She Put a Vintage Ice Bucket on Her Bathroom Shelf, and It Became Instant Stylish Storage

I love a chic ice bucket, and I have been fortunate to find many beautiful ones during my various antiquing adventures over the years. Standard ice buckets are, of course, excellent to use for their intended purpose when hosting (although, I do have a large one perched on top of my refrigerator that houses my gigantic collection of matchbooks). However, I’ve also sourced some adorable mini crystal ice buckets that were too stylish to leave behind but aren’t large enough to accommodate a full-sized wine bottle. For a while, I’ve been wondering what to do with these — they’re so pretty, they shouldn’t be relegated to the depths of my bar cabinet, after all!

Recently, I decided I may as well repurpose at least one of these ice buckets so that I can see it every day. I took one of my favorites and brought it into my bathroom, where it now sits on a shelf and holds makeup brushes and a few smaller items — including a favorite hand lotion and one of my go-to face masks. 

Isn’t the result fun? The crystal design nicely complements the antique-inspired accessories I’ve woven into the rest of my bathroom, which helps add to its storied aesthetic. Plus, every time I look at the ice bucket I’m reminded of how I found it at the flea market during a special trip to Paris.

I also appreciate that the bucket is highly durable and is simple to wash out with soap and water as needed. Beauty products can get a little grimy, so I wanted to make sure I chose something that would be easy to maintain.

Eager to get the look but don’t have a smaller ice bucket on hand? Keep your eyes peeled for one as you shop secondhand. In addition to my Parisian crystal mini ice bucket, I’ve found a couple at my favorite flea market in Manhattan over the years.

If you don’t want to wait for the perfect piece to come your way, I love the look of this pressed glass vase from Anthropologie, which the brand has also styled to house toiletries (it would look stunning on a vanity!). Thrift stores and craft stores will also likely have vases similar in style to this one. I’m all for this storage solution that’s equal parts practical and whimsical.