Master Bathroom Organization 101

This is what happens when your main squeeze has a date with a bunch of sweaty dudes throwing a pigskin on TV.  We I had every intention of starting work on our kitchen over the weekend but then I heard about some game, which was coincidently accompanied by that look.  The one that reads there is not a chance in h-e-double hockey sticks that you are getting me off the couch, away from the TV, without a beer in hand.  I’ve learned to read that look as Jennie gets to do what she wants to and Chris will leave me to my own devices… Ahh yes, the married life.  I love you honey.
We have more than a couple of areas in our house that could stand to be sprinkled by a magical organizing fairy, but the master bath won out.  Why?  Because it looked like this.


And worst of all…like this.  To say that the health and beauty care aisles at Kroger threw up in that cabinet is an understatement.  I, however, was able to decipher that jumbled mess without using the depilatory cream as a lotion.  One point Jenn.


And for those who follow me on Instagram (homestylereport) you may have already seen a slightly different version of ground zero this picture.  Sexy right?


Almost 6 hours later after a trip to Bed, Bath, & Beyond armed with a gift card from our wedding, it was finished. I loved the cloth baskets (yes please to labeling) but didn’t like the idea of only using one of the colors/prints they had available so I grabbed my two favorites, along with some sticky hooks and two other clear plastic containers/dividers (everything else I already had).


To get it to this point, I had to organize ground zero into product categories.  We have boring white square tiles on the floor in that bathroom and I actually found that it helped to use those as guides.  All Oral Care in this square and Hair in the next and so on.  This also helped with gauging if one category would need an entire basket or could share.  As to how I organized everything, please continue.

Here are the top two shelves.  I’ve also added the hooks to the middle doors for hair ties, clips, and headbands.  I decided not to put three of my daily use items (body lotion, deodorant, & moisturizer) in a container just for ease of use, you can see these on the far right of the middle shelf.  The third, my Josie Maran Argan Oil is one that I like to “display” since I like the packaging. It’s kept on our counter in a basket.


Starting with the top shelf and working left to right, here are the categories by basket/pile and what is in them.

Towels – Large towels go here. Bam. Done.

HMM…? – Need I explain what this contains.  a) it’s labeled “hmm..?”  b) I have a functioning (hopefully) uterus and ovaries. 

Oral Care – Mouth wash (which we rarely use – no need after you’re married right?), white strips, extra floss and toothpaste, and toothbrush heads.

Lotion – This is where I have all of my extra lotions (hand, foot, body, shimmer – eekkk, and that kind that makes you tan AND “slows” the growth of your leg hairs).  I really like to only use one body lotion at a time until it’s gone instead of jumping around.  Since I currently have a stock pile (Merry Christmas to me!) I just grab a new bottle and put it on the far right when the old has ran out.  Pretty simple and keeps things straight.

Stock – This may seem weird and unorganized but I’ll try to explain it.  This basket has body wash, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, razors, and an extra Clarisonic brush head.  Yes, this is more or less a catch all but there is a reason.  For the most part, everything in it, is something you use in the shower.  I hate running out of these items or being dangerously close, without having something ready to replace them in the house.  If I’m at Target and remembered that Chris’ shampoo seemed like it was getting ready to go, I just grab a new one and stick it in there until the current one runs out.  Make sense, I hope?


On to the next shelf, my favorite…because it’s in your face girlie and not hmmm…? girlie.  Left to right, here we go again.

Travel – Pretty self explanatory but this is where we stash all of our travel size items that we have either purchased or been politely given from our hotel stays…you know you do it too!  Behind this bin I’ve also stashed our extra cotton balls and Q-tips. If you need to lean something like this on its end so you can see it, do it! If you can see it you’ll use it and you’ll know you have it.  Quick Tip – I keep a travel size shampoo in the shower for the days where my normal shampoo isn’t cutting it.  I’m not sure why, but it always does the trick if I feel like there is some build up.

Metal Bucket – These are where I have my regularly/nightly used facial products.  Face masks, lotions, spot/acne treatments (bleh), and those awesome samples from Sephora.

Ceramic Flower Dish – This is where I’ve put my Bobbi Pins & tweezers.  I hate having to dig for those pesky things and this just made it easy.

Clarisonic – This just made a move from our countertop to the cabinet and I wanted to give it a quick shout out so it didn’t feel neglected.

Clear Plastic Bin – Or as I call it, my smell good station.  This is where I’ve put all of my perfume and body sprays.  I don’t currently use all of them but I like that they are in one, contained spot.  It’s also really nice that this container is clear since most perfumes are shorter and sometime oddly shaped.  Here’s a quick close up of my perfume box incase it’s hard to actually see the box, ya know, since it’s clear.

Let’s move on shall we.


Having fun yet?  These labels are a bit easier to read but again, Left to Right.

Large Brown Basket – This is a catch all for my styling tools.  One hair dryer, one straight iron, two curling irons, and a couple of combs and brushes.  Things That I use more often (favorite brush, hair dryer, and flat iron) are on the top and everything else is below that.

Hair – Another title for this basket could be “Grave Yard” as I rarely use most of what it contains.  Hair spray, dry shampoo, mouse, and Moroccan oil.  I’ve also hidden away the rest of my hair do-dads that couldn’t hang on the hooks.  Quick Tip – Put your tallest items in the back of your containers.  There isn’t a single hair care item in my “Hair” bin that you can not currently see in the picture above (only exception are my rarely used head bands which are in the front.  These are easy to see when you’re standing and looking down into the basket).  Again, if you can see it you’ll use it/know you have some.   I’ve done this in all of the bins and it makes a world of difference.

SPF + Powers – You got it, baby powder and SPF can be found here.  I’ve also cheated a little bit and put our rubbing alcohol and peroxide in this bin.  Naughty, I know, but such is life.



Now we’re in for the home stretch.  We’re done with our spiffy labeled containers and onto the next shelf.

Basket on Left – The only thing in here is a lot of rarely used/costume make up.  Remember this post?  You can thank what’s in that basket.

Basket on Right – All of my nail care items along with polishes are in there.  That’s it.
Below the baskets you can kinda see two piles of towels.  The one on the left is all of our wash clothes and the right is hand towels. Bathroom cabinet done!


Now, super speedily we will take a quick jog over to the right and check out the drawer and counter top and I’ll stop torturing you we’ll be done.  The above drawer was actually not even being used before now, except to house our scissors. For the most part this is a another semi catch all space, which probably means it may need another overhaul in the future, but we’ll see.  As you can see, there are pore strips (blue print tin), wax strips (nope didn’t hide anything), temporary fabric tape (well, yes I am trying to hide a few things), scissors, shoe inserts, eye glass cleaner and a plastic tray filled with my “occasional use” make-up. 

Any make-up that I use daily along with skin care products are on our countertop in this basket.  Make-up brushes, cotton balls, & Q-tips each have their own cup or jar up there as well.


I just want to give a quick and public shout out to the hostesses of the Dog Days of Winter are Over link party.  I will be linking this post up.  Additional Thank you goes out to Liz Marie (her blog here) for her cheering me on during this project via Instagram – you rock!