apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have a canvas bin on a storage cabinet in my bathroom that holds all my body sprays/lotions/perfumes and it is just as tall as the tallest bottle like the top photo. Even though they're all out, since you can't see the labels and colors, I feel like it doesn't look nearly as cluttered.

I roll mine. I got the idea from a spa I visited. Saves space and since I prefer not to put extra holes in my wall, it's a nice, neat option for me. Of course, I wish I had a bin or basket as lovely as those pictured. Oh well.

oh yes..have forever..(small spaces)..in round baskets/old and rustic wooden boxes..and the best was an old wire milk carrier!!!!! for hand towels..so so cute...now this time around: those natural color, knitted bags that hang off a peg or hook at ikea (most inexp)..roll up my hot pink and aqua handtowels and there you go...breezy..bath towels..behind sink skirt..no room

Is it only me, or does anyone else think it's just courting germs to store towels (or anything else) in open baskets/racks/shelving in the bathroom?

If I did that, I'd feel like I had to dust and clean every 48 hours or else I'd worry about how many germs my towels, etc., would be gathering. Bathroom air is not the same as living room air...

We have a the luxury of a linen closet but an idea I got from an apartment I visited last year as well as in an AT post from last Fall I think is to put an Ikea stainless steel shelf over the bathroom door to store spare towels.

I added a shelf above my bathroom door. Not only does it keep them out of the way, but since my wall and towels are both white, they take up very little visual space.

The IKEA Vurm wine rack also helps get those towels off of the floor and maximizes space. Rolled, you can fit 4 towels in the rack.

Rolled towels in an attractive container are good, but I'd have to get (or build) a little low bench to get those linen bags off the floor to like them. A piece of plywood cut exactly to size with some nice little chrome casters would work. I like to be able to see shine under and around things, especially in the bathroom.

I use a former "milk maid" laundry basket from Target (shallow with two handles), to hold my bath and hand towels.

It's actually very rustic/handmade looking, and for small bathrooms, it fits very well, and isn't too obvious.

"Is it only me, or does anyone else think it's just courting germs to store towels (or anything else) in open baskets/racks/shelving in the bathroom?...
...Bathroom air is not the same as living room air."

Someone's been watching waaaay too many Lysol commercials...

We don't live in a small space by AT standards, 3 beds 2.5baths, but there are 5 of us. I've purged soooo much over the last few years.
We have maybe 4 hand towels, one bath towel each (plus a few cuter ones for the kids if we hit the beach) , one set of sheets per bed.
It seems like having less to start with would help solve the storage problem.
Of course I do realize that we also have the luxury of inhome laundry.
I just think that far too often people end up with more towels than they could ever possibly need simply because they are an easy inexpensive way to update your home.
Pretty sure there are 12 towels in the basket in the second picture, that's overkill!

Using and loving a shelf above the door.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessica_anne/2227361784/in/set-72157604057776314/

Angus, I'm constantly struggling to convince my husband to let go of random, mismatched towels. There are only two of us, and we probably have over a dozen bath towels alone cluttering the linen cabinet. Admittedly, they do come in handy with a large, frequently muddy dog...

Who could store towels out like that in a bathroom? I would have to wash them before I would want anyone to touch them. I'd rather buy a free standing cabinet or store them in another closet first.

People, remember we do not live in spas or hotels - LOL - so it's not like we really have time to change out the towels daily.

FiatLex - why get rid? I'd at least use them for spare cleaning cloths or something. We have probably three different sets of towels...not many in each set, but we keep them all since they come in handy when we're having a busy week and they don't get in the wash quickly.

I love the towel rolling idea, I started doing it when I moved into my current apartment over 2 years ago. The look is very neat and polished and so easy to do.