry space. I'm just not exactly sure how to go about it.

Maybe just a thin door there and some shelves?

I'd build a pull-out shelving unit. Not full depth, maybe 20-24" or so.

The 6" usable depth of the shelves will be deep enough for rolls of TP, cleaning supplies, etc.

Think along the lines of the rev-a-shelf units for kitchens. These units are fairly easy to build, but take some thought to install. They perform well on one or two sets of heavy duty drawer slides.

You can still put a towel hook on the face of it.

If you have young kids, use it as the place you send them for "time out". First they scrub the bathroom clean for you. Then they get sent to the hole.

Edit to add: After reading Kudzu's reply below, I'll do a reneg on what I wrote above regarding the pull out shelf. Don't do a pull out that can obstruct the swing of the door.

That was really bad planning and/or execution by someone.

Putting in a pullout that slides out right along an inward opening door does not seem like a great idea. If it is ever out, or even partially out, with that inward opening door, something is going to get damaged. Also, If a child slides it out, the door will be blocked from opening. Further, trying to install the sliding hardware in such a narrow space could be a real challenge. Don't try to dignify this construction blunder. Block off the space -- maybe recessed in a couple of inches -- so that you can have a towel hook that won't poke a hole in the door when it opens.

I would have closed off that end and opened it up from the tub side with some glass shelves. Something like this:

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I posted regarding the space without really seeing the door.

After reading Kudzu's reply...I fully agree with Kudzu. I wouldn't install anything that obstructs the swing of the door.

Errant's photo is a much more effective use of the space.

I need to go find a sword to fall on.

Don't do it, Mongo! We need you :)

Yep, block it off. Then I'd cover it with coordinating mosaic tile for some interest.

Or you could create open cubbies similar to this: [open cubby holes[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/bouldin-creek-residence-contemporary-bathroom-austin-phvw-vp~12952300)

Not enough space to actually create any kind of drawers, cabinets or pull outs.

Mongo- You can use mine after I wipe the blood off from my previous incidents...

I don't suppose you could get at it from outside the room? Add storage there in the stud space + that 6"?

I would not block off any space and optimize any bit of storage I could. It seems to me, that space could be made into a long shelving unit for rolled towels, hand towels and wash cloths.

I like Kirstyeg's idea, and the difficulty/danger of having the roll out with the door there is a noted concern by Kudzu and Mongo.

I like the idea of opening it to the hallway or whatever is outside the room. That is one big oops in measuring and planning.

Oh boy. All that's left to do is wall it off, and hang a robe hook or something. Anything else you try to retrofit in there will just call attention to the major oops and look wonky.

We have a similar space, a little wider. We're planning on using it for a hidden storage area for valuables.

I have one too. Mine is a little ugly but functional--open shelving that isn't quite the full depth. It would be nice with doors. A full-height slab door that popped open might be fun--hide all hardware, put a hook on it, tile or paint it...hidden storage is fun, even if it just holds toilet paper.

I vote wall it off. It's so tiny that unless you're starved for storage, you'll just end up with a weird washcloth or toilet paper holder.

Could have built in shelves, but only do them a foot deep for towels. Found pic on google like what I mean.

neonweb-

That's a not bad application for that space, but it might not be as good for a space located like the one the OP has. In thinking about the OP's options, it dawned on me that, if the contractor had simply sheetrocked over that narrow space, this thread would not even exist and the OP wouldn't give it a second thought. Which leads me to believe that that is still the best approach.

you could make it a secret storage space for hiding stuff

I like the suggestion by ck_squared
to make open cubby holes with a few nice looking decorative boxes. With
an 8.5" space, maybe putting a thin hamper or garbage can in the bottom
of the space, and a few shelves on top. The picture of mine makes the
space look a little bit smaller than it actually appears. You really
guys think that idea is going to look awful?

I would either make cubbies for rolled up towels or open it up to the other room for a small reach in closet

Being right behind the door is a little odd but you still have some options. Drywall is one. We have a 6" wide cubbie shelf in the kitchen. The bottom has little drawers and the top has little baskets. We get a lot of use out of both the little drawers and baskets. These are like the vertical wine rack/open cubbies but more useful. If you look at kitchen cabinets you should be able to see what these are like. Or open shelves but not too deep. This isn't my favorite idea though.

I would say storage shelves only. Not really enough space there for pullout drawers or even a cabinet door. Not entirely sure why they even did that little nook, it is almost unusable being that tight behind the door.

IKEA has a 71/2 inch bathroom shelving unit, so, yes, I'd build something like that.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60206654/

Of course, it would also be nice to store a mop, swiffer, or broom.

Are the door hinges right at the edge of that opening?

You could build something like these roll-out pantry next to a refrigerator. You know that space is quite similar.

popmama-

Except for the fact that the space the OP is concerned about is directly behind a door, so the placement is entirely different, and would create a problem if you installed a slideout in that location.

kudzu9: I don't see how that's different. You build a narrow box that can roll out with the storage side facing the room. Obviously it can't roll out past where it would hit the doorknob, but I think it would work. Maybe it will provide some inspiration.

What's different is that if the slideout is pulled out and someone tries to open the door, it smashes into the pullout, which is not the situation in the photo you posted. It's never a good idea to have two moving components interfere with one another. If you have a child in the bathroom who pulls out the pullout, it could prevent someone from getting into the bathroom in an emergency without doing damage.

That is a good consideration. I had not considered that. I agree with you that if a child were in the bathroom and used the pull out that no one would be able to open the door from the outside. I can see that. So I guess it depends on whether or not the homeowner has that situation. I guess they can decide whether that work work for them or not.

In the event they have safety concerns, the shelving in the previous photo seems like the best option.

You can never anticipate when the pullout might be a problem for you or a future owner, which is why, if you are going to use that space for storage, a fixed set of shelves is the safe option.

I'd love for the op to come back and say what they ended up doing.

Still reading everyone's suggestions! Think we are going to go with some shelves and nice boxes though.

I just saw these built in shelves and it looks like a great solution for a tall, narrow space!

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I will have one of those in my current build, I figure a place for hand towels and TP and such, with three or four shelves, and not full depth. The right side (non shower side) will be outer log wall of my house, and hence I don't want to block that off from view. I will block off the first two feet from the ground. Nooks and crannies, bring 'em on!

(It will be there because I am using a roll-in ADA shower-surround and this is pricey enough without going custom. Mine should be 8 inches wide.)

It came out great!

Looks great!

Good job---and it doesn't look like an afterthought.

Perfect! Thanks for the update, love it that you shared :)

Looks great! Nicely done. Thanks for letting us know. I love it when people do that.

I like it - great use of the extra space!

Hey it looks great. Thanks for showing us

I agree, it looks good, and IMO it doesn't look like an afterthought, just as a way to eke out any and all storage space. Appeals to my practical side.

Looks great!! Not quite the same, but I carved out a storage cubbie under a bulkhead - between a couple of plumbing runs. Those little spaces come in handy!

It looks great!

Thank you for coming back and updating the thread, that was very thoughtful. It looks really great and I am sure is very useful.

In case the original poster is still around - did you take these mini-shelves full depth, or build a wall to make them shorter? Any regrets? I have a 22" wide space at the end of a tub and I can't decide how deep to build the shelves. The full 30" seems overkill.

We actually did make them full depth. In reality we don't really use the full depth but we looked at it as a free option in case we ever did need to. You could probably find some long bins/storage containers to get more use out of it but we didn't really need to. We found a super thin hamper to put in the bottom area but sometimes hide a small vacuum back there as well.