Dear AT,
My boyfriend and I will soon be moving in to our first house. It's a very small 1938 brick ranch in Royal Oak, Michigan. We love everything about it, including the original bathroom, except the complete lack of storage. There's literally not even a place to put toothpaste and toothbrushes!
As you can see in the picture, there's lots of wallspace above and to either side of the sink (the toilet's behind the door). I'm wondering if you (or any fellow AT junkies) know where I can find shallow (6 inches max) large wall cabinets...
There's a plethora of ugly medicine cabinets on the market, a semi-attractive one might work above the sink, but I'm looking for something much larger, perhaps several feet wide by five feet tall, for next to the sink. Something with lots of shelves where we can store everything from toilet paper rolls and cleaning products to skin and bath products. Oh, and it would be great if I could get it for under 500 bucks! (Wishful thinking, I'm sure.)
Thanks in advance and keep up the good work,
Caroline
P.S. We also plan on changing the lighting and the paint to tone down all that peach tile!
Dear Caroline,
We're opening this one up to the "AT junkies" who perhaps came away from April's Bathroom Month with some answers for you. We think your problem may best find its solution in a custom-built unit, so you can get the exact materials and shallow dimensions you need and want. A basic wood shelving/storage system could be all you need. If you are in or near Chicago (yikes, we don't know where are you moving to Michigan from!), Wood World would be a great place to browse for materials.
In addition to placing shallow shelves/cabinets around your sink, you might also consider using the area above and around your window, which may give you less restriction on shelving depth.
AT junkies, please help Caroline!
(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
How about the Siljan at Ikea? It's 35 3/8 wide by 6 1/4 deep. They're only $39.99 so maybe you could install several? Click on my name for the link
Ooooh, Royal Oak!!
I miss it!
(A former detroit resident)
CB2 also makes a nice one. Probably wouldn't look as good in multiples, though.
Kathryn's suggestions got me thinking about another storage solution from IKEA that might work here. The shoe storage cabinets are all under 7 inches deep and are about 5 feet tall. They are freestanding so you wouldn't have to install on the tiled wall. There are the SANDNES, INNVIK and NYLAND (which could be painted a cool color). While designed for shoes, they may work for storing some of the bathroom stuff you mentioned, and of course the price is right.
Since that new pedestal sink doesn't go at all (stylewise) with what looks like a great original tub, you might also consider switching the sink for one with some storage and a flat surface area. I am thinking of something like this only with more surface area:
http://www.friendlyplumber.com/sink/bathroom_sinks/console_lavatories/retrospectsink.html
Hi guys! Thanks for all the help so far!
Janel-your idea about the IKEA shoe cabinets is genius! It's not quite as easy access as a large wall cabinet with one door, but it's much more cost effective than a custom made piece. For the last few years, we've driven to Burlington, Ontario to go to IKEA but one's opening up just down the road right around when we close on the house. I've been waiting to check out the possibilities there in person - it's so hard to tell online.
Lesley - I completely agree about the sink (and it is an original tub) and I really like the one you suggested (great small scale), unfortunately, a new sink is not in the budget. After the down payment and getting the floors refinished, there's not much left in the budget. (All new furniture has been purchased via ebay or craigslist.) Maybe in a year or so when we free up some cash.
I know we don't live in Chicago, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate good design or the challenges of living in a small space. As grad students in Ann Arbor, making our 700 sq. ft. apartment work for us, 2 cats, 2 kayaks, and countless bikes has been a challenge. Our new house is still under 1000 sq. ft., but the basement and garage sure help make that space more pleasant!
This is the only bathroom cabinet I've found so far that might work, but I'm afraid the large size over the sink might be overwhelming.
http://ww2.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpcbthcabcab%7Crshop%2Fshpcbthcabcab%7Crshop%2Fshpcbthcab%7Crshop%2Fshpcbthfur%7Crshop%2Fshpcbth%7Crshop&pkey=cbthcabcab&gids=p6773
(why do those URLs have to be so long?)
Thanks again for the help and keep the good ideas flowing - I need all the help I can get.
I have this in my tiny bathroom and I love it, exp because you can customize the look with any artwork and it's only 5" deep:
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=477&f=2242
I also have 3 jonathan adler melamine boxes on top of the toilet to keep extra makeup and stuff which is a great place to store odds & ends (although the lid on my toilet is more square than rounded, like most toilets).
I hung a clear plastic "over the door" shoe holder like this one http://tinyurl.com/rnvg5 on the back of my bathroom closet door. It's a great way to store all the little things that you need every day, but you don't necessarily want to see.
Hey Caroline, welcome to the neighborhood. I live in Royal Oak in the lower level of a duplex just on the edge of downtown. And ironically I moved here from Ann Arbor just a few months ago.
(Sorry I can't really add any ideas new for your cabinet.)
Have you considered a recessed cabinet - one that is set into the wall? I had one in my last apartment and it was great not to have the cabinet jutting out from the wall. HGTV even has DIY instructions:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_kitchen_bath_cabinets/article/0,1797,HGTV_3744_1375231,00.html