Recently, I shared our guest bathroom update that we’ve been working on in quarantine.
We couldn’t just have a pretty space, though—it had to function, too. And, while this is going to be a guest bath in the long run, it’s also got the only linen closet in our house (we removed the main floor ones to enlarge our master bathroom).
So, we needed it to function well.
Today, I thought I’d share the storage solutions we came up with, as well as some ideas for organizing your own bathroom and/or linen closet.
Linen Closet
Here’s what this linen closet looked like before.
These shelves were MDF and they weren’t in great shape. The two at the top were covered in paper (not contact paper, just paper) that was ripping off, and the lower ones had some kind of strange padded contact paper on them. They didn’t look great.
We pulled them out and started to pull the paper off but there was a bunch of strange adhesive on them and MDF isn’t the best material for a bathroom anyway, so we made the impulse decision to make new shelves out of plywood.
We ordered the plywood from Home Depot, cut them to size and used edging veneer to cover the front edge. I stained them using a stain we had already, and boom, they were ready to go.
We’re using storage solutions from The Container Store to corral all of the bottles we need to keep track of in this closet and keep everything labeled. Someday, when we actually have guests using this bathroom, I imagine the labels being super nice so they can find what they need if they need an advil or something.
Other Bathroom Storage
We also added some storage inside of our vanities. We each got 2 of these stacking bins, which increased the usability of these small spaces.
Finally, we really needed a hamper in here. I think some families are hampers in the bedroom families, but we always end up with clothes stacking up in the corner of the bathroom.
So, to tidy up a bit and make use of the dead space in this corner, we got a hamper with 3 bags—darks, lights, and special wash. Anything in the first bin is able to be thrown in a normal load, whereas the other 2 require special treatment, like a whites load, delicate cycle, or hanging to dry. (This was Dustin’s request so he won’t accidentally ruin a sweater or something.)
This hamper isn’t the most sturdy solution (I originally had a piece of art on it, but we had to take it off so it wouldn’t fall over), and we dream of someday installing a built in hamper system (like this), but for now it’s a great option.
Organizing Your Bathroom
As a virgo who was living with boxes in her bathroom for a while, it feels incredible to finally (!) have everything organized and in its place in our bathroom.
My top tip for organizing, in fact, is exactly that—have a place for everything. The things that have a designated home never stack up and create clutter.
Think about it, you never have a bunch of spoons piling up on your kitchen counter, do you? No, because they have a place.
If you have clutter, it’s probably because those items don’t have a home, so you need to consider designating or building one for them.
Here are my other organizing tips for your bathroom:
Get everything out of storage
You don’t know what you have until you get your shelves cleared off and any lingering moving boxes (guilty!) emptied out.
When you’re working in your bathroom, get all of your bathroom items out and gathered in one place.
Be realistic about everything you don’t use
I hate this one because it forces me to admit the stupid purchases I’ve made. But, honestly, I’m not much of a makeup person (especially right now!) outside of my standard day-to-day and a few fun lipsticks for special occasions.
Being realistic about that freed me to toss all of the random makeup I’ve had in storage for way too long.
Sort like things together
Have you ever realized you have 5 half empty containers of toilet bowl cleaner (or shampoo, or lotion, or whatever it is)?
Getting everything in one place before you start organizing will help you realize which things you have repeats of and give you the chance to keep them all in one place so you aren’t purchasing multiples just because you can’t find what you’re looking for.
Keep counters clear
Horizontal surfaces tend to collect so much stuff and really make a room look cluttered. (If you ever need to tidy up quick, start by clearing tables and counters.)
In this bathroom, since there are two vanities instead of one with a little more counter space in the middle, the counter space gets cluttered so fast!
As I mentioned, I bought a few little bins that we keep in our respective vanities. I keep all of my everyday products in mine and, when I’m getting ready, I pull it out. Then I use everything I need, replacing it in the bin, and put the bin away when I’m done. Sounds simple but it’s been a game changer!
How do you keep your bathroom tidy? Tell me your tips and tricks in the comments!
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