Because I’m OCD, I’ve always purchased items in sets. Dinnerware? I need 12. Sheets? Gotta have the fitted, flat, and pillowcases. I was no different with towels. I had to have 2 washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels for each color. Well, I’ve decided it’s not worth it. We rarely use wash cloths. And certain colors of towels we use more often. Getting the main bathroom functional has made me rethink my old ways. I’ve been craving more color and pattern, so I’ve switched methods. Rather than buying a complete set of something, and not using all of it, I’m going to buy what I use and like. Not limiting myself to a set.
What spurred this revalation? Pretty towels at TJ Maxx. While the hand towels are pretty, I don’t want to pay $7 or more per towel for a matching set. So, I bought one hand towel. I brought it home and happily hung it in the bathroom.
And then I realized, I kind of bought two towels. You see, when flipped over, more of the white is exposed, making it look different.
A few days later, while browsing through World Market, I spotted a gray and coral floral towel. Perfect color combo, so I brought one home. The front has more gray than coral.
But the back has more pizzaz, and flashing the colorful coral made me smile.
When in Minnesota, I do as the Minnesotans do; shop at Target. For some reason, Minnesota Targets have slightly different stock. I couldn’t help throwing a gray and coral towel in the cart along with a fun yellow pillow to toss on the couch.
So excited to see what the new towels look like in the bathroom. Still haven’t found nice navy towels.
What’s your towel policy? Do you prefer matching sets? Or single fun towels for an eclectic look?
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Getting away from sets too – or maybe buying 2 sets that can be mixed together. Though I rarely use washclothes, I bought some in different colors at TJ Maxx, rolled them up and stuck them upright in a small plant holder or basket. That way if I need one, it’s handy.
Hi Barbara!
I love mixing a solid set with a patterned set. And, keeping essentials handy makes life so much easier.
Thanks!
Amanda
i’m totally a white towel girl. i get all excited at the idea of a fun pattern or even just a stripe, but when it comes down to buying, i just can’t do it. sigh. thank heavens for beach towels where i can get my fun fix!
Me too Holly! I go for all white, and then they all match, always. If one gets tatty and I have to throw it out, no worries. Also, I love I can wash them all together, with bleach if needed. Anything to make my life simple (but I agree that colors seem tempting!)
Hey Holly,
In some ways, I agree about the white towels. For that same reason, we have white sheets. But white towels seem so daunting to keep clean after daily use. What’s the best/easiest way to keep white towels clean?
Thanks!
Amanda
for towels, i use liquid tide with downy built in and a scoop of oxyclean detergent. i wash on the hottest setting. towels come out bright white and fluffy and fresh. if a towel starts to look grubby, it gets demoted to the rag bag and i can replace just one at a time, which is nice on the pocketbook. my favorites are from restoration hardware (so plush), but most of my stash comes from target.
I love the new towels you chose! I recently bought new bath sheets and hand towels (I never buy washcloths) and ended up getting the matching set in 3 different colors. Thankfully they were on sale haha I do like the “buy what you like” thinking though – much easier on the wallet 🙂
I’ve always grown up with mismatched towels. You know, the fun patterned ones only sold in summer for the beach? Those. 🙂 As they were slowly dying off, I started buying one set of each colour that I liked: bath, hand & face. Easier to identify when we have guests.
But having furnished my linen closet with enough sets for guests…I so don’t have a problem buying ‘just one’ towel of any size b/c I liked the pattern/colour.
I grew up with mismatched towel, and right now I have mismatched towels. I hope to change this as soon as I am able to…I need to decorate the house!
I’m a matching set person. Each bathroom has a two different colored towels. I did see some fun towels at target but the thought of mismatching pains my OCD heart.
I’m shocked that your family doesn’t use washcloths! My husband and I average like 6 a day between washing our faces in the morning, after work, and then showering. Seriously we have 20+ in our bathroom and we run out every week.
After years of colored and fading towels, I have gone all white. I like white because I can bleach them and then they are crisp and clean again (not every washing, but probably once a month). I’m with Amy, with two teenagers who are always washing their faces, we go through 8-10 white washcloths per day. They even have their own little hamper since they get thrown in wet (the washcloths, not the teenagers!). Hope that’s not too gross!
I’m not a fan of the matchy matchy action. I like what I like and that’s it. What I really like though are bath sheets, not towels. I have a large football coaching husband and regular towels can barely fit around him. He’s big, but not fat and regular towels almost look like hand towels on him. I really like them too because there just seems to be something more cozy about them.
I like Spring Towels, Fall Towels and Christmas Towels!!
As far as bath towels and washcloths go, I always buy white but when it comes to hand towels, they are usually on the counter or hanging on a hook for everyone to see, so I usually buy pretty colors and patterns.
A few years ago I invested in all white towels for our one bathroom. I love how they look and the ease to bleach them when necessary. I do like the thought of a different colored hand towel and will probably getting something fun next time I’m out shopping.
I buy guest towels that are a matching complete set that coordinate with the guest bathroom. However, the daily normal towels are completely mismatched. Best of both worlds?
I love that you got two towels in one! I have three of the yellow pillow that you got at Target…so cute and such a great deal!
Hi Erica,
Isn’t that awesome?!? I love those pillows. So glad you got three. 🙂
Thanks!
Amanda
I’m usually a matchy-matchy set person, but with something like hand towels it can be so fun to hop outside the box every now and then! 🙂
Hey Amanda! The coral is beuatiful…Great pick, I def see gold and coral being the colors of 2013 :). I have the geometric pattern (from Marshals) hanging in the bathroom on hooks that I got from Lowes that we were able to stick card stock with our names on them. Its so cute and functional. I have a bowling alley bathroom so its hard to decorate so this way I was able to decoayrate and stay functional. I coordinated with solid tan towels that I get on sale at Target (apt 9) on black Frididay for like $2 a piece. I love decorative tea towls and bathroom towels, but I have color coordinated because I would catch the hubs cleaning his car with a new bathroom towel 😦 so now he knows that if the towel is tan its not a scrub towel. I purchased the Clorox kitchen towels with a tan stripe for the kitchen and I am so impressed with them! 🙂
pretty sure those towels are all awesome!!! As I commented before about your storage box redo, I LOVE coral… I’m actually going to share a coral accessory I bought yesterday in the next couple of days on the blog. 🙂
Honestly, I totally have to admit to getting some of each – towel, washcloth, hand towel, etc. It’s bad. Most of the time we never use the washclothes, and two towels per person in the house hold is plenty! You’ve definitely got me rethinking my towel issues!
2 years ago I found really nice navy towel’s at a Marshall’s in Florida…I loved them & wanted them to stay nice forever, which of course wasn’t possible. A few months ago, I found 2 more at the Marshall’s in my hometown!! It was a towel-dream-come-true.