Shave Den

What Is a Shave Den

A shave den refers to a personal area that contains all your grooming products and tools. It can be as simple as a hinged and tiered box or an entirely personal bathroom. There is no limit to where you can take your shave den.

Note that despite being called a shave den, it does not necessarily mean it only contains your collection of razors. You can put any grooming products that you use, like beard oils, hair products, skin care products, hair clippers, the world’s best shaving brush, and everything else that you can think of there.

Benefits of Having a Shave Den

Provides a Single Place for All Your Necessities

This means you have all your products in just one place. You do not have to go to different rooms in your house every morning when you are getting ready to go out. For instance, right after you shave, you can immediately start styling your hair and choosing your aftershave and perfume. This saves you a lot of time, plus it keeps you organized. The only thing you will need to do after removing aftershave is get dressed.

Helps in Pampering Yourself

There is nothing quite like looking at your collection of grooming products and then picking out the ones you would be using that day. Your collection can include regular products that you can find in groceries. Some may also be special, like hand-made shaving oils, premium beard balm, and creams.

You can choose the shaving cream with moisturizing properties and the razor you will be using, which can be different combinations every day. It will always make you feel clean and refreshed every time.

Provides an Incredible Way of Displaying Your Collection

Many men make a hobby out of collecting grooming aids and products. For instance, if you have an extensive collection of straight and safety razors, a shave den is an excellent way to display them. The nice thing about this kind of collection is that you get to use them regularly instead of just looking at them.

Things to Consider When Buying a Shave Den

Collection Size

How many items do you have in your collection of men’s grooming products and tools? You need to make a quick inventory of the things you will be putting in your shave den. This is necessary to assure you that you will be getting the correct size. Also, if you are continuously adding more items to your collection, getting a larger shave den than you currently need is best.

Products Types

What items do you think will be taking center stage in your shave den? If you have an extensive collection of safety razors, you need a den with drawers. It also needs to come with individual compartments for each of them.

Material

What materials do you like to use for your personal space? Fortunately, the shave den is constructed from different materials, so you can choose one based on what you truly want and what works for you. Wood is always a classic choice, but some people like stainless steel for that industrial look and feel.

Design

Things to Consider When Buying a Shave Den

When it comes to the design, you should ask yourself first what kind of den you are looking for. Do you want a hanging cabinet, something like a regular medicine cabinet, but bigger? Maybe you want to turn your bathroom drawers into custom storage spaces for your collection? Your imagination is the only limiting factor to what your shave den can be.

Price

The price of the shave den is also a major consideration. Find out how much you are willing to spend on this product. Of course, if you have many expensive items in your collection, like limited edition straight razors, you would want to place them in something that suits them.

How to Organize a Shave Den

Step 1 – Separate the items into categories

If you have a large collection, you need to separate the items into similar items. For instance, group razors with each other, brush together, quality beard soap, and so on.

Step 2 – Organize the consumables

If you like using different consumables, like shaving creams, balms, and others, you need to check their expiration dates. Now, make sure that you put the nearest ones to their expiration date at the front of the displays. That way, you can use them up before they go bad.

Step 3 – Use compartmentalized boxes

If your grooming kit is not that big, you can use a compartmentalized case or box to keep your things organized. These have built-in dividers, so you have separate spaces for every item.

How to Make a Shave Den at Home

Step 1 – Decide on a layout

What kind of containers are you planning to use? Most men use medicine cabinets, while others install additional shelves in their bathrooms for their stuff. You also need to take the available space you have to work with.

Step 2 – Install your storage spaces

After you have decided on the layout of your shave den, you can then proceed with installing its components. First, install the cabinets, which will be the most tedious and time-consuming task. Follow that with the accessories, like mirrors, lights, hooks, and others.

Step 3 – Arrange your grooming supplies

Once the shelves and/or cabinets are in place, you can arrange your grooming tools and equipment. This is the fun part. You can now begin stocking your shave den with all the things you will need to pamper yourself.

Step 4 – Keep your stuff organized

You should always return the things you took from your shave den back to their rightful place. For instance, after using your razor, you need to clean it, dry it, and put it back where it belongs. Keeping a neat and organized shave den will lead to less stress and hassles in the future.

How to Maintain Your Shave Den

How to Maintain Your Shave Den

Step 1 – Do a regular inventory check

This will help keep you abreast of the condition of your shave den. This way, you will know if you are running low on a certain product. This will also give you an idea of whether your consumables are already beginning to go bad.

Step 2 – Clean and maintain your equipment regularly

If you have several or a lot of razors, clippers, adjustable beard scissors, and other grooming equipment, make it a point to clean and maintain them at least once a week. For instance, during the weekend, take all your metal grooming equipment. Make sure that you lubricate and clean them properly.

Step 3 – Clean your containers

It is always a good practice to clean your shave den every once. For example, when you are doing an inventory, it would be best to remove the items on the shelves and then vacuum or dust their storage spaces while you are at it.

Step 4 – Dispose of empty and/or expired containers

Although having a row of different bottles of products look neat, it is still best to remove the ones that are already expired and the empty bottles.

13 Ideas for a Shave Den

Drawer Organizer

If you have plenty of drawer space in your bathroom, you can buy a premade drawer organizer, or better yet, you can make your own. This would be an easy woodworking project that even beginners would do it. Custom-making your drawer organizer will ensure that you will have enough space for your collection.

Hanging Stand

A hanging stand is just like the ones that you use for toothbrushes. Because you will be storing most of your equipment vertically, this will take minimal counter space. This is great if you have many razors, brushes, durable shaving bowl sets, and other tools.

Wall Hanging

If you do not have a large sink and your medicine cabinet is already full, the next best thing that you can do is install displays that you can hang on your wall. For instance, you can install a simple shelf for your beard oils, shaving creams, bowls, and others on top. After that, you can add hooks at the bottom for your razors, brushes, and your perfectly designed beard comb.

Framed Display

This type of shave den provides a good combination of form and function. This is similar to shadow boxes, but you can freely open and close the cover whenever you need. You can place small shelves for your bowls, jars, and bottles. You can also install lots of hooks/hangers for your razors and brushes. This will work well if you have razors and other shaving implements that lend well to displaying.

Cup Holder Style

The cup holder style for the shave den is also another simple woodworking project that even beginners can do. It just comes in the form of a box with the top open. You can also make it bigger and place dividers inside for your razors, brushes, and other tools.

Cup Holder Style Shave Den

Spice Rack Style

An actual spice rack can also work in your shave den. It hangs on the wall so you can save counter space. It features borders all around to prevent your shaving creams, oils, balms, and other products from falling through. 

Complete Cupboard

You can also use a small kitchen cupboard-style cabinet to store your shaving kit. You can use the premade ones and customize them by adding more shelves or hooks for more storage. Furthermore, you can use a glass door to display the contents or a solid wooden one to keep things discreet and simple.

Hanging Displays

Another way to maximize the space of your bathroom cabinets is to hang small racks or baskets. You can also add hooks to the doors.

Magnet Strip

Installing a magnet strip, like the ones used for kitchen knives, on the wall over your bathroom sink will allow you to keep your metal shaving tools nice and dry. In addition, it can help in keeping them out of the way.

Merge Different Ideas

Who says you can only use one of these shaving den ideas? Mix and match different concepts to make the space truly your own.

Custom Slot Display for Clippers

Clippers come with a lot of attachments and most of them are so small that they are easy to lose. Having a dedicated space just for them makes the organization easy and prevents them from getting lost.

Think Beyond the Razor

Although a shaving den focuses mainly on razors and other shaving products, consider adding other attachments for your other accessories, like face towels. By doing that, you can give the den a more rounded, complete look.

Shaving Kit Box

This is simply an ample-sized wooden box with a hinged cover that you can use to stash all or most of your shaving supplies. It is the most basic woodworking project, but you can fancy it up by adding removable or hinged compartments. You can also stain the wood and even engrave your initials on it.

Does More Spending Mean More Quality

Not necessarily. You can spend money on the actual shaving kit, but you can make it yourself using some pieces of scrap wood and essential woodworking tools for the storage space. On the other hand, if you can afford to have a master carpenter create custom cabinetry for your shave den, it will look much better.

Do’s and Don’ts When Building a Shave Den

Do’s

  • Provide a way to organize your skin-friendly shaping tool and other shaving equipment. It is not enough to add shelves to your bathroom. Make your shave den more functional by adding organizational tools.
  • Keep your shave den dry. You will be keeping a lot of metal in your shave den, so it needs to be dry as much as possible. For instance, if you are using a cupboard-style cabinet to store your shaving kit, consider placing a desiccant bag in it to absorb excess moisture.

Don’ts

  • Don’t collect expired products. A shaving den should be more functional than just for design. If your shaving creams or balms are already months past their expiration date, dispose of them to prevent yourself from accidentally applying shaving gel that is already past its expiration date. If you like how their jars or containers look, dispose of the contents, and wash them thoroughly before setting them on display.
  • Don’t stick to just one razor. Having one favorite razor is fine, but it is best to broaden your horizon and get a few other razors. This way, you can change up how you shave every day.

FAQ About Shave Den

FAQ About Shave Den

How many products should a shave den contain?

Your shave den can have as few or as many items as you want. You can go with a minimalist shave den or a grandiose one that covers an entire wall of your bathroom. You can make your choice based on your preferences and the number of products you intend to put in the den.

What is the best material for a shave den?

The easiest material to use for making a shave den is wood. The reason is that it is easier to shape and assemble compared to other materials. However, stainless steel is also good if you want something more robust.

Is it good to have different shaving products on the same shelf?

As much as possible, you should organize your shaving products by keeping similar ones together. By doing that, you can easily keep track of your kit. It also promotes ease in finding what you are looking for quickly.

How many razors should I have in my shave den?

It will depend on you and how much available space you can set aside for storage. You can have just a couple of razors or have dozens.

Conclusion

A shave den is your small personal space mainly for caring for yourself. It does not matter how large or small your collection of shaving supplies is. If you are happy with it, then that’s all that matters. There is also no set design on what your shave den should look like. You are in control of everything.

About the author: Jay - Barber

Jay is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team and NFL, celebrity barber. As a master barber with years of experience, Jay can make your beard look any way you envision. Jay’s specialty is black men’s hair and beard styles, but he also has deep knowledge on how to create a perfect neck and cheek line, short or long beard and virtually any beard and hair shape and style.

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