Fanatic Feedback – Storage Solutions
A few weeks back I got you to share your “number” with the group. Now the question is, what do you do with all those bottles?
You’ve seen my polish room and the storage cabinet I use (below) but now I’ve outgrown it. So I’m looking for a whole new system or expansion method and I’d love to know what you’re using.
Share your favorite containers, cabinets, shelves, etc in the comments. If you could link to pics or e-tailers where I can buy, that would be great. I look forward to seeing all your creative solutions.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
Have you thought of doing spice rack storage in the cabinets? That way it's open, but each polish is on a different level so you can see them all. Something like this: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=18900446&itemIndex=2&CATID=185&PRODID=10016112 But you may have to go to an actual display wholesaler to find a lot for a better price.
Hi Michelle:
I posted a comment on your recent ALU Archives post. I have only about 45 polishes, so I don't have to worry about storage
But, I do have an idea for you:
I think you have a great system, just make it larger! This might work for 3 brands (Label each drawer a brand, have one for supplies like files, cuticle sticks, etc. and one for creams, cuticle treatments etc. and an other drawer) Here's the link: http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html?Section=Storage&ProductCategory=155# I'm not too sure where you could buy this, though, sorry.
I hope I was at all helpful. Also, do you have any suggestions for a MAC polish? I want a Zoya and an RBL polish, but I better purchase a MAC one first, since nobody where I live sells Zoya or RBL.
Good luck!
DWJ – That’s a cool idea. I never would have thought of a tiered rack. Though I don’t know how long I could keep them organized or avoid knocking bottles over. It’s something to think about though.
Emily – I love those drawers. That’s where my polish collection first lived. I have three sets of them for my non-polish beauty products. They’re great but because they’re so tall, I feel like they’re wasted space for polish. If they made bigger cabinets with shorter drawers, I’d be on it.
This might sound weird but you could use Benno’s from Ikea. They’re shallow and have loads of storage space and shelves so you could organize by colour or brand. The Morebo doors are cute too if you want to cover them.
If my collection were bigger I’d have walls of white Bennos filled with nail polish organized by colour. A girl can dream. Ahhh.
I’m sure you must already know this, but a lot of MUA Nailboarders like the Helmer from IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40107872
They say it holds 500 polishes, and honestly, $40 isn’t too bad when you consider the cost of that many plastic shoeboxes.
I have a far smaller stash – about 100 – which I keep on three 60-polish display racks from H2T (http://www.head2toebeauty.com/furniture_equipment/edt.htm), with room to add or move polishes around. Not really cost-effective for very large collections, tho.
Here’s an amazing picture of Helmers in action:
http://www.makeupalley.com/m_90432493
Amanda – I never thought of using something like the CD tower from IKEA or adding doors. That’s pretty brill. I wish we had an IKEA here in the Cleveburg. Someday… *sigh*
Rachi99 – I’ve been eying the Helmers for a while. Thanks for the link to Giggles’ pic. Seeing her collection makes me feel sane.
I’m going to be in Detroit next weekend so I’ll probably hit up IKEA and make some kind of purchase.
I use a Christmas decoration box for my storage… one of those that hold about 16 decoration on each level, and you can add levels to it. This way I can keep collections together in each little “square” of the box.
Here’s my storage ‘temporary solution,’ since we are going to be moving soon and hopefully I will have more space. I use totes from the dollar store and sephora’s gift boxes when ordering from online.
Good Luck!
Helmers (as the above poster said) are awesome. They’re neat and organized, and can store quite a bit at once. I personally use Helmers as well
I have a very similar set up, but I coordinate by colors, as opposed to brands (or at least it’s what it looks like…) Pinks, Reds, Blues, Blacks, Purples, etc. I really like it when I paint my nails because I’ll just be like ‘what color do I want today?’ and go from there.
It is very interesting question. but when when the review of new OPI collection?!
My collection is still quite manageable, so I can use the door shelves of my fridge! I’ve got it into my head that cold is good for them. =)
i used to have a great storage solution – it was a duffel bag that was about 4 foot high that was full to the top with all my polishes and supplies. it was like a lucky dip! my friend and i would tip it out and scrabble around on the floor to choose colours.
i’ve scaled back now and only have a manageable amount of polishes, which i also keep in a little drawered cabinet. but the duffel bag was fun (and quite messy)
I use a couple different things for my storage: there’s one of those clear acrylic display racks like they have at salons, a couple shoe boxes filled, and some of those Sterlite boxes as well. I really like my rack and would love to get more. I’d need one, maybe two in order to display all my colors. There’s only a couple hundred bottles in my collection, tops though.
Wow, i would have expected a comment like that from cafe, but not from you Michelle. Nice.
Amy (giggles) – that wasn’t meant as a slam. I meant that seeing pics of a collection as large as mine makes me feel better about having so many polishes. I’m sorry that you took it the wrong way but that’s not how it was intended. If anything, you know that I’m not the type to bring negativity to my blog. If I had an issue with how many polishes you own, I would say it to you directly, not in some snide comment here.
Love this post – I learnt so much from the replies! I also enjoyed seeing your stash again.
Sorry to say I don’t have some ingenious organization method, but I just had to comment on your vast collection – quite impressive
Oh, Girl, look how nice and neat you are! Everywhere in my house I seem to encounter nail polish bottles! Kitchen drawers and everthing! LOL
To this day, I haven’t found a good solution that I’m happy with. So, in the meantime I found these stackable plastic pull out drawers that’s the size of a shoe box. It fits about 45-50 bottles per drawer and retails around 5 bucks each. For now, I’ll keep dreaming for that perfect organizer
I’m currently having luck with storing my polish after comandeering my boyfriend’s DVD/Video/Bookshelf that’s in his living room… I love those tiered spice racks in the first comment up there and I think if I combined the bookshelf shelves (they’re adjustable) with the spice racks, it would be a great solution. Right now my naipolishes are two or three deep and it’s hard to see the ones in the back when I’m picking a color… and there are only about 50 in there. Here’s a couple pics of the shelves I’ve taken over… ignore the rest of our junk!
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/9161/polish1.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9972/polish2.jpg
Some were posting the Ikea Helmer – if you want to see it getting put together it’s on youtube:::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhKXzYnmuxg
Cute size!
I just store my so far small collection in my cuboard.
i have just about 90 bottles and i have them on a display rack like they use at the salon and it works but i don’t have room so another bottle so if i order anymore i need another rack but after that i’m out of room. so now i must pace myself on the polish buying