My Old Apartment, Rental Remedies, Small-Space Solution, Storage & Organization

Small Space Solution: Beautification Station

If you rent and/or call a small space home, it’s possible your life isn’t overflowing with bathroom storage options.  Here’s how I tackled that design dilemma in my condo.

As the last two homes I rented  had small bathrooms with pedestal sinks, I had to improvise a decorative and utilitarian  storage space for all the girly stuff I primp with daily.   A beautification station.  In each situation, I created a space in the guest room for a small vanity area, usable by both me and my guests.

Thanks to a bookshelf I had on hand, and a mirror that I snagged on a serious budget, I put the space together for almost nothing.  At Pier 1,  nestled amongst the mirrors, was this gorgeous wooden one – with a bright little clearance sale price tag announcing the price of only $19.  Marked down from about $100!  Hello, bargain.

Old Condo Vanity in Guest Room | TheBorrowedAbode.com

It was on clearance because there was a crack running through the glass.  It was still awesome.  Heck, that crack made it more awesome.   The manager wanted to get me a new one.  For full price.  He reached out for the mirror, and I held tightly to my bargain, as he tried to tell me he couldn’t sell it to me. I argued that it was tagged with a price, displayed on the floor, and he wouldn’t get my money for a full-price one.  Then I literally tugged it out of his hand. My stubbornness paid off.  I got the mirror!

And you know what?  To this day the crack shines proudly, like a battle scar.  From the battle of the broken bargain.  But I digress. . .

The top of the bookshelf became the landing pad for my makeup, hair product, etc.

I grouped like items in brown wooden storage containers for a more cohesive look.  I collected the containers over a month or two.

Old Condo Vanity | TheBorrowedAbode.com

The white wicker bins, which I already owned, fit almost perfectly on the shelves – providing storage for hair accessories, travel toiletry bags, hair dryers, purses, hats, and other girly stuff.

I think I enjoy this cheerful little vanity more than I would have enjoyed a built-in cabinet in my tiny bathroom.   And now my guests have a convenient place to primp, without tying up the only bathroom in the joint.

At the end of the day, the key to making your small rented home personal and functional comes down to one thing:  creative thinking.  If the apartment doesn’t have a functional space that you need, just create it.   There’s always a way.

And now I’m curious. Do you have a vanity area in your home, or do you just use the bathroom area?

*New to this blog?  Check out another small-space storage solution I whipped up in my guest room.

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11 Comments

  • Reply Kelly at 3:11 pm

    When you next come to the Jerz, can we steal you for ideas on how to arrange Mom and my communal stash of makeup? Our attempts to organize are in utter shambles. My solution to too many bottles of nail polish was to throw out all but Frog Green and Plum. This is obviously not a practical approach. I do love the wine goblet with brushes/etc in it.

  • Reply Reebs at 9:11 pm

    That guest room is amazing….wow. I LOVE it. Which house is that in?? You’re not having to leave that room are you?!

  • Reply Michela at 11:37 am

    That is so funny, I was just trying to figure out what to do with our blinds! I love them, but hate feeling like people can see us moving around, especially at night!

    I will definitely try that out and see how it works. Thanks for the info! I stopped by from YHL.

  • Reply Michela at 11:39 am

    Hm, I was trying to leave that comment on your post about the blinds. Not sure why it showed up here… Oops!

  • Reply Whitney at 12:13 pm

    What an excellent idea! There’s nothing worse that having people over to get ready together and all being crammed in front of the bathroom mirror. This looks awesome and very tidy!

  • Reply Flippin’ Cute Thread Storage | The Borrowed Abode at 9:36 am

    […] from my old apartment’s guest room. . . and since the move they’d been sitting in my basement in the pile of “stuff I […]

  • Reply Amy Goldfine at 3:56 am

    I was lucky enough to have my own bathroom growing up (only child!) but as soon as I hit college I stopped primping in the bathroom.  I have always used the top of my dresser as a vanity and kept my makeup and hair stuff in the top drawer.  I recommend keeping a small thing of wipes handy so that you can easily get makeup and gunk off your hands without having to go to the bathroom to wash them.

  • Reply For Your Apartment: Beauty Storage Solutions at 1:24 pm

    […] article was originally posted at The Borrowed Abode. Check them out for tons of rental design […]

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