bathroom organization Archives

Why Didn’t I Think of This Sooner?

June 1, 2016 · by Maria · 11 Comments

I use the back of cabinets doors for so many things! It’s one of my favorite storage ideas and an easy opportunity to overlook. Today I am partnering with Wayfair to share with you some of my favorites. The ones that left me thinking “Why Didn’t I Think of This Sooner?”

Using the back of cabinet doors in The Kitchen –

There are so many uses in the kitchen for back of the cabinet organization! I use these awesome adhesive bins that come in all shapes and sizes to customize my space. I store sponges, storage bags, a set of spoons designated for coffee…so many options.

I use the back of the cabinet for my coffee station. I love having spoons, honey and sugar packets accessible while I prepare my morning coffee or tea. I do try to store items that are not too heavy, so that I don’t have to worry about them coming off the wall.

I also use the back of the cabinet door in my smoothie station to hold up a clipboard with clippings of recipes. This clipboard is from the dollar, store which is great because it isn’t heavy at all. I didn’t want some great quality, substantial board for this. I love being able to place clippings from magazines or recipes that I want to try. If they were in a drawer, I would surely forget about them.

Using the back of cabinet doors in the bathroom –

Similar to the kitchen, the bathroom usually has cabinets that offer an opportunity for great storage. The area under the sink can be tricky because you always have to work around the plumbing. The back of the cabinet can be a great opportunity to make up for that lost space.

I love this little cabinet in my bathroom. Honestly, I am not even sure what it was designed to be used for, but I use it to store my makeup. It already had built-in storage which is fantastic and I added some extra bins to the back of the cabinet to make it even more useful. Since the back of the door is magnetic, I also added a magnet to the back of my hair brush. This slender cabinet is beside the bathroom door and barely visible when closed.

These are just a few ideas that have worked for me! The more cabinets that you have, the more options you have. I wouldn’t want to fill up all my cabinet doors with storage but I do think that in a select few, it can be a really great solution.

I hope these ideas inspired you to look at your own home and especially your cabinets, as an opportunity for more smart storage. Be sure to measure your space so that you purchase the right size bins. Also, make sure that the new bins won’t crash with what is already inside the cabinet when you close it. As I mentioned above, I recommend storing items that are not heavy so that you don’t have to worry about anything tumbling down. Follow the instructions on the adhesive bins and allow them to dry and adhere before adding anything to the bin.

I promise when you find a the perfect cabinet to transform, you will wonder – Why Didn’t I Think of This Sooner?

HGTV Feature – Small Spaces

October 20, 2015 · by Maria · 12 Comments

When I started this blog almost 3 years ago, I thought it may just be a space where I could journal my progress with decorating and organizing my own home. I thought maybe a handful of friends would like it, and perhaps even be inspired by it. My close friends and family supported me and told me how awesome the blog was even though my photography was terrible at the time (it still needs work) and I had no idea what I was doing (that still needs work, too) — they saw potential in this little blog beyond what I could see myself. Granted, I still see this as a “little blog” and I am incredibly grateful to all of you who tune in to my projects and take the time to comment and share on your social channels…seriously, thank you!! Blogging can be a lot of work and the published post itself is only part of the iceberg of a blogger’s daily tasks. Maybe soon I will share more on that. My point is that you all make the work worthwhile. Your encouragement never goes unnoticed!

You already know that I am super long-winded and I wanted to say all that before sharing with you that this past weekend a Graceful Order project was featured online on HGTV. I am so excited! The post also featured other bloggers and super cool ideas, but I am grateful to be among those names! It was a post about creative ways to use small spaces which is a favorite topic of mine. My bathroom was highlighted since my sink area is tiny, and I use small shelves to make up for the lack of space.

Here is the full post so that you can see the other awesome ideas for maximizing small spaces! Enjoy and know that you are part of any triumph that I may have in this little corner of the web called Graceful Order.

xo,

Maria

Adding Fabric Loops to Towels

October 16, 2014 · by Maria · 4 Comments

Today we are adding fabric loops to towels. Why? Well, earlier this week, I shared my mini-project about adding hooks to the boys bathroom so that their towels wouldn’t end up on the floor. Well, it has been a success but I found a way to make it even better. Even better than cake. Well no, not that much better, but you will still like it.

The boys were doing a good job hanging up their towels but they still didn’t look tidy and at times they would slide off if the weight of the towel wasn’t distributed right. I added loops to their towels and now I can say that I love the result!

I sewed a piece of fabric at the horizontal center of their towels. It was quite easy and it was only time consuming because of the amount of towels. But not more time consuming than picking up towels from the floor, thats for sure!

This is how they looked on the towel hooks.

I even did it to their hand towels. (I found these nautical towels at Homegoods, just in case you are interested)

A small project that makes a big difference! Love that!

One more thing, IKEA has some towels that already have a sewn-in loop for hanging. I have not purchased them or checked out the quality, but it’s another option.

Do you struggle to get your kids to put away their bath towels? Maybe this is a good solution for you too.

xo,

Maria

Organizing Under the Bathroom Sink

July 1, 2014 · by Maria · 12 Comments

A couple of days ago, I shared how I maximize the vanity/sink area that I have in my corner of the bathroom. If you missed it, you can read about it HERE.

Today, we are organizing under the bathroom sink. This area can become a black hole, if you let it. It’s awkward (with the plumbing) and its deep and baskets don’t always fit nicely. Since I have so many products under my sink, I chose to organize them with turntables. I used four, two large and two small. I placed them in a way where they fit and still turn.

Each turntable has a purpose. One is for foot spa stuff, the other for bath gels, the other for hair products and one for bath salts and oils. You can purchase the small turntables in my Amazon store HERE and the large turntables HERE. But you can also find these in most home stores. They are an inexpensive way to add a lot of functionality and organization around the house. If I used a basket, I wouldn’t be able to access the products in the very back. Now, I just turn the table until I see what I want.

On the cabinet wall, I have an organizer that I use to store these thingumajigs. Ahem. I also keep my Clarisonic Cleanser in there. You can find that metal organizer HERE but again, these organizers are in most home stores (I have even spotted them at Marshalls).

On the other side, I have another organizer but I can’t link that one since its kind of old. I don’t even remember where I bought it. I keep a little makeup bag on the top shelf and miscellaneous items in the bottom shelf.

Do you have a system for organizing under the bathroom sink? Isn’t that plumbing annoying to work around?

Happy Organizing my friends! I have a bathroom makeover coming up next so stay tuned!

Maria

Organizing Small Bathroom Sinks

June 28, 2014 · by Maria · 49 Comments

Last week we organized the shower area, and this week we tackle the bathroom sink or vanity area. More specifically, organizing small bathroom sinks, such as the one in my master bathroom. My husband has the same size sink on the opposite side of the bathroom and it works for him because all he stores is a toothbrush, a bottle of mouthwash and a razor…men…

However, my sink area has been challenging. Where was I supposed to store all my makeup, cleansers and moisturizer?? A girl can simplify but she can’t part with all her products!

I would have loved a small cabinet, but the area was too narrow and I would’ve bumped it every time I leaned over to rinse my face. A bloody nose would not mirror one of those graceful moments in facial care commercials. By the way, who actually makes all those faces while applying product on their face? I am sure that I make faces, but not pleasant ones.

But I digress. So I added small shelves along the side and it gave me a ton of storage!

A closer look at the shelves.

Update to post: Many of you have asked me where I purchased these shelves. I think that I found them at Target years ago, but I no longer see them at the store. I have just added a similar set to my Amazon store and you can find them HERE Otherwise, you may want to check Homegoods or Marshalls.

The shelves are small but hold a ton. I also like the open shelving (in this case) because these are items that I use daily. Here are all my makeup brushes.

The third shelf holds items that I don’t use everyday but I do use often, and a little plant to prettify the wall.

Bathroom sinks can get cluttered in no time if there is no system in place. When you don’t have a lot of counter space, sometimes the best solution is vertical storage. Use your walls when the counters won’t do.

Do you have a narrow sink like me, or a large area to spread out your makeup and products?

Later this week, we will organize under the sink and I will share my master bathroom update, so stay tuned!

Maria