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Open Storage in the Bathroom

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Not for the faint of heart, open storage in the bathroom can be difficult to pull off. But if you can do it, it's great for creating a clean, uncluttered look that keeps all your supplies in view. Click below for a few ideas...

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• Wall-mounted shelves are great for storing bath products. If you use label-free squeeze bottles, you can maintain a streamlined look.

• Towel hooks and racks. Both the wall-mounted and the freestanding versions work for keeping towels close at hand.

• Baskets can collect folded towels, magazines, bath products, and slippers. The photos above show baskets color-coordinated with the bathroom's decor.

• We hadn't thought of this before, but the small tables in the images above made us think that a little Saarinen side table next to the sink would look great holding bath products, although there are also lots of less expensive options. We'd also use the Prince Aha stool for the same purpose in the bathroom (and it has built-in storage inside).

Photos: Zara Home

Comments (10)

Wow, those are great!...for people who don't OWN anything, that is. I've got a SUPERnarrow bathroom, so I installed a long shelf that runs the length of the bathroom ceiling. Large Ikea baskets hold my stuff to keep that uncluttered look in tact. The whole solution cost around $100.

posted by darcidoodle on 2008-03-27 15:52:18
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i have to agree with darcidoodle. i wouldnt mind leaving all my bottles out if they all came in beautiful glass bottles like those in the picture. I do like the basket idea- and its a great place for towels.

posted by Oneformybaby on 2008-03-27 15:56:29
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My husband and I share a very tiny bathroom with only one enclosed storage space - a mirrored medicine cabinet above the sink that is really only useful for small items like toothpaste and floss. Everything else is stored on open shelves hung from the walls. Tiny baskets from World Market hold our toiletries.

posted by 2lastnames on 2008-03-27 16:10:19
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Like 2lastnames we were forced to scale things down in the bathroom because the only storage the bathroom in our new house contains is a slim medicine cabinet. My approach was to keep in the bathroom only those things we use on a daily basis. Everything else goes in the hallway closet. This enabled us to to get everything in the cabinet, on the sink, or on hooks.

posted by clancy on 2008-03-27 17:51:07
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where can i find the white table from the top photo?

posted by rasabasa123 on 2008-03-27 19:44:57
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um in a normal bathroom no matter how well ventilated isn't it a tad stupid to leave clean fresh towels stored in an area that is a mould hot spot?? i may be wrong, but i've always thought although it looks nice, it's a bit impractical.

posted by venus_thames on 2008-03-27 20:13:01
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the only storage we have in our circa 1900 bathroom is open built-ins. i hate the look of plastic bottles of toiletries so i buy cute little glass bottles and transfer everything into them, then make labels with my trusty label-maker. the colors of the potions and lotions look great.

posted by millzee on 2008-03-27 21:45:32
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Venus_thames:
I have no storage in my bathroom so I do store my towels in a basket. I have never had moldy towels! I think you'd have a real problem with your house if that were the case.

posted by Nikita on 2008-03-28 12:24:37
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I 2nd Nikita

posted by BrookeinBoston on 2008-03-28 17:54:27
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Where does the sink come from in the top picture? Does anyone know where to find one like it?

posted by LisainCambridge on 2008-04-15 19:16:44
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