Bathroom Challenge
Welcome to Article/challenge one for 2009. The plan is to bring these to you every month on a different area of your home that might need organising help !! You might not feel the urge to completely overhaul your space after reading it you might just get a few key tips to make your life easier, whatever the case may be I hope these ideas will help you in some way !
Step1-
Look around your bathroom and first identify what is working and what is not and that needs to change. For our master bathroom this went something like- I like the fact we have tons of cupboards in our Bathroom but I dislike that we have collected way too many toiletries- more than we will ever need, we need to have a purge. See the before photo- we have lots of storage tubs in the bathroom cupboards (I implemented this system when we first moved in) but what doesn't work is that they are too full and are not labeled and so things get messy and jumbled up. I need to have a stack of tissues, wipes and flannels in the cupboard as I am always running around looking for these at bath time.
Flynn's Bathroom- We need to install towel rails on the back of the bathroom doors like this-
Inside the cupboards, we need more plastic tubs and I need to transfer the toiletries from the nursery into the bathroom, that both boys will now share. I need to label all of these new plastic tubs. And I also need to move the towels from Flynn's closet into the bottom of the cupboard.
Guest Bathroom- I would like to use these cupboards for extra toiletries storage and things we buy in bulk and don't have room for in our other bathroom cupboards. I need to buy plastic tubs and label them and make sure we have a big store of essentials like toilet paper etc in cupboards. And I also need to move all of our hotel toiletries into this bathroom so guests can use these as spares in they forget something.
So now that I have made my list I want to do a quick google for some bathroom inspiration such as-
The reason I do a search and have a look for Bathroom inspiration is just to gain some ideas I might not have thought of previously. I helps to get me motivated to get started and tackle a project if I have an idea in my mind about how I want it to look at the end.
Ok so now that you have the list of what you want to change about your Bathroom and you have some inspiration now to shop : ) The best bit. Now you may wonder why I put shop in front of say purge toiletries and there is a good reason for that. I have found in the fact if I don't have the correct storage for a space before I start a job chances are a I won’t finish it properly, the containers will go on my to do list and by the time I buy them I won't feel motivated to finish and the cupboards will probably be messy again by then as well.
Search places like $2 shops, Woolworths, Big W and Coles etc they all have great little plastic tubs for your cupboards and they are very well priced. I have found that by having the correct set up from the start your organizing will be successful. Take my pantry for example- I bought all of the containers, labeled them and everything has a place and it still looks great 2 1/2 years later. I do the odd re-organize when we do a bulk shop, I buy more containers or our circumstances change eg Flynn started solids but effectively the system remained the same.
With the bathroom the key mistakes for me were-
- Not labeling my containers from the start
- Not identifying the need for any everyday basket early enough (I will elaborate on this further soon)
- Not purging enough toiletries when we first moved in and on a regular basis.
Now that I realize what I am doing wrong within the space I want to fix it. I spend way too long in this room looking for stuff, loosing things and far too much money re buying stuff as I don't know what I have in there (sound familiar?) Identifying that this is a waste of your time and money is the first step to making a change and it is so refreshing once it is done to not have to think about it again : )
Next once you are home and you have shopped for all of your little goody baskets to house your toiletries in the cupboard now is the time to organise it all ! Start by ruthlessly going through all of the things in the cupboard if you seriously have not used it in the last 12 months then you probably wont miss it. We are not talking about sentimental memories type stuff here they are just toiletries and make up etc so be ruthless.
Once you have completed your purge I recommend you label your containers for the cupboard, I will be sharing mine throughout the months challenge. Separate into categories like, Hair, Make up, Body Products etc. This way you can easily find what you are looking for. I also recommend a daily basket, this is a basket/plastic tub with all of your most used items such as deodorant, hair brush, and foundation, whatever you use on a daily basis.
Now that your cupboards are tidy you will also need to de clutter your counter top. Get a nice basket, little box something to store the stuff you feel like you absolutely have to have out on the counter, this way you keep it within easy reach, it's quick to pack away but it also looks tidy. If you are still lacking in some storage space after purging your bathroom supplies I suggest you use some wall space to put up some storage in the bathroom. See the above photo care of Pottery Barn and some below examples of the kinds of things you can use in your Bathroom to create some much needed space.
As I complete and update my space over the next month I will be sharing my before and after pictures with you all. I hope you come on over to the forum and do the same, we can all inspire each other!
To read my blog and to see more tips on organisation please Click Here
Step1-
Look around your bathroom and first identify what is working and what is not and that needs to change. For our master bathroom this went something like- I like the fact we have tons of cupboards in our Bathroom but I dislike that we have collected way too many toiletries- more than we will ever need, we need to have a purge. See the before photo- we have lots of storage tubs in the bathroom cupboards (I implemented this system when we first moved in) but what doesn't work is that they are too full and are not labeled and so things get messy and jumbled up. I need to have a stack of tissues, wipes and flannels in the cupboard as I am always running around looking for these at bath time.
Flynn's Bathroom- We need to install towel rails on the back of the bathroom doors like this-
Inside the cupboards, we need more plastic tubs and I need to transfer the toiletries from the nursery into the bathroom, that both boys will now share. I need to label all of these new plastic tubs. And I also need to move the towels from Flynn's closet into the bottom of the cupboard.
Guest Bathroom- I would like to use these cupboards for extra toiletries storage and things we buy in bulk and don't have room for in our other bathroom cupboards. I need to buy plastic tubs and label them and make sure we have a big store of essentials like toilet paper etc in cupboards. And I also need to move all of our hotel toiletries into this bathroom so guests can use these as spares in they forget something.
So now that I have made my list I want to do a quick google for some bathroom inspiration such as-
The reason I do a search and have a look for Bathroom inspiration is just to gain some ideas I might not have thought of previously. I helps to get me motivated to get started and tackle a project if I have an idea in my mind about how I want it to look at the end.
Ok so now that you have the list of what you want to change about your Bathroom and you have some inspiration now to shop : ) The best bit. Now you may wonder why I put shop in front of say purge toiletries and there is a good reason for that. I have found in the fact if I don't have the correct storage for a space before I start a job chances are a I won’t finish it properly, the containers will go on my to do list and by the time I buy them I won't feel motivated to finish and the cupboards will probably be messy again by then as well.
Search places like $2 shops, Woolworths, Big W and Coles etc they all have great little plastic tubs for your cupboards and they are very well priced. I have found that by having the correct set up from the start your organizing will be successful. Take my pantry for example- I bought all of the containers, labeled them and everything has a place and it still looks great 2 1/2 years later. I do the odd re-organize when we do a bulk shop, I buy more containers or our circumstances change eg Flynn started solids but effectively the system remained the same.
With the bathroom the key mistakes for me were-
- Not labeling my containers from the start
- Not identifying the need for any everyday basket early enough (I will elaborate on this further soon)
- Not purging enough toiletries when we first moved in and on a regular basis.
Now that I realize what I am doing wrong within the space I want to fix it. I spend way too long in this room looking for stuff, loosing things and far too much money re buying stuff as I don't know what I have in there (sound familiar?) Identifying that this is a waste of your time and money is the first step to making a change and it is so refreshing once it is done to not have to think about it again : )
Next once you are home and you have shopped for all of your little goody baskets to house your toiletries in the cupboard now is the time to organise it all ! Start by ruthlessly going through all of the things in the cupboard if you seriously have not used it in the last 12 months then you probably wont miss it. We are not talking about sentimental memories type stuff here they are just toiletries and make up etc so be ruthless.
Once you have completed your purge I recommend you label your containers for the cupboard, I will be sharing mine throughout the months challenge. Separate into categories like, Hair, Make up, Body Products etc. This way you can easily find what you are looking for. I also recommend a daily basket, this is a basket/plastic tub with all of your most used items such as deodorant, hair brush, and foundation, whatever you use on a daily basis.
Now that your cupboards are tidy you will also need to de clutter your counter top. Get a nice basket, little box something to store the stuff you feel like you absolutely have to have out on the counter, this way you keep it within easy reach, it's quick to pack away but it also looks tidy. If you are still lacking in some storage space after purging your bathroom supplies I suggest you use some wall space to put up some storage in the bathroom. See the above photo care of Pottery Barn and some below examples of the kinds of things you can use in your Bathroom to create some much needed space.
As I complete and update my space over the next month I will be sharing my before and after pictures with you all. I hope you come on over to the forum and do the same, we can all inspire each other!
To read my blog and to see more tips on organisation please Click Here
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