At Home > City Spaces > Bathroom > for Yourself (and Your Partner)
The master bathroom in our 2-bed, 2-bath apartment posed typical Manhattanite challenges:
- Single sink (no double vanity)
- One medicine cabinet shared between us
- Open under-sink storage with one medium-size drawer
- Small square footage overall
We implemented various organizational techniques to solve for the small space in our master bathroom, yet still preserve our clutter-free aesthetic.
Countertop
Due to limited counter space surrounding our one sink, we minimized our countertop items to just two Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart toothbrushes (white for me; black for him) and my Clarisonic Mia Fit (white). Plus, one liquid soap dispenser.
Medicine Cabinet Storage
Because our medicine cabinet was insufficient for two to share, we shifted our supplements and medicines to a kitchen cupboard (See Soon: Kitchen > Cabinets) and allocated the shelving behind our bathroom mirror to skin, nail and mouth care products. Since we were attempting to store a myriad of his and hers products in one cabinet, I implored the use of several InterDesign Linus bathroom cabinet organizers to create some separation and to categorize our items.
Under Sink Storage
The cabinet under our sink consists of one open shelf and a medium-size drawer. To avoid the appearance of clutter, I positioned a Grey Montauk Woven Rectangular Storage Bin to stash spare towels and washcloths adjacent a tissue holder on the open shelf. Within the drawer, I selected an InterDesign Linus Section Tray to organize a BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Straightener, round hairbrush, comb, and attachable parts for a Dyson Super Sonic Hairdryer, as well as hair ties and headbands. Within the remaining drawer space, we aligned my boxes of monthly feminine care products, plus an eBag’s Small Ultralight Toiletry Cube (in grey) for quick access in advance of Carlyle’s frequent, but short business trips.
Referral Code for -$10 at eBags.com: TAFGDFPHLN
Because I travel far less often and don’t need distinct toiletry bags for short and long trips, my own Slim Ultralight Toiletry Cube (twice the size of the small) is stored along side Carlyle’s (both in grey), which he uses on extended business travel and vacations. We keep them in the elfa utility large mesh basket (in platinum) at the bottom of the door rack on the back of our bathroom door (see Custom Door Rack below).
Side Note: In a spare carry-on suitcase, we store a variety of Ultralight Packing Cubes that can be mixed and matched according to trip length and season (See Soon: On the Go > Suitcase Hacks).
Custom Door Rack
To avoid cluttering an already small countertop, I designed a platinum mesh door rack using The Container Store’s online elfa Design Center. Their drag-and-drop digital design platform allowed me to customize a utility board and baskets based on our organizational needs while simultaneously loading our shopping cart and calculating a running subtotal of costs as I worked.
The result was a sufficient alternative to a vanity that kept my Dyson Super Sonic Hairdryer, makeup and fragrances within reach while eliminating countertop clutter. In lieu of a makeup bag, I chose a combination makeup-and-toiletry hanging organizer (discontinued) from Sephora, which hung adjacent my hairdryer from hooks on the top 17-1/8″ x 2-1/2″ elfa utility board. Body lotions, hair products, perfumes, colognes and additional makeup were sorted in elfa utility medium mesh baskets. At the bottom of the rack, an elfa utility large mesh basket secured our Slim Ultralight Toiletry Cubes between trips.
Side Note: A can of air freshener, strategically placed in one of the medium mesh baskets, was within arms’ reach of the toilet.
MOMganized 