BATHROOM
Bathrooms are another one of our favorite rooms to organize. And I know you’re thinking that we say every room is our favorite, but it’s not true. Garages, basements, and attics: not so great. But a bathroom is SO FUN, and the possibilities are endless. Another nice thing about working on a bathroom is that the categories are pretty clear and generally consistent from home to home. You will almost always be organizing your items into these groupings:
FACE
HAIR
DENTAL
BATH + BODY
And likely some or all of these additional groupings:
EYE
MAKEUP
HAIR TOOLS
COTTON SWABS AND ROUNDS
BACK STOCK SUPPLIES
TRAVEL
And depending on your space and time constraints, you’ll probably end up creating groupings within all these groupings. For instance, your makeup category might turn into subsections for blush, lip, and eye. These extra steps are always optional, so don’t overwhelm yourself and bite off more than you can chew. If you can manage to get your basic categories grouped and organized, but you don’t have the energy to sort them further, that is STILL a huge win. Fine-tune things later on—you’d be amazed at how easy it is to separate dry shampoo from hair spray while holding a glass of wine!
THE SKIN SAVING CABINET
Medicine cabinets seem to hold a lot more than pills these days. Since these cabinets are often prime real estate in the bathroom, they tend to be used for products and supplies that you reach for on a daily basis. For this non-medicine medicine cabinet, we created a dedicated spot for everyday face regimens.
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It’s always important to measure your spaces before buying products, but a medicine cabinet is trickier than most! Pay close attention to the depth of each shelf and the door hinges that might get in the way of your containers.
Categories are grouped into cleansers, moisturizers, and treatments
Excess packaging removed to fit treatment packets in a space-saving drawer, so additional face masks can stack on top
Divided containers help to separate more specific subcategories
THE SKIN SAVING DRAWER
If your bathroom lacks cabinet space, you can just as easily use a drawer! Almost all bottles can lie flat as opposed to standing upright—just make sure lids are on extra tight to avoid an oil spill.
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Drawer inserts don’t just help with organization—they also protect your drawer from products that might leak or spill.
Odd-shaped chargers and other tools anchor the corner to maximize countertop space
Products are grouped by brand rather than category to keep sets together
Q-tips and cotton swabs separated into compartmented containers
THE NO-DRAWER BATHROOM
If you have a bathroom without drawers, you can add additional storage by using wall units or freestanding carts. Both options bring functionality and unique design elements, so it’s a fun twist for a standard bathroom setup. Plus, it’s really fun wheeling your cart around when you need to restock items (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it).
Bath and body supplies organized into the iron wall unit
Candles and decorative objects added to make the room more inviting
Folded towels and rolls of toilet paper fill the acrylic cart
THE DAILY DRAWER
Think of your “daily” drawer as the bathroom’s greatest hits. These are the go-to items that you use twice a day without fail: toothbrush and toothpaste, contact lenses, face wipes—whatever suits your daily routine. In this instance, the daily drawer also doubles as a back stock drawer. When you need a new razor or toothbrush, it is right there waiting for you.
Bulky face wipes are organized without containers, but they help secure the categories on either side
Categories are separated with modular drawer organizers in varying sizes
Items used together are next to each other in the drawer
EVERYTHING AND THE BATHROOM SINK
The space beneath the bathroom sink is just as important as the storage under the kitchen sink and should not be ignored. In many instances, it’s the best place to stand up large bottles of shampoo, hair products, lotion, and more, so put it to good use!
Extra pull-out deep drawers to take advantage of the cabinet depth
Back stock of hair, face, and makeup products organized into separate containers
Cup inserts used in the makeup drawer keep small items from rolling around
LINEN CLOSET OPEN SHELVING
In theory, folded linens and towels would look perfect on an open shelf. Alas, there’s the inconvenient truth that you don’t live in a hotel or spa (YET…there’s always hope), and it’s not ever going to look as pristine when you try to replicate the stack of towels in your own home. But with the help of a few baskets, you’ll get the look and save your sanity.
TIP/
Toilet paper can be stored in a floor basket if a nearby shelf isn’t available—but buy wrapped rolls to keep them from getting dusty!
Extra toilet paper rolls stacked in rows
Transparent baskets for easy-to-see categories
Folded towels, hand towels, and washcloths stay neatly contained
THE PRETTY STOCKPILE SHELF
Open shelving is usually reserved for things that are meant to be displayed, like dishes or books. Extra bathroom products, on the other hand, are usually stashed out of sight, hidden behind cabinet doors and drawers. But adding some elevated products and clean categories can make all the difference in this room!
TIP/
Whenever possible, try to pick bins that line up flush with the edge of the shelf. It creates a custom look that visually improves the space (regardless of what is stored inside!).
Clear bins on upper shelves store neatly contained, unopened back stock items
Bulky face and hair care products stored in concealed bins to mask the contents
Prettier items like nail polish and a manicure kit stored in take-along caddies
GUEST BATHROOM DRAWER
Setting up a guest bathroom is fun because you can include things you wouldn’t use yourself on a daily basis. Whether it’s fancy toothpaste or some luxury toiletries, you can splurge knowing these are not everyday items.
TIP/
A guest bathroom drawer can be a great place to practice your organizing skills! It’s pretty low-risk (unless you have a particular mother named Roberta) since it’s not used every day, so you can’t go wrong!
Bath and body products lined up behind the drawer organizers to hold everything in place
ROYGBIV-arranged toothpaste in travel sizes
Compartmentalized dental and face supplies
COUNTERTOP STORAGE
Some people prefer to keep their makeup on the counter where they can see it, and some people need to make use of the countertop because they are short on storage space. If you fall into either of those buckets, stackable acrylic containers might change your life. Okay, maybe not your life, but certainly your bathroom.
Makeup can be kept in this single tower or broken up into a different configuration, and individual sections can be removed while items are in use
Face, eye, and lip products categorized and contained in modular acrylic drawers in varying sizes for a custom fit
Products lined up in each drawer to keep the color label visible whenever possible
BATHROOM SUPPLY CABINET
If you’re lucky enough to have a storage closet in your bathroom, add storage bins that keep your items front and center. Once your spray bottles and first-aid supplies are neatly organized, you won’t mind looking at them!
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Sometimes you need to think outside the bin…Under-shelf organizers help hold items you need easy access to, AND they are uniquely able to take full vertical advantage of your shelves.
Pharmacy and first-aid products organized on a turntable and in under-shelf organizers
Boxes removed from capsules with visible names and dosages marked on the interior packaging
Cleaning supplies are organized on a turntable, with toilet paper stacked neatly on either side to fill out the space
STOCKED BY SCENT
Sometimes when we are organizing a space, a very specific theme will emerge, and we realize that it is a stand-alone category. In this case, among the cleansers and lotions, we noticed that the scents definitely deserved their own labels: grapefruit, orange, and coconut. And isn’t it a little bit more fun to have a grapefruit grouping? Everything deserves its own moment to shine, even citrus-scented bath products.
Small cabinet bins divide each category of small items
Stacked bins on the top shelf take advantage of the height
A middle shelf used to store the most compact items helps maximize space on the other shelves
Categories grouped by scent rather than type so you can match a fragrance to your mood
THE BUT-WAIT-THERE’S-MORE CABINET
What do you do when you think you nailed your categories but then discover there’s actually more where those came from? Behold, the back stock cabinet. And this extra stock was extra-satisfying because it helped underscore our firm commitment to the scent-based categories we chose for the bathroom’s other cabinet (see this page).
TIP/
When you want clear storage for visibility, but maybe don’t want all your personal items on display, a frosted clear helps achieve both goals.
A nail station sits on the shelf above (never miss your chance to arrange polish in a rainbow), with nail supplies in the drawer below
A scent category for practicality (and personal victory)
Tall bath and body products are able to stand upright in modular drawers in varying sizes
