This post comes under the category of “I can’t believe I’m writing this”, but when I hosted Q&A Day on ASPTL, my reader, Beverly, asked “What’s on the back of your toilets?”. The question cracked me up and I told her I would turn her question into a post.
I fall into the category of utilitarian decorator when it comes to the potty. That means, no shaggy potty covers, no baskets of fake flowers, no bathing beauty figurines. For me, it’s all about the essentials in that area of the house. And there’s really only one essential when it comes to the potty. Toilet paper. Lots of toilet paper.
But practical and functional can still be pretty.
My first floor powder room has this lidded basket that I purchased from Pottery Barn at least 8 years ago. A few weeks ago, I dressed it up with a starfish..hot glued, of course.
And the upstairs bathroom has this $1.99 Goodwill basket that I dressed up with a big seashell.
The master bathroom is, by far, my favorite…It’s a vintage milk basket that I’ve repurposed. Don’t you think that it makes my TP oh-so-chic?
There you have it. The burning question has been asked and answered. Now let’s talk potties. I’ve shown you mine. What’s on the back of yours?
Do you need some storage ideas for your bathroom? Check out these…
A peg rail behind the sink for extra storage ~ housetohome
A solution for kids and towels (Love this!!!) ~ Pretty Organized Palace
Control the clutter IN the shower ~ min hus
Medicine cabinet makeover with DIY instructions here ~ girl meets home
Bathroom bedlam with toilet paper modern art ~ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
{ 65 comments }
I have nothing on my potty, but I do have a basket on the floor with toilet paper on it. I grew up with the shaggy stuff and thought I needed it when I got married. I am happy to share that I outgrew that decorating phase
These Three Pictures Get A YES…YES…AND YES…
So simple but what a WOW reaction!
Hehe. Potty decorations. Nice ones, though!
You are too funny.
I have a basket, too, holding toilet paper. Not anything of my own creativity, but something I saw in one your posts a long time ago
I got my basket at Target, and it was supposed to be a CD holder basket, but it holds toilet paper beautifully 
Thanks, Kimba! You really did it! I hope to get a lot of inspiration from this post-LOL.
I am not brave enough to show a picture of my potty and it's usually covered with the last towel someone used for a shower or some creative things from my daughter's life.
However…I recently started writing a Bible study based on the Ladies Room…now how weird it that…check it out on my blog..there's a button on the side that will link to all the posts I've written so far.
I wish my bathrooms could look pretty! I haven't trained my men yet.
I have a pretty basket that it just collecting dust and now I know what to do with it!!
Thanks!!!
I love what you did! I'm definitely going to have to do this in our powder bath, where we have no cabinets.
I'm generally anti having anything on top of the toilet, but your baskets make it oh so pretty!
Nice touch; not too much. I'm not too big on decorating the bath that my guest use. These are simple. thank you,
Hey, Beverly asked me that question too when I posted about my master bath update!
Love your baskets, and for the record, that's what I have on the lid of my toilets too!
A bowl of cat food…really…but it is necessary.
m ^..^
This is great!
No joke, I had a post like this scheduled for later this week…I called it "toilet scaping" and I thought I was clever.
My pedestal sinks=no cabinet storage, so we are strictly toilet paper and Kleenex on our potties over here.
how funny. i have a confession. flowers! but pretty-i promise! propped up in a glass vase with river stones. the guest BR downstairs has a single candle. TP is on a floor stand from TJMaxx (love it)
I have a box of Kleenex on the back of each potty. But, after seeing these pretty baskets, that may have to change!
Oh Kimba, you cracked me up this morning. I almost spit my watermelon out that I was eating. I am all about funcitonal too. So there is TP, and lots of it as well in something functional and decorative, but the kicker here is that the bathroom in our house may be the only place where we get five minutes of peace alone. So, we also "literature" to read as well.
Like the potty ideas. I have a wooden tray on the back of one of mine, with a pretty little bottle of air freshener. You know, we could have a "Potty Party" we have had everything else. Your Potties are great! Jackie
Oooh, ahhhhh
. I actually have to say I loved this post. It's one of those where you smack yourself on the forehead and say "Why didn't I think of that?! Pretty TP storage on the toilet…duh!". Seriously, you enlightened me today.
xx – AnNicole
I am embarrassed to admit it, but the back of our potty is where the cat's water bowl resides. It's about the only place in the house where the dogs can't reach.
ok now I know what to do with the 12 locker room baskets I got at a yard sale (http://theecklife.blogspot.com/2009/06/yet-another-garage-sale.html
they will now house my TP!!!! thanks KIMBA!!!
I love the third basket!!
I enjoyed this. I enjoyed the comments too. I had no idea the the back of the toilet was a place for cats, neat!
We have a conch shell on one, extra paper roll on one…now I'm going to look for a container for it. Thanks for the idea!
In my 21 yr. old's bath, I notice he tends to have tissue, an extra roll, and or air freshener.
I just love that basket…, and I'm always amazed what a little bit of hot glue can accomplish!
I love your baskets especially the last one. I too have baskets over my toilet but they hold bath cloths instead of toilet paper. I just roll the cloths into thirds and they are so cute!
I also have the essentials on my potty, pretty essenials. The essential part is a candle to burn, because, well…you know what happens in a potty. :0) The pretty part is a silver tray to set the candle on, which is also functional because I don't want the candle setting on slick porcelain and sliding off while it's burning and lighting my potty room on fire. Unless, it slid off into the potty itself. Then it would just extinguish and I would have to pull broken glass out of said potty. And really, who wants to risk that. So, in summary, I have a pretty functional candle on a pretty silver tray, surrounded by pretty pearl beads (just to take up space) on the back of my potty. Thanks for asking!
I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Love it!
Hey Kimba! In my half bath I keep the toilet paper in an old farmouse basket on a shelf. I love it! And if a guest should ever happen to run out, there's no need to panic…they can see where extra rolls are…no problem!
you are so fun. wish you lived closer and our boys would play!
I'm cracking up!! Love it! I have a cute tole painted can BESIDE the potty that holds the TP!! It can hold up to 8 roles!! Pretty cool!
The back of the potty is another story! I have a cute black partylite cage thingie candle holder there. And I did have a darling cut glass vase with a plant rooting in it until hubby knocked it on the floor with the back of the lid! He asked how long had it been there!! Bless his heart!
Hugs,
susan
It is always nice to have a little ambiance in the reading room. It helps you to relax and take care of buisness.
I love everything you are doing with those seashells! so pretty!
Oh, I just LOVE all your ideas! Every time I come to your blog I have such a hard time being patient and waiting until my hubby and I can settle down in a home of our own!!
I must say I've never seen more chic toilet paper.
One of things I've always loved about FlyLady is that she says that nothing says "I love you" like plenty of toilet paper. Ain't it the truth?
We have similar toilet decor styles.
We have a lined basket on top of the downstairs toilet with TP. Keepin' in simple. 
Love all of those baskets and they look wonderful! I love how the starfish on the first basket look, Thanks for sharing! I am off to find a basket for my toilet now, lol!
Kimba, this post is priceless! Do you realize that now baskets with toilet paper in them will be springing up in houses across the country bc of this post? I've got a basket on the top of my one toilet. Yes, one toilet. It's holding books/magazines because besides tp…the other essential is reading material…at least my hubby thinks so. And I got tired of trying to find a place to house all his "material" in our tiny bathroom.
you have some very chic TP!
We don't have anything on top of our potties.
Love the simple & classic!
I like your storage solutions for the TP. I keep mine stored in enamelware lidded potties which are closeby the toilet. On the back of my toilet, I have a vintage serving tray which holds a creamer and sugar stuffed with cotton balls; also, some hair products and body lotion are on the tray as well.
Nancy
I have a pink cloth on the back of mine, but nothing functional. I really need to find something like this. I especially love the milk basket. Thanks for the great inspiration!
I like to store extra TP in the cabinet next to the toilet. The back of our toilets have nothing on them. Honestly that I what I like. I don't like when my bathroom gets too cluttered.
4 pottys and not a thing on the back of them. No furries on them either. I do like your baskets though.
I'm an extreme potty minimalist. Nothing more exciting than a candle for me, although I do have extra TP in a basket close by.
I never thought I'd say this.
I love a potty party !
Downstairs where guests use the facilities, I have some tissue and an Eiffel Tower. Oooh la la. Upstairs, where no one is looking? Nada. How boring am I?
YES – I am SO laughing. I have been gone all day, so I didn't check my blog AT ALL and come home to find everyone being exposed to my bedlam. AH – SO proud of that first impression.
hee hee
I loved the peg rail idea and that I learned the proper way to include the world whilst.
I am currently sewing a painters drop cloth into a curtain. Fingers crossed.
Covered some books with sheet music today. Lovin it!
love your beachy baskets. my grandson came up with an idea for tp storage & i've posted about it today. he's only 4 1/2 but i think he's pretty creative.
blessings -
randee
Oh, I love the starfish on the basket!!! I have a basket that holds tissues and two rolls of TP. Bought from Plow & Hearth. Since I have a bunch of shells in this bathroom, I should try out your idea. TFS!!
I love the simple baskets with the beach items glued on (I'm a hot glue maniac as well). Thanks for the idea… I have a guest room toilet just aching for a basket on top!
Yes, but how does the midget decorate her potty???
OK, seriously…I just took down the tp holder yesterday to put the tp in a cute little basket in our powder room! Love it! Love yours!! But where is the tp for the midget? (You can delete these if you want.) Evil cackle…HA!!
We have white wire baskets in both bedrooms.
Love it Kimba! My favorite is the wire basket too.
Blessings,
Marie
http://emmacallsmemama.com
I love your name.. Kimba…
I use a wire basket on the back of my masterbath potty, to store the TP.
I have a big painting leaning on mine…but with 4 boys using that bathroom, I think it will soon be heading for "higher ground"!
Thanks for helping us all remember that even our potties can be pretty!
Can you tell me where you get your finger starfish? I can't find them anywhere!
I have a potty post today too, and there is a picture of the back of my potty. Although I didn't realize I was taking a picture of the potty, I thought I was taking a picture of the wall behind the potty! Too funny!
Cute ideas! I alway like to keep some sort of basket w/ an extra roll on the back on my toilet. I also like to make sure it's something that can be cleaned and santitized! So, I switched to a metal basket…for whatever crazy reason it seems more sanitary. I'm weird.
I always love coming and visiting your blog. I don't always leave comment love, but I always love it.
I like your baskets.
I have a lidded basket on the back of the master bathroom potty (the basket is supposed to hold cds or something like that)…except mine holds "feminine products."
The children's bathroom has nothing on the back of the toilet. The downstairs powder room currently sports a flushable wet wipes container. Not exactly high fashion!
~ Sarah
I lie awake at night wondering who in the world thought up toilet toupee's. Not.
And how fitting that this is a toilet paper post…I woke up this morning STILL laughing about your email. : )
BTW, love that basket with the starfish on it. It would nicely hold the 1,349 magazines that are now on the back of my toilet.
LOVE the starfish idea! They sell nice, big white starfish at a store in the shore house town for two bucks and I was looking for something to do with it. Looks like I've found an idea!
Very cute potty decor!! Love that it's pretty and functional!
Hi Kimba,
Thanks for including a link to my shower storage post! I'm glad to have found your blog.
I'm not big on bathroom clutter either, but I do have some sea glass on the back of the toliet (the TP is in the cabinet and you can never have too much!).