My sink forces minimalism. I draw the line however at hiding the soap. If I stored it the guests would see how messy my medicine cabinet is :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdeathstar/3340864591/

i have concrete counters for my kitchen and bathroom. The quality is okay, wish it was done by a more skilled craftsmen, however, I do like the minimal & industrial look.

I have a few items out-dental hygeine stuff, paper cups, handsoap, a couple hair products, a blowdryer in a thing on the wall, and a dry washrag to wipe water off the counter. I usually do my makeup in the car (bad I know), but I'm good about keeping my makeup bag on a shelf in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, my bathroom, like most, lacks convenient and sufficient storage. As a result, everything is arrayed across the back of the sink and on the top of an adjacent cabinet. When guests come, it all gets hidden away in a closet before their arrival.

I said "no products displayed" but not because I give two shits what people think/see, but because *I* don't like to see all that crap. It all goes either in the medicine cabinet, in the closet, or on my dresser (which is where I get ready).

I hate a cluttered anything, so I try to stow away as much as possible.

Fortunately, I have a very roomy medicine cabinet, an etagere with some storage hidden behind doors, and a cabinet beneath my sink. I recently bought two very nice, matching baskets to hold towels and my daily hair stuff (mini straightening iron, comb, brush and blowdryer).

anyone know where that first sink comes from?

i can't stand a cluttered sink... I really wouldn't even like my soap being out in view. So of course i love the first picture in the post. I never even thought of putting a few fresh flowers in there but it's an excellent idea!

I live in a... "uniquely" converted brownstone, so my bathroom light also happens to be inside my medicine cabinet. I also have a tiny sink with no room for anything around it, and put in a small shelf instead. I just decided "eh, screw it" and leave the door open at all times so I can get to the switch more easily and so guests don't have to fumble around in there. Try to keep it tidy, but there's not much space in terms of storage in my bathroom anyway...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phuongxpham/2494197623/in/set-72157603892327686/

The things I do have out are in a couple matching containers. Everything else is put away. I don't like anything out.

Apart from a bottle of soap in both bathrooms and a tissuebox nothing is on display. It's all stored in 3 quite big medicin cabinets. Eventough I do prefer clutter free spaces this is not only by choice, as there is just no room next to the sinks for anything. If I had a bit more room I might display a few pretty bottles.
Another thing is that with all that stuff it's difficult to clean and the bathroom (besides the kitchen) is the place I clean most in the house, so keeping it free of stuff helps.

I've got almost all of my products out but they're all corralled in a two large containers. That way when it is time to clean or time for guests, they're easily stored under the sink.

We have such a small sink area that we only have the "pumped" soap on the side. I WISH there was a way to add a little tray of perfumes, etc...but alas I will have to wait until I have a bigger bathroom!

http://www.carinagardner.com

One Sonicare toothbrush, one handmade ceramic mug, and one carved wooden dish from Guatemala that holds the soap.

Just a bar of soap and towel near the sink. Everything else (like toothpaste, brushes) in the medicine cabinet, and a few perfumes on a dresser elsewhere in the bathroom. I like it pretty clutter free everywhere though-makes it easier to clean. And I HATE cleaning.

Ideally, uncluttered, but we just have zero storage space.

Our sink is too small for clutter. It literally wouldn't fit.

We do have a bunch of shampoo bottles around the tub, though.

My sinks are clutter free, but the bathtub/shower drives me crazy. Especially because the doors are clear glass. Anyone have any ideas on how to tastefully store razors, shampoos, and body soap tastefully?

I hate clutter on the counter, but it's inevitable where I live. The previous owner did a fancy-schmancy Zen design in the bathroom: no medicine cabinets (and no possibility of installing them because of the way the wall was installed), no towel racks, no toilet paper holder. We're lucky there's a doorknob.

Bathroom designers have to put in convenient storage if the sink is to be clutter-free!

What is this counter of which you speak?

I have a pedestal sink with just enough room for a soap dispenser.

I have a small tray of lotion, etc., on the toilet tank to the right, and the rest of my stuff (which I try to keep to a minimum) in nice containers on open shelving to the left. It is a very very small bathroom.

We have a little sink in a little bathroom, but even so I just hate clutter, anywhere. There is a little cup and tiny clock on my sink. Never anything else! I'm kind of a neat freak...

http://www.makemineeclectic.wordpress.com

In my last place I had open shelves in my bathroom and I filled them up with bottles and jars that ended up permantly covered in that magnetised dust you seem to get in bathrooms. Cleaning was a nightmare.

In my current place I deliberately designed it with no open storage - shelves or counterspace - instead I stash everything in a tall (1m high) shallow cabinet. So it doesn't look too impersonal I do have pictures on the wall, but this bathroom not only looks bigger it's sooo much easier to keep clean.

when I go to our friends house (a house of only two 20 year old boys) they have so much stuff on their counter it looks really messy and horrible and it gets hard to reach the taps. they are used to me cleaning their house (i wouldn't do it unless they said it was ok, i'm not one of these weird people who randomly clean other peoples houses invading their privacy, they do it to our house too). so I put away all their hair products and throw out the three empty toothpaste tubes and arrange their 5 different face washes... honestly these boys have more beauty products than i do and i thought i had a lot.

oh in our place nothing but our toothbrushes and a handwash bottle are out on the counter. and in the shower we have minimal non labelled bottles all in white so they blend into the tile. makes the room seem much larger and less cluttered. :)

@venus_thames: did you buy "non-labeled bottles in all white" somewhere in particular? I've looked and haven't found many great options (maybe I'm looking in the wrong places!)

I once read a news article about particles from the toilet becoming airborne during flushing and then settling on items stored on the bathroom counter.

I don't know if it's true, but I found the idea gross enough to start stowing everything except my soap dish.

Of course you could just shut the lid before you flush.

i hide everything, mainly because i:
- hate cleaning all the stuff that's out
- hate clutter in what is the smallest room of my home
- don't like people thinking they can use products that are out; guests were helping themselves to expensive perfume and body lotion and even my hairbrush at one point... blech
- don't like people knowing what products i use