Close-up: Melissa and Matt's "Embarassment"

We spent a little time last night browsing our previous House Tours for some general inspiration. What was really on the brain was a combination of the always central "looking-for-great-style/design" as well as ideas on how things are stored (and by default, we hope, kept neat and clean).

We were surprised to read again Melissa's response to her Biggest Embarassment (from Melissa and Matt's house tour): "By far our sad, sad bathroom. There’s no space, no storage and it’s just a nightmare. We mostly keep that door closed."

When we went through the slideshow for the umpteenth time, it finally hit us what a contradiction this seemed! Okay, so we can't see the whole room, but we remember loving this photo the first time around (and guessing that they were in design and organization heaven in that bathroom).

Melissa and Matt's product list for the bathroom:

Medicine Cabinet: IKEA (we love it!!)
Octopus Hanger: IKEA (a standard great)
Clock: Unica Home (sweet touch)

So, after all of this, we're wondering what you use to fix, ammend, or conceal your embarassments. What are some of your "Best Products" or ideas for concealing, storing, taking the attention away from problems, etc.??

Comments (2)

My tiny 1920s studio apartment bathroom has minimal storage, and in a place this small, it doesn't take more than few inconsequential items to look like a big mess. After a weekend visit at some friends' house, where the garish labels of 11 half-empty bottles of liquid soap, shampoo & conditioner turned the shower into visual chaos, and the multi-colored still life of soaps, face scrubbers, shaving cream cans, toothbrushes & mouthwash turned the sink into a photorealist commentary on relentless suburban consumerism, I came home and toosed everything.

Since then, I buy only white or clear products in white or clear packaging with removable labels. Now, even with shampoo & mouthwash & shave cream sitting out right in the open all the time, the only color in the room--besides the Nile Green paint on the walls and my 193Os green-&-black chenille bathmat--is the orange handle on my Bic razor. Everything else disappears into the background.

posted by magnaverde on May 31st 2007 at 7:46am
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I also have a tiny bathroom, and my solution has always been to buy no more than I'll actively use. Toiletries aren't in limited supply, and since I can just walk to the store when I run out, I see no need to stockpile like my mother was always fond of doing.

I also re-bottle things like shampoo in simple, label-free containers.

Between those two things, my bathroom stays (mostly, heh) in check.

posted by Katie S. on May 31st 2007 at 10:15am
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