How’s your guest bathroom looking these days? If you haven’t considered it in a while, it’s high time you take stock as the holidays approach.
As all the merriment commences, you’re likely to have friends and family stopping by and maybe even staying over, so you’ll want to make sure your place is in tiptop shape. To be the host with the most (or even just the host who doesn’t run out of toilet paper), you want to make sure your abode is warm, welcoming, and comfortable from the moment guests set foot inside until they leave—this means you should take a good, hard objective look at your guest bathroom.
You want to create a space that’s homey as well as functional, and stocked with everything guests may need—along with some special touches thrown in for extra flair. Here are 10 things you need to create the perfect guest bathroom.
1. Fancy towels you don’t use yourself
Big fluffy towels are at the top of the list for Angelika Stuart, a partner with Alice Weaver Design in South Florida.
“Why share your everyday towels with guests when you can dedicate fresh towels to that bathroom?” Stuart asks. “Since these are not used often, your guests will appreciate the luxurious feel these towels will have for a long time to come. It’s an easy investment to make into creating a serene space.”
2. Music
John Linden, lead designer with MirrorCoop in Los Angeles, says he likes to put an iPod and a small speaker in the guest bathroom.
“Generally, I feel pretty uncomfortable when I’m using the bathroom at someone else’s house, so it’s nice to be able to turn the sound up to drown out any embarrassing sounds,” Linden says. “The best thing you can do is to reflect on your own guest bathroom experiences. If you’ve ever had a problem or felt uncomfortable in those situations, brainstorm some quick solutions and use them to prepare your own bathroom for guests.”
3. Scent control
Be it a scented candle, spray, oil diffuser, or at the very least box of matches, make sure there’s some way guests can leave the bathroom without feeling embarrassed by any lingering odors.
4. Toilet paper a plenty
Having this bare necessity handy is a no-brainer. But what hosts often miss is how much you should keep stocked up.
“You can never have enough,” says Ashley Smith, a real estate agent with Las Colinas Realty Associates. “Unless you’re checking on it regularly, you won’t know it’s out until one of your house guests does.”
Another tip? Your extra TP should be in plain sight—don’t hide it beneath the sink, where it might be missed or hard to reach right when you need it.
5. A bath kit
McCall Robison, a home decor blogger for BestCompany, suggests setting up a bath kit for guests and displaying it by the tub or shower.
“It can include a fresh loofah, bath salts, bath bombs, body wash, mini shampoo and conditioner, etc.,” Robison says. “It will make guests feel as if they’re at a fancy hotel.” Sweet!
6. Medicine cabinet basics
You don’t need to have a whole pharmacy on hand, but stocking some basics that may come in handy is a nice touch. Basic items like ibuprofen, antacids, and eye drops may be particularly appreciated during the holiday celebration season.
7. Fresh flowers
Flowers add a great pop of color anywhere, but people often don’t think to put them in the bathroom.
“This is a simple way to spice up the room and give it a classic and elegant touch,” Robison says.
8. Disposable hand-drying towels
Miguel Suro, a Florida life hack blogger at Rich Miser, suggests adding disposable hand-drying towels.
“No one wants to reuse someone else’s hand towel,” Suro says. “Bonus if they’re recyclable.”
Also, make sure there’s a trash can or recycling bin to throw the towels in when they’re finished.
9. A robe
Robison also suggests adding a plush robe to the room.
“You can display it and hang it on the bathroom door, or you can fold it nicely in the closet,” Robison says. “Either way, it’s a great addition that will make guests feel at home and that they will love.”
10. Anything you’d usually find in hotels
Think about the things nice hotels have on hand that come in handy when you travel, and follow suit. Make available things people commonly forget when they travel, like a new toothbrush and toothpaste, a fresh razor, cotton balls and Q-tips, so they don’t have to run out to get them.
So, check this list and check it again to see how nice your guest bathroom is or how much work you may have to do. You may also want to check all the drawers and cabinets to make sure there’s nothing embarrassing in there, because, yeah, people will look.
***Article Written By Julie Ryan Evans***
