My bathroom is smaller than most closets, and for the first half year I lived here, I didn’t like going in there. I didn’t have to worry about plumbing problems — thank heavens. I liked it, however, because it felt like getting ready in a telephone booth.
Do you remember how you have to stretch to get your toothbrush, and your elbow ends up in the toilet paper holder? That was my experience. I’m not very organized.
Ask anyone who has looked at my desk. However, I’ve noticed that small spaces have a magic way of making you either create solutions or go completely crazy. I created a solution.
The problem is, when you have a total of thirty square feet to get ready, every decision you make will matter more than they would in a large master bath where you could simply spread things out. First things first, I needed to deal with the medicine cabinet. The original one was a sad, thin cabinet that couldn’t hold anything thicker than a tube of lip balm.
I measured (and remeasured, because I don’t trust my ability to understand space at 7 am) and found a recessed cabinet that’s about four inches deeper. The installation was… well, let’s just say I understand why some people hire contractors. I ended up with three holes in the wall, and then I mounted it.
Suddenly, I had real storage space. Shelves. Shelves that held my face wash bottles standing up instead of lying down like puzzles.
However, I wish somebody would have told me that you should measure your products first. I purchased a beautiful bamboo organizer for inside the cabinet, only to realize that my foundation bottle was one millimeter too high. One millimeter!
I ended up keeping it, and now I store my foundation on its side like it’s napping. The shower area was much harder to deal with. There was no place to put anything except for this little ledge in the corner.
It was so small that it couldn’t even hold a bottle of shampoo without it slipping off as soon as the door was shut. I tried using those suction-cup caddies. They lasted about a week before gravity took over.
I finally found these tension pole organizers that fit in the gap between the tub and ceiling. It was a game-changer. Mine has three shelves and I can actually reach everything without being forced to do yoga poses in a slippery, wet space. 
I didn’t think I’d ever obsess over where to position the mirror, but I did.
The original mirror was positioned for someone around 7 feet tall. Since I’m 5’4” (on a good day), I knew I wouldn’t be able to see if I put on my makeup correctly. Rather than replace it, because I was afraid of breaking the mirror (apparently that brings you 7 years of bad luck, plus a visit to the emergency room), I attached a smaller adjustable mirror to an extendable arm.
I can now see what I’m doing while applying my makeup. This has significantly decreased the number of times I look like I applied eyeliner during an earthquake. Storage under the sink was basically a void where all my toiletries went to disappear.
I installed a pull-out drawer system, which may seem fancy, but was really two sliding drawers I bought at the hardware store and some very patient measuring. I can now easily find my backup toothpaste without having to remove everything first. Although I still manage to purchase three tubes of the same face cream due to forgetting what I have stashed under there.
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To solve the towel issue, I had to engineer a solution. I couldn’t install a towel bar in a logical location, so I mounted hooks on the back of the door. I tried standard hooks, but they didn’t hold.
Towels fell off. I discovered double hooks that curve slightly inward. They catch towels better, and I can hang two towels per hook without them overlapping.
A small victory, but I’ll take it. The lighting in the bathroom was probably the most dramatic change. I hadn’t expected that to be the case.
The original fixture was a harsh overhead bulb that made everything look like a crime scene. I replaced it with LED bulbs with adjustable warmth. Cooler light for when I need to see what I’m doing during my morning routine, warmer light for when I’m winding down in the evenings.
I also purchased a small battery-powered light strip and placed it under the medicine cabinet. When I have to make a 3 am visit to the bathroom, I turn it on. I no longer blind myself. 
Since there was barely enough floor space, I had to think creatively as to where items would reside.
I discovered a narrow, rolling cart that fits perfectly between the toilet and vanity. It’s probably about 6 inches wide, but gave me three additional shelves for backup supplies and cleaning products. It rolls out when I need something and tucks itself away when I don’t.
The key was finding one that was the correct height, so it would fit under the sink overhang. I thought the paint color would make a huge difference, and I was correct. The walls were a dingy beige that seemed to suck light.
I painted the walls a soft grey-blue. For some reason, it makes the space feel larger. Perhaps it’s the way it reflects the LED lighting, perhaps it’s purely psychological, but people always comment that my bathroom “looks bigger than it is.” I also painted the ceiling the same color.
Apparently, this tricks your mind into thinking the walls are higher. The largest lesson I learned? Don’t try to fit full-sized versions of everything into a small space.
I transitioned to travel-size containers for everyday products and store the larger ones elsewhere. My hair products reside in pumps mounted on the wall in the shower – I no longer have to wrestle with bottles. All of my essential products are within arm’s reach.
Everything else resides in that rolling cart or under the sink. Perfect? Absolutely not.
I still run into things, and my partner and I have developed a complex morning routine choreography to prevent collisions. But it works. Even more important, it doesn’t drive me nuts every time I enter.
And honestly, that may be the most important design principle of all — how a space makes you feel when you’re actually living in it, not just admiring it.
