Everything in Its Place: How the Organizer's Bathroom Looks

The space organizer Anna Ivanova always starts her work by studying family habits and how people use their home. Some relax under a tropical shower, while others can't imagine morning without lying in the bathtub for a long time. Some store all cosmetics in the bathroom, others share space with a large family where every minute counts. There is no universal solution for order—everything depends on lifestyle and individual needs.

Today Anna is ready to share her personal life hacks and practical tips that help her maintain order and create comfort in the bathroom.

Polina Mal'kina
Space Organizer

I start by saying that the bathroom is my resourceful place. There should be no irritating colorful details or unnecessary items here. Only aesthetics and comfort. That's why I paid special attention to 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 variant of open and closed shelves. But for the project to be not only beautiful but also functionally convenient, I made three steps:

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

Open shelves were left for favorite items that please the eye. Here I keep aromatherapy diffusers, daily-use skincare products, spare towels, and a little functionality—mini-trash can.

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

• Life Hack 1: I removed the lids from the cosmetic containers (but keep them separately in case of travel). With one easy hand movement, I can get what I need, saving several precious seconds. The bottom shelf is reserved for storing stacks of spare towels and hygiene trash.
• Life Hack 2: always organize a mini-trash can for sponges, cotton swabs and other small items. This way you save time so you don’t have to go to the big trash bin on the kitchen floor every day.

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

For me, open storage is convenient, but if dust bothers you, there are similar options with lids.

Life Hack 3: to avoid being late, if you can’t find your earrings, simply install drawer dividers that help you quickly find everything you need at the right time.

The next one is a 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 underwear. I use the simplest IKEA SKUBB organizers. I divided them into categories and immediately put items away after drying.

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

The lower deep drawer I also consciously reserved for storing the first aid kit. We get sick rarely, so this drawer is for infrequent use. I used zip-lock bags for each medicine category.

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

Drawer with secret access to meters. It was important to leave space for access to them. But due to height and depth, it's hard to store things here. Here comes the help of rolling containers. I store bathroom cleaning supplies in them.

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

And two drawers under the sink. I played a bit with depth here. Planning to store shampoos in them, I made them very deep. But during use, it turned out that they are better stored horizontally. And here I found a solution! 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 for spare and rarely used items. The top level for things you use daily.

It's important to me that the surface near the sink stays empty. There is only a soap dispenser here. Oh, how long I searched for it! And I found it! It's made of 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 only a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom, but also a convenient storage system.