As the holidays quickly approach and families make plans to visit one another, it’s the perfect time to discuss how to create an inviting guest bathroom to ensure that not only do your guests have a lovely stay, but that some of the stress is taken from your shoulders.
Inviting guest bathroom tip #1: Decide what the room needs and could do without
As the guest bathroom is purely used only when guests come to stay, it might be wise to save your cash when it comes to the materials. Sure you want it to look nice and maybe even a tad luxurious for the visitors but for the minimal amount of use it will get, we say skip the top-of-the-line materials and settle for something a bit cheaper that still provides the looks and functionality. While a multi-feature tap or toilet may be a cool thing to show off, it most likely won’t get a great deal of use. We do caution that you don’t go too cheap though – or else you might see yourself constantly calling a plumber for a room that is only used on occasion.
While some guests may appreciate a lovely bath to soak in after a long trip, it just may be another expense that will yield a high cost-per-use and another thing that you will have to clean. If there is room for a bathtub, we suggest utilising it for a lovely oversized shower, storage space or a toilet if your home only has the one.
While a double sink may seem like a nice offering if you host couples, you may find that they would have secretly preferred to use that space to place their toiletry items.
Inviting guest bathroom tip #2: Ensure they have everything that they need
If you enjoy playing host, this is the fun part! If you know who will be regularly using bathroom, have a think about what they might appreciate (if you want to be super sneaky, you could bring up conversations about what you both enjoy and dislike when staying in hotels).
Plush towels (either one or two per person), a hand towel and bath mat are a must to ensure your guests have a comfortable stay.
Other nice inclusions that you may want to include are:
- a luxurious candle
- luxury hand soap
- a tube of toothpaste
- a shower cap
- small bottles of body wash, shampoo and conditioner (they will most likely bring their own but in the event they forget to pack one of these, it will be more than appreciated!)
- floss or toothpicks
- bubble bath (if you do include a bathtub)
- a fluffy bathrobe
- a hairdryer
- styling tools such as a hair straighter or curler
- a full length mirror if the bedroom doesn’t have one
- sufficient natural light (whether through the window or LED bulbs) for them to apply makeup without struggling with shadows and poor lighting
- heat lamps
- a hook to hang clothes or robe
- towel rail
Inviting guest bathroom tip #3: Storage
Living out of a suitcase and toiletry bags can get old, very quickly. Ensure your guests have adequate storage to place their belongings (if you don’t want them to get too comfortable, then don’t go overboard in this area). Some small drawers to place their grooming items will be much appreciated and if you will be hosting females, they may require an area to place their cosmetic and hair items – this can be on the vanity if there is enough room, shelving or a cupboard.
Inviting guest bathroom tip #4: Style
While your guest bathroom’s style is completely up to you, we like to suggest going for a comfortable and calm style. Your guests may have travelled quite a way to visit and may have action packed days planned so a soothing bathroom will help them wind down at the end of the day and assist them in getting a good night’s sleep.
Some style ideas include:
Day spa-esque: You may like to draw inspiration from day spas with natural décor, rolled towels and earthy colours.
Modern: Floor to wall subway tiles with black fixtures.
Traditional: White with a ‘furniture-style’ vanity, traditional tapware and beautiful detailing.
While it is nice to dote on our guests and go above-and-beyond, do remember that they are likely at your home to see you and create memories with you and your family. While they will appreciate the effort you have put in to make them feel welcome and comfortable, they will not want you to stress about the details so have fun and enjoy the experience of planning and designing the bathroom.
If you are a Sydney homeowner interested in creating a guest bathroom, we’d love to chat! Give our friendly team a call on 1300 794 488.