Your compact shave den?

[franz]

I like to keep my shave gear tidy, but the reality of my life is that I live in an apartment with my girlfriend (good) and consequently share a small bathroom with a woman (bad). As I add more items to my collection, I am going to have to figure out a clever way of organizing my gear so that it's presentable, out of the way, and easily accessible. Trouble is, I am not a clever guy. This is where you come in.

What are your setups for a compact, neatly organized shave den? How do you maximize limited space in the bathroom?

Pics welcomed and encouraged.

 

[sid3000]

Try looking for something like this

You can keep this on the counter or under the sink. The best way to store things in excess is to keep it vertical; the odd shapes of cremes, razors, etc take up a lot of surface area very quickly. Make sure to keep the brushes out though, so they can thoroughly dry between uses.

 

[guru]

I took, yes took, a drawer-- and I won't give it back, for my 5 or 600 blades, my 12 or 15 various DE's, extra soaps and creams, yadda yadda, I think you get it. That leaves one rack with 4 razors and a brush, a bowl with a tub of cream in it, a mug for soaking my brush while I'm in the shower on top of the counter and that's it. Small bathroom, I share with a woman, but I asserted myself. Of course, I have paid dearly, but it's my space...

 

[cixelsyd]

I'm in the same situation. Living in a small apartment with my fiancee with a very small bathroom to share. I also took over a drawer (the top one ) that I keep my creams/soaps/blades in. I keep my razors/ASBs/brush and witch hazel in my own private part of the medicine cabinet, I find it easier to grab my razor and brush off of a shelf than digging around in a drawer. Nothing is on the counter when I am not in the shower/actively shaving, unless I used a soap for the day and I'm letting it dry, and then I'll put it away whenever I get home later. She kids that I have taken over the bathroom, but in reality over half is left for her to use as she sees fit and I haven't encroached beyond this space into hers. The moral of the story: out of sight, out of mind (for her).

 

[insomniac]

You don't need to keep everything in your bathroom. Blades - well, some don't keep them there because it's a moist environment. You only need a pack or two. Soaps, creams, aftershaves, razors - you can keep what is in your rotation there, and put the rest in your bedroom.

 

[Foyle]

My wife and I share a small bathroom. The trick is to keep your selection of products compact. I only have one A/S, one razor, two brushes and only one gets lots of consistent use lately, and three soaps/creams soon to be just two as one is almost used up. I store my extra blades in my night stand and just keep a couple packs in the bathroom drawer.

 

[Roobaix]

We have a tiny bathroom. I mounted a relatively small cabinet on the wall. All of my stuff fits in it, and it really doesn't take up much space since it's above the toilet.

 

[JBagKY]

I have most of my stuff up in the cabinet above the toilet. But, I don't have a plethora of stuff. I only use 1 razor and 1 brush, 1 bowl, and only swap out between 2 creams and 2 soaps. I still need to organize a little better. Having a cabinet in the bedroom for this type of stuff might make sense or if we got different nightstands with a bottom compartment to store the den (once its amassed).

 

[JoshuaA]

I have a drawer in the vanity for cream, balm, razors and blades and a row on our medicine cabinet for splashes and cologne/EdT. The drawer is not much to look at, and it's hard to keep everything neat, but it works.

 

[PozzSka]

I took the above the toilet cabinet. I have tons of stuff crammed into it.

 

[tvldatsi]

mine's pretty compact as it is. I just keep out one of everything and keep all the extras aside to switch out at my leisure

 

[The Pontificator]

We have a tiny bathroom. I mounted a relatively small cabinet on the wall. All of my stuff fits in it, and it really doesn't take up much space since it's above the toilet.

LOL KEEP THAT TOILET SEAT DOWN.

Last week I asked if anyone had ever dropped a shaving brush in the toilet. So far, no. Let's keep it that way!

 

[probesport]

Here WAS my starter nook, I have since put up some shelves and such I need to take a picture of all that. We have a 1920's house that we have been slowing de-modernizing to get it back to the way it was originally layed out before multiple renovations so most of the spaces in the house are small, esp the bathroom.

I am building a new master bedroom walk in (walk down) closet that will have a dressing area and a shaving sink, that will be new shaving area. The closet will be below the master bedroom in the basement with a spiral staircase leading down. My trick is to have all of the modern amenities that I enjoy without making the house look too current so modern life happens downstairs and the upstairs retains most of its original charm.

 

[Roobaix]

LOL KEEP THAT TOILET SEAT DOWN.

It freaks me out enough every time I open the doors that I make sure the lid is down! If a brush ever went in I don't think I could bring myself to use it and just cut my losses.

 

[dpm802]

Try looking for something like this

You can keep this on the counter or under the sink. The best way to store things in excess is to keep it vertical; the odd shapes of cremes, razors, etc take up a lot of surface area very quickly. Make sure to keep the brushes out though, so they can thoroughly dry between uses.

That's what I use ... one drawer for blades, one drawer for razors, one drawer for creams, one drawer for ASLs, etc ... and I keep my active gear in the top drawer so I can grab it easily.

+1 on keeping the brush out until it dries.

 

[DESkydiver]

Like “insomniac” said, you don’t have to keep it all in the bathroom, only the items for immediate need. Myself, I am using straights, and keep my two rotation razors in the bathroom, along with my brush, soap dish, scuttle, styptic pen, Witch Hazel and current aftershave. My strops are attached to a corner-post of my bed and all my other stuff is in a closet.

 

[mattface]

THat's a rubber stamp holder with room for 5 razors, or more if I stack them, one brush, i mug. I don't actually use that skin bracer, I just liked the bottle, but there was no really good reason to have it cluttering up the vanity I sold it to someone who would like it. Blades and a small bottle of AS are in the medicine cabinet.

 

[The Mick]

The wife and I live full time in an RV travel trailer so there is very little room in the bathroom. I just keep it simple and minimal. A few aftershaves and colognes and a single soap in the medicine cabinet. My straight razors and strop are kept in my cloths closet which is right outside the bathroom in the hall.

 

[franz]

"Out of sight, out of mind" is the perfect mantra for how I want SWMBO to regard my weird little hobby. So far the ideas are boiling down to:

1. Get a drawer / cabinet / organizer to stash my stuff in.
Sounds good, but there's very little wall or counter or floor space which said object could occupy. May have to combine this with option #4.

2. Think vertical.
I like this. Maybe a reclaimed CD tower (something tall and skinny) could be fixed up for this purpose.

3. Annex additional bathroom space from my girlfriend.
I actually laughed out loud after thinking about the implications of this. "He who dies with the most stuff is still dead." Indeed.

4. You don't actually need to store all your shaving stuff in the bathroom.
Duh! Why didn't I think of this?

5. Minimize gear/product selection. Control yourself.
Probably the most sensible advice of all. I am going to ignore it. (Full disclosure: I don't have much gear right now, but am planning to acquire more. This "organizing" thread is just an elaborate excuse to justify those acquisitions.)

6. Keep the toilet seat down and don't attempt to store shaving products inside.
Check... for now.


Ken, I like your renovation plan for a walk-in closet / shaving area / man zone. You should post a thread on that project as it gets going.

Matt, I am not seeing the pic of your rubber stamp holder setup, although I think I get the idea.


Keep the ideas (and pics) coming gents!

 

[mattface]

Matt, I am not seeing the pic of your rubber stamp holder setup, although I think I get the idea.

oops!


DSC_0001 by mattface, on Flickr