Burning Question: Bowled Over? Feeling Testy?
We saw two noteworthy uses for containers recently and we just had to get your read on them. This rustic character-riddled bowl was used in the bathroom of a fancy furniture store downtown to serve up their TP. I thought it was charming and quite easy to use but I can see how effortlessly rolling with one hand would be impossible. What do you guys think? Cute and creative or not practical enough for your taste?
And then there’s this little set of Dean & Deluca spices (we spied it in Savannah at The Paris Market) which struck us as charming thanks to the test-tube display cases. Think you guys could hit up an online science store (like this) and DIY this arrangement for your kitchen counter? Or is that a bit too much trouble to go through for paprika?
We’re itching to know what you guys think about these uniquely repurposed containers. Do tell.
And while we’re on the subject, here are some old posts about how we store TP and spices in our house. Ahhh, storage…
Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
I think the toilet paper in the bowl just looks odd. The spices look cute, but it would be virtually impossible to sprinkle out the desired amount without a shaker top.
I love the test tubes. My sister bakes a lot, so I could see her storing her vast collection of sprinkles in them.
The only thing about them is that you’d have to pour your spices/sprinkles into them, but then you’d have a bunch of little spice jars to find a place to store until the test tube needs refilling. I suppose you could put them in a box in the pantry, then bring them out whenever you need to refill something. It could even save cabinet space.
The paper holder is cute but not practical for me. And the test tubes are great looking. Only problem for me would be using them….gotta make sure you don’t pour too much out. Otherwise love the design & display of the spices. ;-)
I love the idea of the bowl to hold the TP, however, I would use it to hold the extra roll, not the roll in use.
I really love the idea of the test tubes for spices, however, I go through certain spices so fast it would end up being more of a hassle to fill them. On the other hand, it would be a great way to display spices or do up as a gift for a budding cook or with exotic spices for a foodie!
OK……..I am going to say NOT to the tp bowl. Very impractical.
As for spices……….I dig D’s idea @ All things G&D where she painted the inside of a cabinet door w/magnetic paint and got round containers at Bed, Bath & Beyond for her spices. Very cool. I am too impatient to deal with the small test tubes (but they do look cute).
I like your use of the huge crock for your rolls of wrapping paper the best for this kind of thing.
Test tubes are too much trouble…but very cute, maybe if you didnt use them all the time, but wouldnt you constantly be running out and filling them up? I dig the bowl of TP. BTW-you are a new “must read” for me, and I love you guys. Please keep it up…..forever.
Here’s a link to D’s spice idea:
http://allthingsgd.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-spice-cupboard.html
I love both ideas; however, all I can think about are the germs that will collect in the tube because people aren’t just going to unroll it from the bowl, they are going to pick it up. If you are going to have the spices sitting out on the counter-totally get them because they have an awesome look and design element, but if it they are going to be in the cabinet-too much trouble.
Toilet paper bowl? Maybe – if you don’t want to use one of the more “conventional” methods….
Test tubes for spices? YES! Adorable!
Toilet paper looks cute, but not cute enough to forego a roll that makes it much easier. Spices look cute too, but again…really not practical….you know those spices would be getting everywhere because corks are not easily pulled out and it wouldn’t be as easy to pour the spices out of those.
Maybe I’m just feeling curmudgeonly this morning, but … I don’t like the way the TP LOOKS, for starters, and I really REALLY hate the thought that every person who ever uses it has to touch … all of it.
*shudder*
And the spices look really cool, but I’m wondering how hard it would be to measure out what you need! I’m picturing myself trying to tap out a quarter teaspoon and ending up with more spice on the counter than in the measuring spoon!
(See? Maybe I’m just grouchy on this beautiful morning!)
personally i’m not a fan of having to actually handle the toilet paper, especially not in a public place, so i think the bowl, while a very nice IDEA isn’t very practical.
the test tube spices are adorable, but again, not very practical… think about trying to get the last of the paprika out from the bottom of one of those things without wasting it! bummer too, because they are really cute. maybe i’m just a naysayer, but practicality is a must for me…
I have a friend who is starting grad school for biomedical research, and I may just have to give her that spice rack as a present! It would definitely marry her love of science with her love of cooking!
I lvoe the test tube spice rack (it sure beats my boring tin spice rack as far as visual appeal goes) but I am not feeling the toilet paper in the bowl.
Although it’s aesthetically pleasing, it screams GERM FACTORY to me. The thought of everyone fumbling their into a bowl and man-handling the role of toilet paper gives me the willies. Especially in a public bathroom setting like a furniture store. Hand towels, maybe. Toilet paper? No thanks. Even though conventional role holders may be ho-hum and plain, I think they’re designed for minimal contact for a very good reason!
I think the test tube spice containers are super cute!! I love the look and they would be such a nice little design element in any kitchen.
My only concern would be the pouring/shaking of the spices…do you think it would be too messy, with such a big exit hole? LOL That’s the only issue I could think of.
The bowl is lovely, but I am afraid that for me bathrooms need to be completely practical and well engineered first for use, then aesthetically pleasing. This misses on the use issue.
I love the way the spices look but as a pretty serious cook, they wouldn’t be very easy to use–test tubes are not large enough to get measuring spoons in. If I had room on my counters, I might buy these though just for the looks–but I would be using my Penzey spices that are in my spice closet (reclaimed from an old ironing board cabinet in the kitchen).
I would set the bowl on the back of the toilet to hold extra TP, however I would NOT want it to be the “main” toilet paper there for use – that’s just unclean! Or so it seems :)
As for the spice tubes, I LOVE the way they look but don’t think they’d be the most practical thing if you used them often – I think you’d probably have to re-fill them constantly.
I really do like both ideas. But … isn’t there always a but … I would not do the tp in a bowl for everyday use. Perhaps a much larger bowl with 3 rolls, just for extra. But everyday would be too much trouble I think.
The spices I love. I’d do that if I had room on my counter. For the house I live in, I prefer mine up on the wall to get them off my limited flat space.
Great finds!
The TP bowl is a bit awkward. It would never work in my home; my husband would break the bowl! However, I could see the use if your bathroom was creatively antique-ish in style. Maybe it would be better to hold some fancy-schmancy bar soaps?
As for the test tube spices, I think it is great idea, if you have room to store the spices that way. As a person with a lack of kitchen space (Booo!), I find that the test tubes may be a bit tall. With the prospect of buying our first “official” home with a larger kitchen, I may just have to invest in some spicy test tubes!
Thanks for the tips, youngsters!
The test tube spices would just be too much trouble for me.
I like the idea of the bowl to store the spare roll of TP.
TP in the bowl? Not really into it. It’s not very practical.
I do however LOVE the test tube spice rack!Super cute. I’m not a huge cook, so I didn’t even think of some of the logistical issues that readers have already commented about.Even still, I love it and would totally give it a try.
I love the bowl for the TP as a storage container, but not for the dispenser. As for the spices. No. Way. I cannot be bothered to pull off a cork, then find some kind of landing spot for test tube. Perhaps for bead storage, but not for cooking.
The TP in the bowl is maybe a good idea in THEORY but not in PRACTICE. Better for a design house than a working bathroom.
As for the spice rack, I’m with a lot of folks – I love the idea! Especially when it’s done DIY!
I like Hannah’s idea of maybe using the bowl to hold the extra roll, but not really for the one in use. I would automatically think that there would be a lot of germs on it from people handling it.
The spice rack is cute!
tp in a bowl… yes for the spare roll, no for the roll in use. too unsanitary for my taste with all those hands touching the whole roll. ugh!
spices in test tubes – love the look, but think that getting a measuring spoon in there would be tough. Maybe good for the unmeasured stuff like peppercorns, decorative sugar and sprinkles though.
Okay, both ideas are different and cool-looking but these ideas are not things you LOOK at. They are things that you use and need to have functionality. I’m all for cool-looking and re-purposing… but somewhere ya just gotta draw the line so that “looks” don’t completely overtake function.
I like the bowl, but think it would work better if it was big enough for say 3 rolls at a time. And only at home… not so much in a public restroom.
Not a fan of the test tubes though – not only do they take up lots of precious conter space and would likely sit out in the sunlight, they don’t seem practical at all. You;d have to dig through to find your desired spice, they don’t seem to hold much, and refilling? No thanks!
okay the TP bowl… GUSH NO!!! In my minds eye I can guess how the paper against the bowl would feel and it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me! That out shines the impracticality.
The test tubes are super cute, but I cook everyday and I would have to be constantly refilling the tubes which would likely mean having MORE containers hidden somewhere else which would mean I was using double the storage space on one thing. Maybe if I only cooked once a month or something. It’s super cute though!
I HAVE the test tube rack, and it’s cute, but the test tubes are very fragile and not suitable for use, really. It looks nice sitting on the counter, though. :)
Apartment Therapy’s the Kitchn website had an entry about those test tube spices: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/projects/do-it-now-throwing-away-our-4yearold-spices-075708 I think their experience (esp. coming from someone who clearly spends some time in the kitchen) rules that spice rack out as just impractical.
Some people don’t keep the TP on the roller because they have pets or little kids that delight in unrolling the whole thing the moment they turn their back. ;) It could be a pretty alternative to hiding the roll on a shelf.
i don’t mind the roll bowl in a private residence but i prefer to not have the public’s grimy hands on anything that will touch my derriere.
I love the spice rack, just not sure about the ease of use of the caps.
I’m a certified nerd, so I think the test tube spice rack is pretty awesome. In fact, I often think while I’m in the lab that a lot of our glassware would be handy in the kitchen!
I am terrible about replacing tp on the roll… so the bowl is stinking uh-mazing. I think it’s clever enough that it hides my pure laziness. And speaking of laziness, the test tubes would be great for display, but a pain to set up yourself.
Agree with everyone who said NO to the public restroom toilet paper bowl (shudder). Having an extra roll/s handy for guests is a great idea (especially in the teenage daughters’ bathroom where the vanity has 14 of every health/beauty product…). Sherry and John’s glass container is great. We use a wire stand that holds four extra rolls.
The magnetic spice idea is great – IKEA has that, also. Guess it depends on how much of what you use, and how often.
I think Sherry’s brother Dan would find the spice rack highly appropriate, him being a chemist and all.
I love the spice idea. I actually have something really similar to that that my bff got me for Christmas. I like it but you can’t sprinkle from it.
The toilet paper in the bowl is just odd.
Yikes, no no no on that toilet paper bowl in a public place. As other have stated, all I can think of is lots of hands on the roll. Also, too easy to drop on a dirty floor. Might work for a home, but I’m not sold on it being stylish – looks more like an afterthought to me.
The spice rack is cute, but I’d pass because I could see myself hurriedly trying to open a container and launching spices all over the kitchen. I keep spices in a drawer, so they are out of sight but easy to get to.
Hmmm…the thought of touching a TP roll that dozens of other people have touched grosses me out just the tiniest bit. It does LOOK cool, though.
I think the spice test tubes are completely adorable. Maybe not overly practical, but totally cute. I recently did a spice reno (http://bellabluegrass.blogspot.com/2008/10/if-cupboards-could-talk.html), though, so I’ll have to hold off for a while.
For things I use every day they MUST be practical! I think the spices and the TP would be a lttle bit of a hassle.
And, I for one, like to keep extra TP rolls hidden.
No reason, just habit, I guess!
Neither are very practical. Being a pre-pharmacy student, the test tubes are dear to my heart, but very impractical for spices. I’d love to find a practical use for them, though!
My mom was gifted one of those Dean & Deluca test tube spice racks. She dutifully filled it with various spices.
And then it sat on the counter for years.
So I swiped it, thought I might put it to use.
Now it’s in my closet just gathering dust.
It looks super cool, but in my experience it’s one of those “great in theory, not so great in practice” ideas.
Design-wise, I think the look of both ideas are great. Function-wise, not so much. IMO, There is a fine line to ba had between making something look nice and making it functional.
Toilet Paper:
not my fav. it reminds me of the too-lazy-to-actually-put-the-new-roll-on-the-rod moments when the new roll gets stashed on top on the old one. I much prefer the free standing toilet paper holders if there isn’t one installed- they feel so fancy :) I had one that even had a spot under it for extra storage… oooooh
Test Tube Spices:
CUTE! and easy access… two possitives. buuuut I wonder how easy they would be to measure out of… does your measuring spoon fit in the tops? AND what do you do with the spices that don’t fit in the tubes? Do you toss the left overs? Wasteful :( Or store them with a tiny bit in the bottom? Space hogger… still cute though!
Have to say NO to both as well.
The TP just looks ridiculous and I agree – who wants all those hands on something in a public place that will be used in an, um, not so public place?
And while the test tubes are cute, I can see trying to get those stoppers off and spices flying all over the kitchen. Plus they just don’t hold enough to be practical if you really cook. They could be cute decor items in the right home holding unused or “pretty” spices like some dried lavender, etc…
My husband hates replacing a new roll, so he leaves the old one up, and just puts the new roll on the edge of the sink. I refuse to constantly replace it for him, but a bowl — genius! It would solve the problem and certainly be better than just leaving it sitting there on its own.
Um… No, with a capital N, to both. The toilet paper in a bowl looks tacky.
Ew! Holy germ breeding ground Batman!! It would work for the extra roll, but otherwise…ew! NO!
The test tubes are interesting, but too impractical for me. I like being able to sprinkle my herbs and spices through little shaker holes.
Yeah, TP in the bowl might be ok in your own master bath, but a huge nasty no no in a public restroom. I have to admit that when I’m in a public restroom, I always tear off a couple of squares and toss them in the toilet before wiping!! I know it might be wasteful, but I can’t help it.
The test tubes look cool, but not practical for a cook, especially one prone to breaking things.
Bowl TP storage- I don’t like touching things other dirty hands have touched. I am sure the center of that cardboard roll is so full of germs. I would rather use the bowl for soaps, seashells or rolled up washcloths.
Spices- I’m partial to shaker jars!