When regarding simple pleasures the bathroom is a large area of focus for Lady Raven because so much of a relaxing nature takes place there. Unfortunately many bathrooms are cluttered, stressful and soggy due to poor or uncreative strategies in decor. Towels are a large contributor to the problem and Lady Raven has some ideas which will help other than putting the towels in the hamper after each use.

A Hide a Rack

This is simple and cheap. Purchase a spring loaded shower curtain rod and attach behind the shower curtain in the bathtub. It can be just behind the shower curtain or along the back wall. It can be placed high up on the tub or down lower. It is a flexible option based on what is needed and who is using it. I personally keep the towels up high and then the washcloths, scrubbies and bathmat on a lower one.

B Ladder Towel Rack.

This works best with a ladder with round rungs. You can use only one side and prop or mount it up against a wall outside the tub, against inside the tub, or you can attach over the door hooks and hang it over the bathroom door. If using both sides, it can be opened normally and used as a decorative country style rack. You can paint it to match your decor, attach hooks for back brushes and scrubbies and place baskets underneath it to hold hygiene items, tub toys or bath bubbles. I do not recommend storing paper goods here for obvious reasons.

C. The Monster Rack

Named after the Discovery Channel show, but not a creation of the staff of the show.

In reality the design of this rack is flexible, adjustable to meet your needs. I will provide the basic guidelines and you will design it to suit your preferences.

This rack can be tall and at a steep incline or short and squat. It can be 2 feet from one side to the other or 10. The basic principles will be the same for all variations. If designing the item to fit against a wall, it will have a straight back. The front will always be sloped to allow the towels air flow for better drying. You will have two side pieces and some connectors for the frame and 3-6 doweling rods to hang the towels from. You will decide whether you desire an open or closed frame or how ornate the dowels should be and how to attach the dowels to the frame. You will decide if you want a container for the bottom for storage, if that would be open or closed and if you plan to hang any items off the sides.

My first model is very crude and fashioned sort of like a saw horse. The sides are open, the back straight or slanted outward and the dowels secured to the boards with screws. Here is a rough sketch of my first rack design.

My second model was more elaborate, I had learned how to operate some power tools and took more time on the design. It is now worthy of being a prominent item in the bath area. The back is attached to the sides with nails and wood glue. The sides, back, front and lid are all a solid pc of wood as is the bottom. The sides, back and front all have designs carved out of the wood with a jigsaw. The doweling rods have decorative finials on the ends and are kept on the rack by curtain rod hooks. The lid is hinged to the back with a handle and it is all stained or painted to match the bathroom.

I�ve used the same basic design to create bench seats with storage for a family room and for a quilt storage rack. I've even designed a cloud patterned one for a baby's bedroom.

Hints for making the rack:

Keep two basic shapes in mind, an "A" or a right triangle. Mitre edges at the end points. For the A frame they will be mitred at 45 degrees.

Make sure to use semi gloss paint or a good stain and then seal it with a water resistant seal, since it will be used to hang towels.

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