For the person who insists that no detail is too small, the best toilet paper holders add intentionality to the bathroom’s utilitarian design scheme. In an often charmless environment, these design-minded accessories can gesture towards excellent taste, even in a rental. While you may not consider a toilet paper holder to be, necessarily, “decor,” the hardware is always on display. It’s used constantly, so the last thing you want is a unit that jostles every time you unfurl the roll. No matter if your team over or team under, these toilet paper holders are a more visually pleasing way to make your routine easier. Perhaps you’re looking to swap your dated hardware for sleek polished chrome, or hoping to embrace a more maximalist existence with a hand-sculpted brass option finished in brushed gold. A toilet paper holder can’t pull the weight of a true bathroom renovation, but in just minutes, you can elevate the existing brushed nickel and stainless steel to a true personality pick. Shop our eight favorite toilet paper holders below and spotlight the no-longer-insignificant design moment.
Our Top Picks
A Colorful Pick
Metallics aren’t the only option. Hawkins NY’s essential toilet paper holder is a simple silhouette, but the classic J-shape is dressed up in a handful of powder-coated hues, from olive to klein blue. The colors make quite the visual impact with mere minutes of installation time. There’s even a coordinating towel bar and wall hooks for those in search of a matchy-matchy look.
Spice up your farmhouse fixtures with a mountable matte black option featuring a playful, scalloped flower shape. Its slim construction is great for when there’s only a few inches of wall space to work with in a small bathroom. Plus, the exaggerated hook ensures your roll won’t slide off when you accidentally nudge it.
An Unconventional Pick
Sure, a woven basket may not seem like the most practical, but for a rarely-used powder room, this could be the design accent that finally spruces up that bare corner. This dual-function basket is both a toilet paper dispenser and a storage piece to keep additional rolls, magazines, or whatever you need in arm’s reach.
A Modern Antique
If a toilet paper holder could be an antique heirloom, it would probably look like Zara’s iteration. A distressed gold finish gives this piece character while still looking modern enough to fit your renter-grade bathroom. While technically a single-post toilet paper holder, this one has an additional top rack for added stability.
Best for Renters
When wall-mounted isn’t an option, look to a freestanding toilet paper holder, like this one. The powder-coated steel stand doubles as storage for additional rolls, so there’s never any panic when your roommates leave you empty cardboard. It has a rust-proof design and is made to withstand ultra-humid environments, so go ahead and take that steam shower.
A Hand-Crafted Option
Hand-formed in solid brass, Ferm Living’s curvature collection is quite the sculptural statement. Sure, most of the detail gets hidden behind your toilet paper roll, but what other toilet paper holder looks better empty? Choose between brass and matte black finishes, but note that due to the handcrafted nature of these pieces, each one is practically one of a kind.
A Traditional Pick
This polished chrome toilet paper holder is quite traditional with its rounded finials and double post shape. This one features a standard spring bar in the center that easily comes out and pops back in with a single hand. Include this in your next bathroom remodel to give your space an air of timeless sophistication.
For the Modernist
For the modernist, CB2’s acrylic and nickel toilet roll stand is a renter-friendly take on the hardware. Sleek and polished, this brings a glam kind of accent we didn’t think bathroom accessories were capable of. Pair with ultra-plush towels and your red-light therapy mask to complete the high-end hotel vibe.
Sentinel — Human
This text functions primarily as persuasive, lifestyle advertising disguised as design advice, using descriptive language rather than objective factual reporting.
