Lucky for me, we have three bathrooms in our home -- two full and one quarter -- that all needed a makeover. So far, I’ve re-done the master bathroom and am currently working on the guest bathroom. Here are some before & after pics:
Master bathroom before and after:
Guest bathroom before and after:
Since I’m still hunting for the perfect light fixture for the guest bathroom, I’ve been putting some energy into stocking it with things my guests might need or want. If you read my previous post on our so-called guest bedroom, you’ll know why I want to make sure our guests are extra comfortable :) Looking for some new ideas and inspiration, I hit up my teammates at Waggener Edstrom for ideas (THANKS guys!!). And while there were some definite common needs, there were also some fun (and funny!) ideas I hadn’t thought of. Overall, I think the idea is to create a guest bathroom that is made to make your guests feel comfortable but not like they’re using YOUR personal space. This is handy, considering my initial plan for decorating the room with hotel-inspired details, and certainly a nice opportunity after coming from our one-tiny-bathroom situation when we lived in our cute-but-quirky bohemian apartment in the city.
When staying at a friend’s house, what would you love to find in their guest bathroom that you might need?
- Lotions and stuff in a basket, I’m not a fan of things sitting out.
- Ponytail holders
- Q-tips (they are hard to find sometimes!)
- Feminine products (had to say it!)
- Listerine/Scope (mouthwash)
- Basic OTC medications: Tylenol, Advil, Day/NyQuil, etc.
- Multiple towels
- Extra TP
- Hand soap
- Hand towel
- Empty trashcan
- Hand lotion and eye makeup remover would be especially gracious…I would be delighted to find that in a guest bathroom!
- Perhaps toothpaste as well…I feel like EVERYONE forgets toothpaste.
- Blow dryer
- great shampoo and CONDITIONER
- hair spray
- a water glass
- Disposable razor (unused of course)
What do you hate most about guest bathrooms?
- Having to rummage through things to find something I need, it feels like such an invasion of privacy! When I have guests I usually put all of their supplies in a welcome basket that I set out along with their towels before arrival.
- When they don’t have a trashcan!
- Feeling not at home or like you can’t use/move anything.
- Usually the only towels actually in the bathroom are the display ones. I hate having to ask for a towel to shower with and I definitely don’t want to use the “only for display” ones!
P- ink towels with bows, small towels that don’t wrap around your body, or just plain BAD towels! Or decorative accents that are totally unusable (Such as shower curtain ties that hold back the shower curtain, but are a hassle to get off to actually use the shower).
- If they’re sterile or too kitschy.
What bathroom items would make you feel most at home?
- NICE towels that coordinate. They must be soft and fluffy.
- I set out a bathrobe for my guest so that they don’t have to run around in their PJ’s or need to go back to their room post shower to change. I’ve had an unfortunate incident with a friend of my brothers who was staying over and I accidentally saw him running to the guest room in his birthday suit!!!
- I think plenty of towels so you wouldn’t feel like you’d have to ask for more or like you’re creating more work for the host.
- A really soft bathroom rug or a really nice candle (preferably something that smells like white flowers, such as gardenia or lilies).
- I think it’s cute when people use glass containers and put Q-tips, cotton balls etc in them, decorative and helpful for guests.
Any other ideas?
- Make sure it is stocked with a plunger. Just because you never know with house guests and I’m sure that if one was needed they would be embarrassed to ask. A good hostess always puts her guest’s comfort first!
- If you have space, I like to have the guest shower stocked with a shampoo, conditioner, and some gender neutral scented body wash. Then guests are always prepared!
- Make the bathroom simple but elegant. Don’t infuse your own personality into it too much, considering it’s for guests. When the bathroom feels so much like you, guests feel as if they are just USING your bathroom, rather than having it feel like their own personal bathroom for the entirety of their stay.
- PLEASE don’t use burgundy or blushing pink for ANY bathroom elements!
- I like simple artwork in bathrooms. Maybe a cool print? Something that is interesting but subtle.
Our first “real” houseguest will be arriving the week of Thanksgiving (YAY!!), so I have a few weeks to find that darn light fixture and make some of these cozy ideas a reality in the guest bathroom. And please let me know if you have other ideas to share!
Cheers,
Shanti
