Bathroom Reorganization

Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-210 -- More Projects »
Denise Saunders, a popular Philadelphia newscaster, bought her first home a little over a year ago and quickly got to work with a decorator to spruce up her bedroom. That project was so overwhelming to her she's been unable to do much else to her home.

Her master bathroom is in the worst shape, with cosmetic products and costume jewelry taking over every inch of counter space. Tired of grabbing for one thing and knocking over another, she is ready to get organized. Interior designer Sharon Salvano and professional organizer Janet Taylor step in to help make it happen.

Here's what it looked like before:
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What a mess! The medicine cabinet is overflowing, the counter space is nonfunctional and there isn't even a toilet-paper holder.
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Costume jewelry looks great on camera, but it is difficult to find a specific piece in this tangled pile.
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She has accumulated so much makeup throughout her 14-year TV career it has spilled over into one of her sinks.

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Saunders said all she uses from this overflowing basket is the toothbrush.
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It's no better in the cabinets underneath that cluttered counter.
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The items in this corner are leftover from the bedroom makeover.
First thing's first! All this mess has to be sorted in order to get organized. Taylor works with Saunders on this daunting task and helps her decide what she really needs to keep and what can be tossed. A good rule of thumb for makeup is to throw away anything that is more than a year old.

The next step is to make a game plan. Enter Salvano, who says that although the bathroom is nicely sized at 110 square feet, the medicine cabinet is tiny, there are no towel racks and no drawers in the cabinets. The space is being underutilized and nothing is easily accessible. She suggests some great new storage solutions and a new warm theme for the room.

Let's see how it turned out:
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The once plain white walls now glow with a warm faux finish, and the clutter is but a memory.
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A few new accessories help add to the look. Check out the stylish towel racks.
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The new vanity, granite countertops, sinks and mirror make the boldest statement.

The key improvement for this master bathroom is lots of storage space, thanks to the new cabinet unit (in center of top left photo) that replaces the clutter corner of leftover bedroom furniture and deep drawers in the new vanity. The unit houses her jewelry, towels and even extra toilet paper. Her styling products and larger items like her hair dryer are now organized and out of view in specific vanity drawers, clearing up that valuable counter space.
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The top drawers of the storage cabinet contain sectioned jewelry trays that can be moved around and stacked on top of one another as needed.
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These wooden and wicker storage bins beneath the vanity help organize all those cosmetics and hygiene products. The baskets just slide right out.
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Other accessories like this new rug ...
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... and toilet-paper holder help pull everything together.
The new-and-improved bathroom ties in nicely with the bedroom and gives Denise Saunders a sense of accomplishment for following through the project to the end. She is so pleased with her newfound organization that she insists she'll keep it this way.
Benjamin Moore paint colors used:

Peanut Shell, eggshell finish (#2162-40)
Audubon Russet, eggshell finish (HC-51)

Products from Lillian Vernon:

bath caddy & mirror
over-door chrome caddy
wood, wicker storage modules

painting by Sheila M. Brown
"Figure in Tub" 2002, oil on canvas

Resources
granite vanity top--Westwood Tile and Stone
Westwood Tile and Stone
Website: www.westwoodtile.com

vanity--Mouser Cabinets
Mouser Custom Cabinetry
Website: www.mousercc.com

paints--Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
Website: www.benjaminmoore.com

housewares, organizing supplies — Lillian Vernon
Lillian Vernon
Website: www.lillianvernon.com
Guests
Sharon Salvano
Designer, Dashing Designs
2050 Springdale Rd., Suite 300
Cherry Hill, NJ 08053
Phone: 856-424-4405
Fax: 856-424-2811
E-mail: mdashing@aol.com
Website: www.dashingdesignsinc.com

Janet Taylor
Professional Organizer, Totally Organized, LLC
Phone: 215-229-7232
Fax: 215-229-6511
E-mail: JTaylor@totallyorganized.biz
Website: www.totallyorganized.biz
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