How a Space Organizer Designed Her Bathroom: 8 Tips + 8 Life Hacks

When organizing order in the house, I always start with family habits and the specifics of using items. Some prefer meditating under a tropical shower, others — to cozy up for an hour in the bathroom. Some find it convenient to store cosmetics and apply makeup in the bathroom, while others have a family of five and time is tight. We are all different, and there is no single recipe for creating order.

Polina Mal'kina — Space Organizer

Today I will tell you and show how my bathroom space is organized.

I begin with the fact that the bathroom is my resourceful place. There should be no irritating colorful details or unnecessary items here. Only aesthetics and comfort. That is why I paid close attention to the process of organizing order.

Design Studio Nest

The project was originally created together with a designer. Rich green, wood, and glass — three pillars on which the main concept was built. For me, these are symbols of nature. And nature is the main source of strength and energy.

After the designer's visualization, I started making organizational adjustments.

The cabinet is a combined open and closed shelf design. But for the project to not only be beautiful but also functionally convenient, I took three steps:

• Step 1 — I made a list of items that I plan to store in the bathroom (decorative cosmetics, undergarments, first aid kit, towels, bathrobe, skincare products, hair dryer, shampoo, toothbrushes, cleaning chemicals for this area).
• Step 2 — I calculated how much space would be needed for storing items in each category. Also, I distributed storage by frequency of use — daily, once a week/month, etc.
• Step 3 — I sketched and made adjustments to the designer’s plan. Then we discussed these with the furniture maker, and this is what we ended up with.

Open shelves were left for favorite items that delight the eye. Here I store an aromatherapy diffuser, daily skincare products, spare towels, and a little functionality — a mini-trash can.

Jacquard Bathroom Towel H&M HOME, SP. CANDLE Diffuser, Iceland

• Life Hack 1: I removed the lids from the jars (but kept them separately in case of travel). With one smooth hand movement, I can grab what I need, saving several precious seconds. The bottom shelf is reserved for storing stacks of spare towels and hygiene waste.
• Life Hack 2: always organize a mini-trash for sponges, cotton swabs, and other small items. This way, you save time by not having to go to the large bin on the kitchen floor every day.

Below is a pull-out drawer with decorative cosmetics. I organized it using Idea dividers. I love them — each brush, disk, and even cotton swabs have their place and don’t bounce around in the drawer.

For me, open storage is convenient, but if dust getting into things concerns you, there are similar options with lids.

Life Hack 3: to avoid being late if you can't find earrings, simply install drawer dividers that help you quickly find everything you need in a moment.

The next one is the drawer for undergarments. After having a child, I realized how important it is to keep intimate items where I change clothes. So I consciously planned this drawer for undergarments. I use the simplest IKEA SKUBB organizers. I divided them into categories and put items away immediately after drying.

IKEA SKUBB, Box Set, 6 Units Life Hack 4: divide and conquer. If you organize frequently used items by category, they will be easier to find.

The lower deep drawer I also consciously reserved for storing the first aid kit. We get sick rarely, so the drawer is in a low-use area. I used ziplock bags for each medication category.

Life Hack 5: always label each category in the first aid kit (GI tract, colds, and others). This way, you can quickly find the right medicine when needed.

The drawer with secret access to meters. It was important to leave passage to them. But due to height and depth, storage wasn’t easy. Here, a rolling container came to the rescue. I store bathroom cleaning supplies in it.

HUSLIG / Rolling Container Set, Wildberries Life Hack 6: in narrow and hard-to-reach places, use rolling organizers on wheels.

And two drawers under the sink. I got a bit carried away with depth here. Planning to store shampoos in them, I made them very deep. But during usage, it turned out that they are better stored horizontally. And here I managed to get around it! I used standard plastic dividers and Idea brand ones.

Sink, Mixer, and Shower — PORCELANOSA

Life Hack 7: if the drawer is very deep, you can divide it into two levels. The bottom level with spare and rarely used items. The top level with items you use daily.

It’s important to me that the surface near the sink stays empty. Only a soap dispenser here. Oh, how long I searched for it! And found it! It’s made from petrified wood over a million years old. Believe it? I do and feel great every time I wash my hands.

TEAK HOUSE — Soap Dispenser from Petrified Wood, Natural PW

Life Hack 8: don’t forget stylish accents. But they will shine only when nothing else distracts the eye. Remove all unnecessary items from open surfaces, leaving only what truly inspires.

This is how I created not just a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom, but also a convenient storage system.