We-Design-Day: Designing and Debunking Part Two

Picking up from last weeks Designing and Debunking, let's finish the Buzzfeed's "15 Lifehacks for your Tiny Bathroom" .

9. Use a stacked plate rack: My counter is too small to support more than a toothbrush stand and a bottle of hand soap. I would think that most truly small bathrooms would suffer the same problem.

10. Magnet board for makeup: I don't have room. I also don't have that much makeup. If you do, be my guest! I can see it being a focal point and a space save and art, all in one!

11. Mason jar wall storage: I could see using this but I would use it for holding toothbrushes and toothpaste (to get them off the counter). The cotton swabs and cotton pads would still sit in their respective containers in the baskets under the sink.

12. Use a large mirror to reflect the space: Mirrors are often used to help create the illusion of space and this is a valid design tip. Keep in mind the scale of the room when selecting the mirror. Having a 4' mirror hung in my small bathroom would be too much and would make me see all the ugly bits I try so purposefully to avoid. I would, instead, use small mirrors on the wall opposite of the vanity mirror to reflect the space (it wouldn't work in my space, this would assume that the two walls would be opposite and not behind other obstructions). One could also use several small mirrors, framed perhaps, as art as well as using them to create the illusion of space.

13. Roll your Towels: I don't actually store my towels in this bathroom because there is truly no room for them. If I did have room, I still wouldn't roll them, I don't like how they don't roll perfectly. I like the idea of rolling hand towels of face cloths for immediate use (again, I don't have room for this but have considered using this in my kitchen).

14. Install pull-out drawers in your cabinets: I like this suggestion, it is valid, assuming your cabinets will accommodate it. Keep in mind, these pull out style drawers will eat up valuable real estate in the cabinet itself. Although it looks flush mount, they typically are not, additionally, they need to be able to retract back far enough for the door to close. I personally use baskets in mine and find this works well. There are also "other" things you need to store under the sink (like the toilet brush).

15. Install multiple towel bars on back of door: Most interior passage doors are hollow core and may not support a sufficient amount of weight to actually hold up against the use. This would also mean folding your towels into 'airing cupboard' size after each use; this slows down the air drying ability because there are more layers of towel. I would opt for hooks or an 'over the door' system. IF you use an OTD system, keep in mind that in places with fluctuating humidity, this may make your door impossible to close. We have one (I bought for our housecoats) and it only works on one door in our entire house.

I realize it is highly unlikely that anyone will run out and actually apply all of the hints in the BuzzFeed article but I wanted to point out why it's so important to not just decorate a space. Design is so much more than paint colours and throw cushions. Always think of the principals of design before tackling any project!