Hello, nail polish enthusiasts! We know you’re one of us—someone whose bathroom sink may be covered with a rainbow of those tiny glass bottles. Since organizing your nail care station can really level up your mani/pedi experience, we at Modernize want to share a few of our favorite solutions.

Nail Polish Into Art

One of our favorite organizational solutions is a hanging nail polish rack. You can purchase or build a few shelves to house your favorite colors—maybe the CND Shellac Art Vandal Collection that’s just coming out. Choose shelves that match your bathroom decor, or spring for a pop of accent color.

And don’t be afraid to get creative with shelving. Much like photo collages, you can find shelves that have a geometric style and actually create a work of art out of your favorite polishes. You can also find lazy-susan nail polish trays, perfect for spinning around to the color you need. This is a great solution if you’re implementing nail art and need several colors.

File Your Files

Once you’ve organized your favorite polish colors, it’s time to find a solution for nail care tools. If you’re like us, you probably have several sizes of nail clippers, files, buffer boards, cuticle clippers, and cuticle gels. Strewn out across the counter, those small items can take up a lot of room and cause clutter.

Luckily, you can get creative when organizing and tie into your bathroom decor. Antique cans can be repurposed to use as jars to store files and clippers. These cans can add a retro aesthetic to your design. You can also store nail care items in a decorative box with a latch. The latch will keep the contents contained if you accidentally knock the box off the counter (or if you have a pet!) Decorative boxes come in plenty of different sizes and patterns—you can usually find them at craft stores or in the gift wrap section.

If your nail care accessories are decorations in themselves, go for clear, tinted, or painted mason jars and store your accessories in the open. Pack mason jars with cotton balls and Q-tips, and set them on the vanity — or hang them on the wall!

Lights, Mirrors, Action

You need great lighting in your mani/pedi station, especially if you’re getting into more intricate nail art. It can be difficult to attach crushed shells, rhinestones, or nail glitter flakes if you can’t see what you’re doing. We recommend vanity-style lighting around a large mirror to boost up the glam factor. You could also spring for overhead track lighting with soft bulbs. Just avoid fluorescents!

Alternatively, you could choose a small, adjustable lamp to shine light on each area where you work to get a better view. Make sure you have a vanity mirror so you can see how great you look!

When it comes time to dry the paint, pick up one of our UV gel nail lamps and a pair of anti-UV fingerless gloves. This will keep your skin safe, and your mani will be done in no time! Store your drying accessories in a drawer, or set up a station to feel like you’re in a real nail salon!

This article and its content was provided by the staff at Modernize. The views and opinions expressed within this post are those of the author alone and do not represent Esther’s Nail Center. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.