Combining the beautiful and the practical

 A recent piece of home advice I heard was, if you only have a small budget for decor items, choose elegant versions of practical items you need to buy anyway. Bathroom trash cans, broom/dustpan sets, butter dishes... it might cost slightly more to buy a nicer-looking version, but then you have something that adds rather than detracts from the decor if/when it shows, and you feel good about it when you use it.

As a sort-of minimalist who constantly aims for efficiency (of money, space, and men...