Bathroom windowsills are a nice little space sitting below a big natural light source. They’re often a magnet for clutter, but, with a little thought, they can be turned into an attractive feature in the room, with the window acting as a frame to draw attention to pretty glass bottles, nice storage containers, leafy plants or colourful flowers. So take a fresh look at yours, and make it both a beautiful and practical element in your bathroom.
Style an eclectic display
Start by taking everything off your windowsill and only putting things back that look good in order to create a beautiful display. Everything needs to be steam-resistant (or for you not to worry if it gets a bit wilted from the atmosphere) and relatively low level, so as not to block the light. Plants are a good choice to add a softness to the space.
Line up beautiful glass bottles
Decant all your less-than-pretty supermarket toiletries into pretty glass bottles and display them on the windowsill – the light filtering through them will makes the glass look lovely, especially if you choose coloured glass.
Another way of enjoying coloured glass, especially if you have space elsewhere for those toiletries, is to collect old bottles, as the pale green or rich amber brown looks attractive in any setting. Add a sprig of eucalyptus in an open bottle for a decorative touch; it will give off a lovely scent, too.
Fill it with flowers
This classy flourish of green blooms looks wonderfully elegant here, and practically fills the slim windowsill, removing the temptation to pile it full of toothbrush cups, moisturisers or heaps of jewellery.
Though the owners have gone for maximum foliage here, little light has been blocked out thanks to the large but transparent glass vase, which also gives the flowers all the space they need; in small bathrooms, the temptation can be to pile flowers into a long, thin vase, which then gives the constant impression that it might topple over. Low and wide, if you have room, is a chic alternative.
Corral everything on trays
If you want to have lots of little bottles or knick-knacks out on the windowsill, buy a tray that fits neatly in the space and put everything on it. This creates a smart display and keeps everything together, so it looks considered.
Try not to overload the tray, so everything will be on hand yet look neat. If you’re struggling to fit everything, have more than one tray. Another option is to use small baskets, as these disguise the contents a bit more, which is good if the bottles aren’t as nice to look at. Just don’t stuff things in until they overflow!
Add some extra storage
If you have a habit of piling things on the windowsill, add some storage instead, so you can keep the sill clear or use it for display, while at the same time being able to access your belongings easily. An open storage cart beneath or next to the window is ideal.
Extend the area
If the windowsill is your chosen storage space, push a small table of the same height up to it to extend the space forwards, creating a useful area. This way, you don’t have to squeeze everything onto a tiny ledge, but can spread out perfumes and potions and make the window even more of a focal point.
A slim chest of drawers or even a bookcase would work equally well. Make it a pretty piece of furniture, though, so it really makes a feature of the area.
Use clear glass for an airy feel
Keep colours on your windowsill to a minimum, restricting yourself to clear glass, white and pale colours, and the effect will be airy and peaceful. It’s a gentle display that makes the area look considered without demanding too much attention. Clear glass storage is perfect for keeping everything in order while letting you see what’s what – cotton wool looks much nicer in a jar than in a plastic bag, for example.
For storage, try vintage jam jars (coat the lids with white spray paint if you like) or, for a more modern alternative, use sleek acrylic boxes (some office storage items are ideal – simply replace paper clips with earrings!). Arrange your containers nicely, with gaps in-between groups to maintain a relaxed feel.
Add personality
A clean, contemporary bathroom like this could easily feel wonderful to use but short of character. The simple addition of a trio of colourful wooden figurines (these ones are midcentury classics, to boot) is a nice way to pep things up personality-wise.
Lots of small-scale pieces on a large sill like this one could look bitty and messy, but it’s the restraint and uniformity that makes it work. For a similar effect, and to stop a windowsill looking cluttered, work with a group of items that go together, either by type or by colour, rather than a disparate collection of loved objects.
Drop it down
To keep your windowsill utterly unobscured, try this trick if you have the space. A ledge just beneath it may be something you need to install to conceal pipework. If so, raise it to the height you require and make it deep enough to stash towels (folded nicely, of course). This way, you won’t lose a centimetre of light flooding in.
Make it longer
In a compact bathroom, any level surface gets things put on it, which is why a sill gets cluttered. Why not fit a ledge to extend the windowsill from wall to wall, which will not only make the room look bigger, but also add a really useful storage element that can be a design feature, too?
Boxed-in pipes are normally only about 20cm off the floor, but if you’re doing a renovation, consider extending the boxing upwards, and a shelf will naturally form at the top. This gives a neat appearance and it’s much more modern than the traditional boxing-in. You could also create a cubbyhole in the “wall” to carve out even more storage – but don’t let this get cluttered instead!
Source: Houzz
