Organize Your Bathroom for Spa-Like Tranquility || Above & Beyond
You know that feeling you get when you walk into a spa? Peaceful music, a faint whiff of lavender, dimmed lighting, florescent bulbs replaced with glowing candles. The feeling that, for at least the next hour, your ringer will be turned off. Work can’t reach you, kids can’t find you, and significant others can’t ask anything of you.
Yeah, that feeling.
Well let me ask you something — do you feel that way when you walk into your bathroom at home? If you don’t, then it’s time to de-clutter and take back your bathroom.
I reached out to Amelia Meena, owner of Appleshine, a NYC-based lifestyle organization company, for tips on how to take a bathroom from chaos and clutter to spa-like tranquility.
Streamline
“First of all,” says Meena, “only bath products should live in the bathroom.” That means toiletries, linens, hair accessories, face/body items and maybe a scented candle. Everything else should be immediately removed and given a permanent home elsewhere in the home.
Systemize
Once we know that items in the bathroom belong in the bathroom, it’s time to systemize.
“The medicine cabinet should hold everyday items that are frequently used,” says Meena. That means those medicines and supplies that you keep on hand for mini emergencies (allergies, colds, stomach aches) can be kept in a box or drawer that’s accessible but not in your immediate line of sight. Or keep them in a second bathroom that doesn’t get as much traffic.
“If you don’t have a medicine cabinet to store everyday items, try using matching canisters or boxes to gather them instead,” says Meena.
Style
“Keep the color scheme to a maximum of three colors, including the color of the wall paint and tiles. Note that cool colors often invoke a sense of relaxation and freshness,” she says. Opt for hues such as light blue, cucumber green, pale grey, or fresh white. Also consider buying a dimmer switch so that when its bath time you can really relax without the bright lights blasting you, and when you need them lights for applying makeup they are there for you.
Separate
Meena suggests using open-top bins or baskets to group items in an accessible yet discreet way, or create shelving (either above the toilet or in a corner) to add extra storage to your space.
If your walls are white or pale, then adding a white or clear glass shelving system will blend in more easily and be less jarring to the eye. Q-tips, cotton balls, or pretty soaps in glass containers can be stored here.
Simplify
Finally, Meena suggests limiting the number of products in the shower area. “If something is more than half empty and is rarely used, move it out to make room for your new favorites.”
If it hasn’t been used for six months then chances are you won’t miss it’s when it’s gone, but you will appreciate the newfound spa-like qualities of your bathroom. So go ahead, run yourself a hot bath, light a scented candle, lock the door, and relax.
AUGUST 2016
Above & Beyond
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