Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Organized and Tidy

Replacing my bathroom vanity/sink and wall cabinet significantly improved the size and type of storage in my bathroom. The new vanity has two full-size drawers that hold a surprising quantity of stuff. The extra space allowed me to move my makeup from the sewing/dressing room into the bathroom, where the light is better. I also cleared out and organized my linen closet and the chest of drawers I use as a hairstyling station.

I love closets and drawers because they hide stuff away, making rooms look tidy. And I love baskets and bins in the closets and drawers because they organize the stuff, making the closets and drawers look tidy.

I love tidy. :)

The new vanity is Hemnes from IKEA. It's plain, basic white... but what it lacks in style, it makes up for in clever design and roomy storage. I love it! The bottom drawer holds frequently used stuff - cleaning products, two stacks of washcloths, and a basket containing hair spray, contact lens solution, etc. There was still room left over, so I added a spare bag of cotton balls and spare shower scrubbies to fill the space. Full drawer means stuff doesn't slide around when I open and close the drawer. :)

The top drawer holds makeup, cotton in three forms, and denture Invisalign cleaner. Plastic baskets and bins keep it all organized.

Infrequently used items, extras (I hate running out of anything!), and paper products are kept in the linen closet.

I recently replaced my worn-out white towels and washcloths with purple and black ones. On a whim, I also bought orange and green, thinking they will be fun at Halloween time. Folded appropriately, this ridiculous quantity of towels fit on two shelves. Below them are sheets and pillowcases. On the bottom are blankets for the dogs and some of the old white towels, which have been demoted to dog bath duty.

In the chest of drawers in my dressing area, the shallow top drawer holds less frequently used makeup (organized in baskets, of course).

For the drawers that hold hair stuff, I have organizers that are a step up from plastic baskets. I normally wouldn't spring for fancy-schmancy fabric-lined organizers to live unseen in a drawer, but I came across these for just a few dollars at Big Lots (damask) and Jo-Ann (stripes).


They are precisely the right size to fill the drawers. :D One drawer holds my hair brushes, clips, barrettes, and ponytail holders. And my scrunchies. Yes, I admit it - I use scrunchies (because they don't damage my hair).

The other drawer holds hair flowers, headbands and curling irons.

How do you organize or store your bath and beauty stuff? Do you hide it away, or do you prefer to have it out where you can see it?