Kartell’s 13-Inch-Wide Storage Unit Hides All My Bathroom Clutter (Including Extra TP)
It’s just as great in a bedroom—or anywhere, really.
Published Feb 21, 2023 1:00 AM
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When you’re a family of three (four, if you include our cat, Charlie), a floating vanity and a medicine cabinet aren’t going to cut it for bathroom storage. I could have hung a few shelves, but that would’ve required having not-so-pretty stuff out in the open—no thanks. Luckily, we have enough floor space for something freestanding, and nothing beats Kartell’s Componibili collection.
Componibili Bio Storage Unit by Kartell
Designed by the cofounder of Kartell, Anna Castelli Ferrier, in 1969, the storage unit is a common fixture in Domino home tours to this day, and for good reason: It has practically endless uses, doesn’t scream utilitarian, and works wonderfully in small spaces. The classic comes in a variety of glossy colors, but I went with the Bio version, which is made of 80 percent agricultural by-products and available in a range of subtler, matte pastels. It’s also recyclable if we decide we no longer need it (although I don’t see that happening anytime soon).
It might be less than 13 inches in diameter, but my cream-colored, three-tier style holds more than you’d think: toilet paper rolls in the bottom drawer, extra bottles of things like shampoo and nail polish remover in the middle, and beauty products I don’t use every day in the top. Its sliding doors disappear into the sides rather than swing out, so it’s never in the way.
My favorite part about the Componibili, though, is that it elevates my otherwise standard-issue rental bathroom; it gives it personality. That’s hard to do without something big and permanent like paint or wallpaper. All it takes in this case is styling the storage unit with a plant, a candle, and some of my favorite lipsticks; the raised edge ensures nothing will fall off accidentally. Of course, with a piece this versatile, that’s not the only way to approach it—here are a few other ways to use a Kartell Componibili.
A Mini Vanity
Chillhouse founder Cyndia Ramirez doubled up on the Componibilis in her Manhattan apartment—one three-drawer, one two-drawer—to help her get a handle on her ever-growing beauty product stash. On top, she leaves out the fragrances, makeup, and oils in current rotation.
A Nightstand
It might officially be called a storage unit, but the Componibili is really the perfect bedside table, as shown in Londoner Gabriella Khalil’s home. The three-tier version is just the right height and compact enough to slide into the narrowest of spots, while providing more than enough room for nighttime essentials (and anything you want to hide from guests in a snap).
An Extra Surface Anywhere
Think of the two-drawer Componibili as a (very hardworking) pedestal for whatever you want to spotlight at the moment. In Popup Florist founder Kelsie Hayes’s case, that’s a pair of sunny blooms in individual bud vases.
