Help me find a soap dish (without having to sell my paperclip collection)

November 21, 2010 1:28 PM

Where can I find aesthetically awesome soap dishes (either online or in Toronto)?

I make soap and would like to pair it with some delightful and non-run-of-the-mill soap dishes for Christmas pressies. Thing is, most soap dishes are rather uninspiring. I've been trolling through Etsy's offerings, but nothing really catches my fancy, if you know what I mean. I am open to just about any material, and while I would prefer handmade, I'm not going to be a snob about it (I did, after all, make my own damn soap!). I realize this question sounds absolutely absurd (and that that object of my search is inherently mundane), but I thought that perhaps there might be some sort of awe-inspiring cache of soap dishes somewhere out there....

posted by oohisay to Shopping (12 answers total)

Anthropologie has some nice soap dishes, but they are (unsurprisingly) somewhat expensive.

This one from Urban Outfitters is affordable and cute -- maybe even "delightful"?

Here's an interesting one handmade out of recycled chopsticks. (Uncommon Goods seems to have a couple more soap dishes as well.)

What's your price range?
posted by pluckemin at 1:39 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Do any of these strike your fancy?

You could also go trawling through thrift stores and Etsy shops to acquire a mismatched array of teacup saucers in pretty prints. I almost feel like butter dishes would be a great alternative, especially because they come with little lids. IIRC, covering hand-soap increases its longevity and sanitation.
posted by patronuscharms at 1:43 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm sort of partial to this one at Fishs Eddy.
posted by saladin at 1:59 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I don't know what qualifies as "non run-of-the-mill" for you, but for decent/inexpensive soap dishes in Toronto, you can't go wrong with Umbra. They're online and there's a physical location at Queen & John. I like this one for the colors (eight to choose from) and extremely low price ($4.50) and this one for being beautiful. If I wanted to find truly unique/unusual soap dishes in Toronto I would probably start in the restaurant supply stores in Chinatown (they have dishware of all sizes/shapes) and move on to Good Egg and Blue Banana Market in Kensington Market. Good luck!
posted by kate blank at 2:00 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

A Shopstyle search for soap dish yielded 31 pages of them, including a few non-traditional ones.

this one
this one
this one
this one
this one

Depends on your style. Good luck with your search.
posted by nadise at 3:09 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Categories on etsy can sometimes lead you astray - try searching for things that could be used as a soap dish, such as a plate, bowl, etc., rather than just 'soap dish.' I like this one.

Also, 'Neat' on Queen St W has a great selection of cool soap dishes.
posted by analog at 3:21 PM on November 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Also, Bergo Designs in the Distillery District.
posted by analog at 3:24 PM on November 21, 2010

Just something to think about - you may want to look for soapdishes that have some kind of drainage. I love handmade soap, and in order to keep them lasting as long as possible I like the drainable ones so that they don't sit in water.
posted by radioamy at 4:03 PM on November 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for the initial suggestions! THere are some great ideas here. Just to clarify, by "not run-of-the-mill," I just mean something that my mom couldn't pick up at Sears herself--something that is just a teeny bit unique or unusual.

In the meantime, I have many links on which to follow up!
posted by oohisay at 4:30 PM on November 21, 2010

I use a fish-shaped soap saver that is delightfully whimsical. Mine came from Target, if I remember rightly. I was also struck by the charm of some of the eBay soap dishes on sale - particularly the leaf or poppy dish.
posted by Susurration at 4:39 PM on November 21, 2010

Tap Phong on spadina has lots of really interesting dishes for sushi and sauces that would make lovely soap dishes. their stuff is inexpensive, too
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:39 PM on November 21, 2010

I see someone covered Umbra, who sells this fishbone soapdish. It is REALLY CUTE and comes in a bunch of colors, mine is neon green. Not homemade, not that expensive, I like the feel of the material.
posted by whatzit at 10:25 AM on November 22, 2010