I like change. I also like for everything to work well as well as having style. So generally, I will style a room in a certain way and then tweak that as I find out what's working and what's not.
My organization style is a Cricket. You can find your style with this quiz. I like thing to be put away properly with ease of function and minimal visuals. Basically, I want everything to have a home and that home should be where I don't have to look at it. But I don't want those hidden areas to be messy either. I want to know exactly where everything is and have easy access. So organizing is the key.
My bathroom just wasn't functioning exactly as I wanted it to. I felt like there was too much clutter on the shelves and the window sill. That told me things didn't have a place to belong.
It's the master bath, but it's a half bath. So space is at a premium, and I have all of my daily makeup, skincare and hair care stored and used in the space.
So, I spent about 30 minutes and made the space more functional, but still pretty. This was a $0 restyle as I used items from around my home I already had. That is the best place to start. Do you have something you can repurpose to serve a different function?
I did end up purchasing two items for the restyle, but those were items that get used up and needed to be replaced anyway. I just chose different products this time. I didn't count that in the cost of the remodel because I would have purchased them anyway. In fact, it was repurchasing these two items that sparked the desire to redesign the bathroom.
I started with the sink area. Previously I had an owl soap dispenser and an owl toothbrush holder on each corner of the sink. I really loved them, but I never used my candle because it was on the window sill and not in an area where it was safe to burn. It was also several years old.
I replaced it with this Citrus Grove candle in an amber jar from Hearth and Hand at Target. It was $7.99 and smells absolutely amazing. Plus, I love the amber glass.
The Owl wax melter is probably going away. That's been a harder decision to make. I love that in the small space you can actually smell the wax, but I can't stand to have it on overnight because the light bothers me. I have a hard enough time going to sleep as it is! So the issue is I don't get the pleasant smell when I wake up. The candle has the same issue. I think the owl just adds clutter to the space.
I also ran out of my large jar of hand soap that I was using to refill the owl soap dispenser and I was sick of that smell. So I opted for a lavender hand soap by Smartly from Target that cost $0.99. I'm not a fan of the way the bottle looks, so I will either wash out my owl dispenser or find one that take up less space.
The hair dryer used to live in the towel holder along with the towel, but that was a very cluttered look. It is now stored underneath the sink when not in use. I don't use it daily, so pulling it out and putting it away is not bothersome.
The flat iron I use every day. I'm still not happy with this solution. I would like to move the storage to the side of the cabinet, but I didn't have any command hooks on hand.
The towel is a Mainstays textured towel from Walmart for $2.97. I never buy expensive towels for my bathroom because they tend to get dirty and stained quickly with makeup. I love these because they are soft, wash well, and don't break the bank when I need to replace one. Discarded towels never get thrown out. They get put into the "junk towels" stash which hubby can use in his wood shop or the kids can use for messy things and not incur mom's wrath for ruining a good towel. I use the matching wash cloths for $1.97. I keep two hand towels and two wash cloths on hand.
The mirror was there when we moved in. And the light fixture was $13.98 from Lowe's that we installed a few years ago. I always use daylight bulbs since I apply my makeup in that mirror.
For the shelves above the toilet, I minimized. Hubby built the shelves himself when we did the original bathroom remodel. Don't tell him, but I want to change the paint color.
On the bottom shelf, I previously had a small square bin with toiletry items and my skin care just out on the shelf beside it. I had this basket I had picked up from At Home that was going to be used for the pantry, but didn't fit, so I brought it in and it now contains toiletry items, hair care and skin care. If you have an At Home store, or a similar store, I recommend visiting every couple weeks if you are decorating because they always have new items and new sales and you just can't order online. This one was $12.99 and I bough it at 40% off.
On the second shelf I used to have another small fabric bin with my makeup and my perfume. Now I have a canister from Hearth and Hand for Target that I had bought to go in the kitchen, but it was too small. I put all of my makeup brushes in it and it worked great. I previously had makeup brushes in a coffee cup. I bought the medium size for $9.99. My makeup is still in that same bin, but it now lives under the sink so I can just pull out the whole bin and set it on the side of the sink to do my makeup. I managed that by decluttering under the sink and getting rid of products that went there to be forgotten. Organizing that will happen soon.
The lipstick holder I got from Dollar General for either $3 or $5. I've had it for a while and it was on the window sill before.
The clock was also on the window sill and I've had it for a very long time. I think I got it at Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection of clocks. I like having a clock in my bathroom because I usually charge my Apple watch while I'm getting ready in the morning since I wear it at night to track my sleep.
The floral arrangement is from our wedding and I made the flowers and the arrangement with items from Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby. Someday when I clean out storage and find my tools, I'll do a tutorial.
The Eiffel Tower is one that my sister brought me after she visited Paris. It also used to be on the window sill.
On the top shelf, which used to just have stacked folded towels and some of hubby's things, I displayed my perfume bottles and I have a basket for my towels and wash cloths. The basket had previously been on our entry table. I wrongly assumed that since it was full of holes, it wouldn't get used for junk collections. I was wrong, so I removed it and it found this new home. I bought it from Walmart, but it has been several years.
Redecorating doesn't have to be expensive. Look around and see what you can repurpose from around your home. If you need to replace items that use use regularly (like hand soap or candles) look for a different one than you normally use.
Look at a small area in your home that you aren't happy with and redesign it with items you already have on hand. Purchasing regularly used items like hand soap, candles, etc. won't count in your cost total unless you are adding and not replacing. Post your photo and total cost below!