Instagram’s Beautiful Organization Hacks Don’t Work for Me. But These Do. (2024)

A caddy for daily essentials

Personally, if I couldn’t see my skin-care items, I wouldn’t use them—mainly because I forgot they existed. And even when I did remember, any barrier, such as opening a cabinet door, was enough to deter me from doing this self-care routine entirely.

Displaying the things I need to use daily has been a game changer. If your bathroom doesn’t have open shelving, consider a countertop caddy, such as the two-tiered Lemikkle Countertop Organizer, which is made of see-through mesh wire and can comfortably hold a staggering number of things, although its large footprint (12.2 by 7 by 13.4 inches) may not be suitable for use in smaller bathrooms.

See-through catch-all containers

Transparent containers keep loose essentials like floss, hair ties, cotton swabs, and cotton rounds organized and visible. I use these clear, lidded containers on the top shelf of my countertop caddy, and below, I store bits and bobs that I use less often.

A pill box for supplements and medicines

Also on my counter, right in front of the caddy, is my pill box. Having each pill stored in its own bottle makes it hard for me to remember whether I’ve taken my daily medication. But with a pill box, I can keep track of my meds with a quick glance. I use the Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer, a Wirecutter pick that has day-of-the-week labels and roomy compartments with push-button lids that spring open easily.

A spinning turntable

If you have the space for it, a turntable with built-in storage compartments can be useful for everyday items. My cosmetics, makeup brushes, and sponges are much easier to access when I don’t have to dig through an overstuffed makeup bag. I keep my makeup in a clear, spinning turntable that sits on the other side of my counter.

A hanging basket organizer

And to ensure I always have a clean face towel nearby, I took advantage of vertical space in my bathroom by hanging a mesh basket on the side of the vanity cabinet. I almost never wanted to wash my face when I didn’t have a fresh towel to dry off with—I’d sometimes use my T-shirt to pat my face dry—but now that towels are within reach, I relish the task. My skin has never been glowier.

Before the pandemic, I wore jewelry almost every day—but once social outings dried up, I tucked away my array of statement earrings, delicate necklaces, and funky rings in jewelry boxes. Those boxes ended up lying dormant for so long that by the time it was okay to reemerge into society, I’d forgotten about them.

I only started to accessorize again a little more than a year ago once I began storing my collection in the Keebofly Wall Mounted Jewelry Organizer, a box with a partially transparent door.

This rustic, wood-paneled box offers ample jewelry storage organized into sections. I was able to display my entire jewelry collection in this box, fitting close to 40 rings, 20 bracelets, 10 necklaces, and nearly 25 pairs of dangling and studded earrings inside.

Half of the cabinet’s door is made of clear glass, making rings and bracelets visible when it’s closed. I’d prefer that the entire door be see-through, but I do appreciate the burlap-covered corkboard on the interior of the other section of the door, which I use to hold pins, brooches, and necklace charms.

The Keebofly cabinet also includes a removable T-shaped bar that affixes to the bottom of the box, intended to hold extra bracelets, necklaces, and watches. (Sadly, I can’t use this feature lest I want my curious cat to treat my favorite accessories like chew toys.)

Given how much it can accommodate, this jewelry cabinet takes up a significant amount of wall space. It’s about 16 inches high, and the T bar adds another 2.5 inches to the height. It also needs to be mounted in an area that can accommodate the open door’s 120-degree range.

What’s the point of having a huge collection of sunglasses and baseball caps if you never remember to wear any of them? That was my dilemma. I’d leave my home to run errands or go for a walk in the park, only to have to turn back to snag a pair of sunnies or a brimmed hat.

Now, I keep both displayed by the door, where I know I’ll see them before I head out.

I use clear, acrylic shelves—the ones you might see lined with polish bottles at a nail salon—to hold my sunglasses. Available in packs of two or four, these inexpensive shelves have a lip along the front and two removable inserts on either end to keep things from falling off.

The shelves are readily mountable, though you have to provide your own nails. One shelf can accommodate about three pairs of sunglasses, depending on the style. My four shelves hold anywhere from 10 to 12 pairs of sunnies at any given time.

Handy hat storage

I hang hats on L-shaped, acrylic hooks mounted to the wall above my sunglasses shelves. Each hook is roughly 5 inches long, able to accommodate six to eight adjustable hats with closures. (These hooks aren’t compatible with hats without closures, so if your collection is mostly made of fitted caps, bucket hats, or berets, you need to use smaller, individual hooks.)

You can mount them with the adhesive pads already attached to the back of each hook or with your own supply of screws. The company claims that the adhesive can hold up to 30 pounds—and while it’s true that the hooks can support heavier loads, when I tested the weight limit with a Baggu tote bag containing 25 pounds of hardcover books, the hook detached and the books tumbled to the floor after less than a minute.

This article was edited by Alexander Aciman and Catherine Kast.