STRATEGIZE THE STORAGE

Now that you’ve pared down your provisions, you’ll want to give all the keepers a logical home. Let your usual routine—and any space constraints—help dictate what goes where. The following solutions target the typical problem spots.

Streamline cabinets and drawers

Ease the morning shuffle by designating a place for everything—and being mindful of always returning items to their rightful spots.

• Gather myriad toiletries into upcycled jars and vases. Borrow vessels from the kitchen or garden.
• Containers, baskets, or drawer dividers can give order to makeup items: mascaras in one, lipsticks in another, brushes and applicators in another still.
• Keep hair accessories, like hair ties, in a small container together with a brush.
• Transfer cotton swabs and balls from their original packaging into attractive vessels.
• Place your frequently used products on shelves within arm’s reach, and keep kids’ supplies at their level.
• Lazy Susans help to extend your reach when storing products on deep or high shelves.
• Ideally, store a hair dryer in a drawer outfitted with an outlet. Or fasten a pair of hooks inside an under-sink cabinet door—or in a convenient place on a wall that’s near an outlet.
• Stash your everyday cosmetics in a pouch that’s pretty enough to keep on a shelf yet portable for when you need to carry it to another room or out the door.

Keep sinks and tubs in check

It’s all too easy to let these areas get overcrowded, especially when there’s a lack of other surfaces (hint: add shelves).

• Store toothbrushes in holders—one for each person; if counter space is tight, mount a small shelf near the sink (or use suction holders).
• Add corner shelves in a shower to hold shampoos and such—or hang a stainless-steel caddy over the showerhead.
• Bathtub trays are especially helpful for clawfoot tubs, which typically have no ledge or flat surface for products.
• Rather than keep a whole bar of soap (which is slippery when wet and leaves hard-to-clean residue on its holder), shave off shards and insert into the center of a natural sea sponge (use a utility knife to slice into the center).
• Decant shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (buying them in bulk saves money) into pretty nonbreakable bottles, adding labels for easy identification.
• Keep only one bath towel out for each person at a time and store the rest, ideally in a linen closet or laundry room to keep kids from grabbing a new one each time. Extra washcloths and hand towels can go near the sink—out of the way but accessible.