Getting five people groomed and out the door on time is no simple task whether you’ve got one tiny shared bathroom (our last rental) or three bathrooms on two floors (our current rental). It can be just as frustrating in the evenings when the kids can’t remember which bathroom they left their favorite hairbrush in or why their toothpaste is missing AGAIN. I decided to take advantage of one of my favorite small space organization solutions and create some vertical storage in one of our central bathrooms to see if we could streamline our morning and evening routines and save everyone’s sanity in the process.
We’re thrilled to be partnering with IKEA, one of our favorite affordable home goods stores, for this small space solution! They have so many well-designed home organization items for each room in your house, but sometimes the best solutions can come from unexpected places. As I was flipping through their website, I came across the SATSUMAS plant stand in the outdoor department and noticed the size and amount of pots included were perfect for storing each family member’s personal hygiene essentials. Here are all the items I used to create this renter-friendly vertical storage solution: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Not only did this unexpected storage solution show its usefulness in helping us keep all of our stuff in one visible location, it’s also helped keep the bathroom countertops clutter free. An added bonus is it keeps everyone’s stuff out of reach from our curious two-year-old who likes to test out all of the toothbrushes. True story. Thankfully, I’m pretty quick.
I arranged the pots according to height so that each child could easily reach their own items and be responsible for replacing them when they were done. They love that they each have their own special space for storing their stuff, and I love that they are more likely to not wander off with their toothbrushes and leave them on a random bookshelf in another part of the house.
To make this storage solution as pretty as it was practical, I added color-coordinating FRÄJEN hand towels and colored SVARTSJÖN tumblers for rinsing. There’s still plenty of space in each one to add their own combs or anything else that is used more than once a day.
Another fun way to personalize each pot would be to hand-letter each family member’s name on the outside of their pot or add an oversized vinyl alpha sticker with the first letter of each person’s name. You could even spray paint each pot if you’re looking for something even more colorful!
I love looking for the potential in anything we bring into our small space because it almost always ends up needing to do more than one job in its lifetime as our needs change. This beautiful plant stand may eventually hold plants, but until then, it’s going to make our mornings and evenings a lot more peaceful! –Rachel
Credits//Author: Rachel Denbow. Photography: Janae Hardy and Rachel Denbow. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
33 Comments
I love this idea SO MUCH! It’s cute and simple and very smart. And did I say cute?? 🙂
such a smart and organized idea, I need to do something like this with my weekday work outfits. I would save so much time in the morning.
This is such a brilliant & neat idea!
Katie // wordsbykatie.com
This is so genius!! My 10 year old has to have his own non spicy toothpaste and mouthwash. 🙂 I love how it keeps the countertops clutter free as well!
Very cool and nifty idea!
http://www.petiteandhungry.com
Love this idea! Also love the OnGuard toothpaste I spy 🙂
This is such cute idea and definitely saves space off the counter top which always gets so cluttered 🙂
Arin || http://www.heartofchic.com
This is a really smart way of doing things. I’m always amazed at how genius your ideas are!
http://annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com
This is the absolute cutest on top of being so incredibly practical. I love it!
IKEA are great for things like this!
http://my–socalledlife.blogspot.com.au/
Does the door close?
Rebecka,
Good question! For lighting purposes, we placed it on the outside of the door since our bathroom is pretty dark. If the ladder is on the outside, it doesn’t close all the way. For everyday use, we have it hooked on the back of the door where it serves the same purpose and allows the door to close all of the way since the lip of the door isn’t obstructed on the back side.
Aren’t they! I think so, too!
Thank you! I think my favorite projects have been born out of need and then turned into something pretty on the way.
You’re a sweetheart! They say necessity is the mother of invention, right? It’s true!
Yes! And we have about 3″ of counter space on our sink so we needed something desperately!
It’s our favorite! The kids don’t like it yet so we use Tom’s for them but we’ll win them over someday!
I remember not being able to handle spicy toothpaste as a kid, either. I think it’s funny how gross strawberry flavored toothpaste sounds to me as an adult but it’s all my kids will use!
Thank you!
I wish setting out outfits for my daughter were this easy, too! Too many choices to make so early in the morning, huh!
Thanks, Heather! Cute is always a win when it comes to making life easier, huh!
Thank you, sweets!
OH Ikea. Such a great place 🙂 I love this idea. I have such a small bathroom and I’m always looking for creative ways to store things. Thanks!
This is awesome! Did you hang this over the door with what’s already attached to the planter? Or did you have to secure it in some other way? I’m thinking something like this for cadies and for towels would be so great in my house!
This is so genius! Did you use the brackets on the planter to hang it on the door or did you have to make it more secure using something different?
This is going to be a life saver for my tiny bathroom not only for counter space but for towel storage.
So cute! I have to know where all these great toothbrushes are from 🙂
This is a brilliant idea!
Can you incorporate it into your bedtime ritual? I only have one child, so far, so I really have no idea how crazy it must be getting everyone ready for bed or the day. I know sometimes on Saturday nights, I’ll pick out my daughter’s Sunday/church outfit while she’s doing something with my hubby before bedtime. 🙂
What a great idea! I would like to try something like this!!
Such a nice and genious idea for the familiy bathing room, and really practical. Kind regards, Laura
I just wrote about my ideal morning routine. I so need to adopt a lifestyle like this for morning and night. Would love to hear your feedback on this quick post.
https://throughmyowneyes.com/2016/07/05/who-actually-follows-through-with-a-morning-routine/
Very though-full Idea. For me bedtime-routine has been a big issue for me these past time and this was really helpful. My daughter is 2 years old and horrible sleeper, so I believe that specific but flexible routine is a must.
Love your ideas! Thanks for tips:)
https://orthoseatinghq.com/