After a pretty thorough spring cleaning session, I moved stuff around, switched up art and decor and I'm now feeling like we're ready to take you on a house tour.
For some reason, I decided to start the tour with the bathroom. It makes sense since it's the place where it all started, and by that I mean that my journey to a simpler, greener and happier life debuted in my bathroom cabinet.
As soon as I discovered the Think Dirty App, I got rid of 100% of the products I used to put on my skin, i.e. I finished them and never bought them again.
To me, a bathroom needs to look and feel clean. It's the place where my morning routine starts so I like it to be light, to smell good and to be functional (how many times have I knocked perfume bottles down because my eyes weren't quite open early in the morning?).
We're renting our house, and we're on a budget, so there's not much that we can do. I could switch this wall sconce and repaint the dark cabinets, but let's be honest, I'd rather put my money elsewhere.
While we're dreaming of owning a house someday, we just decided to make it do.
Linen
Our bathroom linen happens to be pretty neutral - I've had these striped towels for years and bought white ones back when were planning to rent our SoCal photo studio as an artsy Airbnb retreat - and I'm not mad about it. Of course I'd love it all to be natural and organic but I'll wait until it's time to replace it.
I regret this shower curtain so much! There was already a white plastic liner when we moved in. We kept it for a while but after having to repair it numerous times (the holes were not reinforced) I gave up and replaced it in a rush the day before my parents came for an extended stay at our place. I got a clear liner and the less-than-original Ikea shower curtain (you know the one I mean, with the black shower head and water droplets on a white background). Anyways, after a while I just removed the curtain and only kept the transparent liner. It lets the light in (as I almost always keep it closed) but requires a lot of maintenance (water + soap = yuck!). A friend of mine told me she has a plain linen shower curtain and tosses it in her weekly laundry, no big deal. If you have any recommendations for non-plastic/non-toxic options, I'm all ears! Otherwise, I'll opt for a plain organic linen shower curtain, or this amazing US made canvas one, someday...
As for the bath rug, no comment, Octave picked one up at Ikea back when we lived in SoCal, it's black and white and coordinated with our grey carpet (yes, carpet!). I'd love a fun one, or a graphic one, or just a plain natural colored one.
Accessories
Accessory-wise, I've had my hairbrush for a long time and just drilled a hole in it so I could hang it on the hooks (which are hung super low, I know the previous owners had young children, so that makes sense).
My trusted body brush is also displayed here, to remind me to use it.
The ugly and bulky electronics (hair dryer, epilator/trimmer/razor) are hidden in the canvas bag (which was originally a shoe duster bag).
In the shower, I like to use an exfoliating wash cloth to get rid of dead skin.
We started using bamboo toothbrushes 3 years ago. I recently switched to an electric toothbrush after having been reprimanded by my dentist at my 2 last annual check-ups (manual brushing seems to be too harsh for my gums, I remain perplex).
I reused a nut butter glass container to store our toothpaste (DIY coming soon) and made the toothbrush holder at a ceramics class.
I found some vintage glass containers at the Salvation Army for our body soap (that we shop in bulk) and we use simple hand pumps for our hand soap and my shampoo (that we buy in bulk too). We also have a spray bottle for apple cider vinegar that I use to rinse my hair and that Octave sometimes uses to wash his hair (he's been washing his hair with water only for at least 2 years, since I threw away his last empty bottle of super chemical anti-dandruff shampoo).
I use another spray bottle for our lavender air deodorizer (the toilet is not pictured here). Oh and we got this toilet brush that we store in a plain white Ikea plant pot.
Our bathroom also features an ugly dark cabinet above the toilet. Inside, we keep our cosmetics: Octave's electric beard trimmer, his beard and hair balm (DIY coming soon), my deodorant & scented rollers, our contact lenses and solutions (we only wear them on special occasions like when he's filming and when we go swimming, snowboarding or mountain biking), a mug containing tweezers, nail clippers and 2 hair ties that I use when I shower and don't want to wet my hair, and 2 cute wooden ear picks that Octave's aunt gave him as a present. On top of this cabinet live our water flosser and 2 metal boxes. I keep my make-up in one and hair accessories in the other (I cut my own hair & regularly trim my bangs).
That's it for our minimalist bathroom tour! I hope you liked it. I compiled below links to most of the items that we use on a daily basis. You can also find more inspiration in my shop or on this wish list that I update pretty regularly. I hope you'll find them useful!
Linen
Natural and organic fabrics are on top of my list.
Accessories
Wood, glass and metal are not only durable but also beautiful!
This was the first time I hung eucalyptus in my shower. I read somewhere that it's the ultimate spa experience (the warm water makes the leaves release their refreshing scent). As I was stopping by a friend's shop, I saw that her eucalyptus branches were on sale, so I did not think twice. It was a fun new experiment. Have you ever tried it?
What are your favorite bath rituals? I'd love to hear them!
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