Get Organized with Countertop Containers

TRY MIXING AND MATCHING
If you're not quite sure how a container or group of containers will work in your bath, Restoration Hardware's Bacnotan advises matching the finish, first. "If your fixtures are chrome or nickel, pick containers with the same type accents," he says. "The chrome has a blue hue and a cleaner look and nickel gives more richness with a gold or yellow tone. From a distance, you wouldn't be able to tell the containers didn't match, but side by side it would be really evident as the containers will probably be close to the other fixtures."

In large-scale bathrooms, you want larger containers to maintain the proportions, says Bacnotan. "But don't shy away from using a big piece in a small bath — just make sure you only use one or two."

And with all those wonderful options out there, feel free to mix and match, he adds. "I recommend sticking to the accepted wisdom of using an odd number of objects in a grouping, but other than that, don't be too timid to experiment," he says. "I always say, 'Use what makes you feel good in your decor.'"

Resources

Accents of Salado, www.accentsofsalado.com

Restoration Hardware, www.restorationhardware.com

The Container Store, www.containerstore.com

IKEA United States, www.ikea.com