Today’s guest post is from Sandra Maka is a former interior decorator who lives in New York. She adores having guests come to stay. And she’s got some great tips to help make your guest bathroom more comfortable for everyone when guests arrive.
Creating or renovating a guest bathroom in your home? There’s nothing better than being able to offer hospitality to your friends and family when they come to town. If you take pride in your home’s decorations, you’ll want to offer your guests a bathroom to use that is more friendly than a hotel’s, but not as personal as their own bathroom. Here are some tips on how to decorate for the comfort of your friends and family who come to stay.
Make It Friendly and Accessible
When guests come to your home, they don’t want to feel like they’re poking around in your private belongings when all they want is another box of tissue. The smartest way to decorate a guest bathroom is with practicality in mind. When you choose a vanity, for example, install one that has enough countertop space for a reasonable amount of toiletries, or a basket holding toiletries, to be housed there. If you want a vanity with under-sink storage, try to find one that has open shelves or glass doors, so your guests feel more comfortable using the items that you put there. Of course, if you have items that you’d prefer your guests do not use, it’s best to find a different place to store those things.
Although you may usually keep your linens in a separate area of your home, having a shelf or cabinet where guests can find a few spare towels and washcloths is a nice touch that will make them feel at home — likewise for simple first-aid items such as small bandages, pain relievers and cotton balls.
Mirrors are an essential bathroom item that can really change the way the room looks and feels. A well-lit bathroom with plenty of mirrors, or one large mirror that guests of all heights will be able to use, is simple to decorate and beautiful to look at once finished.
Also take into consideration the kind of guests you’re likely to have. For example, if you anticipate that grandchildren or other young visitors will be staying over, you might want to have a vanity table that offers a low-height sink. Or allow space for a step stool they can use to reach the sink better. Elderly visitors may benefit from having soft or rounded edges on bathroom cabinetry and a very slip-resistant flooring to guard against accidents.
photo credit: jinkazamah via photopin cc
Make It Easy to Clean
Guests in other people’s homes are usually very careful to keep the parts of the home they are using as clean and debris-free as possible. Just as much as you want to feel like a gracious, generous host, they’ll want to be a sensitive guest who creates as little imposition on you as possible. So make it easy on your guests to keep the guest bathroom clean. Installing plenty of light fixtures, keeping the color scheme in a lighter palette and minimizing fabric accents in the bathroom will make it simple for your guests to wipe up any spilled toiletries, double-check that no strands of hair have littered the floor or counters, and be confident that they have been a good guest in your home.
Keep Clutter Minimal
Clutter is the bane of many master and guest bathrooms. While usually we don’t mind our own collections of combs, brushes and whatnot, guests may feel that someone else’s cluttered bathroom is too uncomfortable to feel at home in. To avoid household clutter, and to help your guests from feeling like they’ve cluttered up your space, plan your bathroom decorations accordingly.
For example, have plenty of hooks for hanging towels, robes and clothes while bathing. Include a hamper or laundry basket for their convenience. Keep travel-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash available for your guests, so that the counter space and shower stall don’t become overwhelmed with larger bottles. In case your guests prefer to use their own toiletries, having a spare empty drawer available for their use in the vanity, or designating a shelf for guests’ exclusive use will help to reduce or eliminate clutter in your guest bathroom.
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