Great Ideas for Organizing a Small Bathroom
Whenever possible, make your everyday bathroom items beautiful, or store them in a beautiful way. I personally love repurposing ceramic yogurt containers to store toothbrushes and makeup brushes, but you can also, as interior designer Christina Cleveland suggests, use vintage glassware. Design author Jill Singer, who’s partial to Virginia Sim’s Ood holder or a pretty mug, suggests gathering objects together on a pretty tray; creative director Colin Chee agrees: “Even if the bottles are placed casually, a nice tray makes everything look intentional.” Here are a few delightful items that also proved durable in our tests:
A statement garbage can: Dusen Dusen Pedal Trash Bin
Top pick
The Dusen Dusen Pedal Trash Bin is made from colorful powder-coated steel in two patterns, bringing whimsy to even the dreariest bathrooms, while still holding a plastic grocery bag’s worth of trash in its inner plastic pail. A pedal opens and closes the lid quietly, for hands-free use. (If you prefer something more low-key, the Simplehuman’s 4.5-Liter Bathroom Trash Can has a foot pedal similar to the Dusen Dusen but a slightly larger footprint, and comes in white, black, or steel finishes.)
A sculptural soap dish: Mosser Glass Bathing Lady
Top pick
Just about any vessel can hold soap, but few are as beautiful or as thematically suited as this bathing lady dish. Though she’s roughly 9 inches long, her bowl is just about 4.5 inches in diameter, making it perfect for housing items like hair elastics, lip balm, bobby pins — and, of course, bar soap (smaller standard soaps, like Dove, fit perfectly, but you may need to cut larger bars in half). Heftier than other dishes, she sits securely on slim countertops, even if it’s wet, and comes in several opaque and translucent color options. (For an even cuter display, consider treating yourself to gorgeous guest soaps, such as these from Claus Porto, which editor Daniela Gorny loves; their diminutive dimensions make them easy to store).
Tinted glass storage: West Elm Color Blocked Glass Canister
Top pick
For bathroom items you access regularly (such as Q-tips, cotton rounds, or tampons), we love these colorful glass containers from West Elm. They’re just transparent enough to see through, making it easy to identify what you need, but the glass’s tinting obscures what’s inside, lending a more harmonious look to your space. The lids add just a little more privacy as well as dust protection. These containers come in a pink/orange combo or a blue/green, in small (4 inches in diameter by 6 inches tall) or large (4.7 inches in diameter by 7 inches tall).
