Home style: Lessons learned from a small bathroom

We love the open-space feel of our little 1960s duplex, but boy is our one bathroom small. We're talking wee tiny! It's adorable, but storage space gets tricky fast.

This has taught us to minimize to what we actually need, and I tell you, it feels great. Mr. Einstein said it: "the measure of intelligence is the ability to change." (He'd roll over in his tomb if he knew what this post was about.) Drumroll.....it's bathrooms!!

I was lucky to have my own bathroom as a kid. It had tons of cabinets and I filled those things up with every kind of lotion and potion my that sounded like a miracle for solving pre-teen body-image issues. I aim to never have that much crap again! Whenever I visit my parents and see those still half-empty bottles of overpoweringly-scented glitter lotion (yes, still there), I physically cringe.

Having a small bathroom encourages us to only get what we need and use the most, there just isn't room for impulse buys. I've actually really enjoyed narrowing down my own personal care product needs to simple, good things that nourish my skin and hair and don't clog our virally non-existent shelves and cabinets with more than I need.  I still like trying new products, so we purposefully don't buy large bottles that we'll get sick of before we run out. (Recycle those bathroom plastics when they do run out!)

The previous owner and I flipped the space over the summer, painting the bright pink wall tiles white, and installing a new tub and vanity. I also painted it a very calming, warm gray tone that lets little colors pop out around the room.  I love this very-important-room, and wanted to share some of the ways we've adapted to it.

This is the entire space. You can turn on the shower and sink whilst sitting on the throne.

Keeping the pretty (but useful!) stuff on the glass shelf over the toilet. The pink catch-all was my grandmother's, and I store bobby pins in a washed-out jam jar.

This setup of buckets and hooks from IKEA was what my friend/landlady used when she lived here, we've kept it around since it's the perfect way to keep most-used items on hand.

I've pretty much absorbed all the space in the drawer with my makeup and brush, but hey - Cody only needs about three things for his upkeep!

Our under-sink storage are his and hers baskets wit bulkier, less used items.

Lights! Camera! Teeny bathroom - go!


Experience is the best teacher when learning to live small. What are some positive things you've learned from tiny bathrooms?