If you have guests staying, you’ll want to create a comfortable home-from-home experience. You’ve given the bedroom a thorough clean and put on fresh bedding, yes, but it can be easy to forget to add the right details and items in a guest bathroom.
As a host, guest bathrooms should be as beautiful, clean, and inviting as the rest of your house. But in the guest bathroom, it is often the things you leave out that make all the difference to your visitor’s stay. “Guest bathrooms are one of the most overlooked spaces in the home — yet they’re also one of the easiest places to create a brilliant first impression,” says Lisa Hensby, founder & creative director at Lisa Hensby Design & Build Studio. “With just a few thoughtful tweaks, you can turn a simple look into a little moment of hotel-level magic.”
Don’t worry, these aren’t big DIY jobs that need a big budget. And with a few small changes, these typically small bathrooms can be a truly welcoming space for everyone who stays. So here are six things the experts always avoid putting in guest bathrooms, and what they do instead.
1. Half-Used Toiletries and Personal Items
Treat guests to an edit of beautiful toiletries, not your half-empty bottles.
Rule number one: clear away any personal items. Your guest bathroom shouldn’t be an overspill of half-used shampoo bottles, extra toothbrushes, razors, or prescription products, which is where knowing how to declutter a bathroom comes into play.
“These items are intimate and can often make guests feel like they’re intruding,” says Emma Deterding, founder and creative director at Kelling Designs. “Instead, provide travel-sized essentials such as soaps, lotions, and toothpaste and neatly arrange them on a shelf or in a basket.”
The key is to keep everyday bathroom products out of sight to maintain a sense of calm and luxury. “Instead, curate refined essentials such as a sculptural soap dispenser, a freshly pressed hand towel, and a gentle room mist,” adds Kunal Trehan, interior designer and founder of Touched Interiors. “It’s about creating a space that feels purposefully prepared for your guest.”
For an extra-special touch, find out your guest’s favorite toiletries or decant essentials into beautifully made dispensers made from amber glass.
Color: Auburn
Size: 20 x 7 x 7 cm
With over 25 years of experience, Emma Deterding is a leading interior designer at who has been named among the top 100 in the world. Her design studio (Kelling Designs) and homeware brand (Kelling Home) are based in Norfolk and London.
2. Faded and Rough Hand Towels
Fluffy white towels are a simple yet luxurious touch.
Thick, fluffy towels are one of the joys of staying in a hotel. And you can create the same luxury spa-bathroom idea by upgrading the towels in your guest bathroom.
Swap anything faded, well-worn, and scratchy for soft bathroom towels in neutral colors and avoid mismatched or monogrammed designs. They don’t need to be expensive, just fluffy, fresh, and absorbent.
“Towels are one of the few elements that visitors touch directly, so any roughness, fading, or mismatched colors stand out immediately and can make the entire room feel tired, even if everything else is beautifully presented,” says Keeley Sutcliffe, design manager at BC Designs. “Rotating towels between uses prevents the stiffness and discoloration that develop over time.”
“Include a hand towel and a small face cloth for a thoughtful touch,” adds Nick Duggan, managing director of The Radiator Centre. “If you have a heated towel rail, even better — hang them here so your guests can enjoy the luxury of warm, fluffy towels.”
Rotate towels between stays to prevent stiffness and discoloration that develops over time. And choose towels that complement the shades in your tiles, paint, and brassware so they work seamlessly within the bathroom color scheme rather than fighting it. If you can’t decide, a stack of plush neutral towels is always foolproof.
Color: Clay
Material: 100% cotton
3. Cleaning Supplies and Laundry Baskets
Banish cleaning products and dirty washing from the guest bathroom.
Nothing pulls a guest out of the luxury experience faster than a laundry basket piled high with dirty washing or a bathroom vanity overflowing with detergent and toilet cleaner.
“Avoid storing cleaning supplies or extra household items under the sink or in cabinets where guests might look for tissue paper or towels,” says Emma at Kelling Designs. “It can make the bathroom feel cluttered and unloved.”
The answer is to keep anything functional out of sight, say the experts; instead, use discreet storage that looks good too.
“Choose a lidded woven basket, a sleek bench with hidden compartments, or a soft fabric hamper tucked neatly away,” explains Kunal of Touched Interiors. “Every element should contribute to calm, not clutter. Even small details, like soft three-ply toilet paper, add to the sense of comfort and care.”
Kunal is a luxury interior designer and founder of Touched Interiors, a multi-award-winning design studio renowned for creating exceptional, high-end residential designs.
Color: Brown
Size: L41 x W30 x H25cm / 16.1 x 11.8 x 9.8 inches
4. Anything Overly Scented
Stick to subtle, fresh scents in a guest bathroom.
We all love a fresh, clean-smelling home, and scent (or ‘smellmaxxing’) is a powerful tool for creating a warm, inviting space for visitors. But be careful to avoid anything overly scented or synthetic in the guest bathroom.
“Strong, chemical diffusers can overwhelm the space instantly,” says Simon Mayhew, founder and interior designer of TXTURED design studio. “Instead, choose a subtle, natural fragrance with warm, woody, or mineral notes. A scent that whispers rather than shouts.”
“When you pay attention to the little details, you create a space where guests feel genuinely cared for,” says creative director Lisa. “And those small touches? They’re everything.”
Scent: Berries
Size: H 14cm x D 5.3cm
5. Harsh Lighting
Glow for it with warm, white bulbs.
A cold, bright bulb, especially in a guest bathroom, is a definite no-no no say the experts. And by simply switching to a warm, white bulb of around 2700K, you’ll create a cozier, diffused light that flatters both the room and the person in it, say the experts.
If you’re thinking about a guest bathroom reno, you can treat the space to a full layered lighting scheme.
“Cold, overhead LEDs can make the space feel sterile, while a lack of task lighting leaves guests struggling,” puts in Matthew Kallum, founder of Kallums Bathrooms. “Layer your lighting by combining ceiling lights with wall sconces near the mirror. Dimmable options are essential and instantly elevate even the smallest of bathrooms.”
“And always include a full-length mirror,” adds Kunal of Touched Interiors. “It gives the space function and that boutique-hotel completeness guests remember.”
Matthew is the founder of Kallums Bathrooms, a bespoke luxury bathroom design studio. He designs luxurious bathrooms across the UK, from en-suites in chic city apartments to classic family bathrooms in country homes.
Type: Frosted glass
Chain or Cable Length: 1500mm Approx
6. Too Much Clutter on Show
Clear the decks for a calm guest bathroom.
Clutter covering every counter is a big guest bathroom mistake — yes, even if you’re a maximalist at heart.
Clear away family photos, busy trays of ornaments and faux flowers, and replace them with a small decorative moment, say a natural stone vessel, a candle, or a single plant.
“Guests don’t need to see your entire design personality in one room,” adds Matthew of Kallums Bathrooms. “Too many accessories, competing textures or patterns can make a small bathroom feel chaotic.”
Instead, focus on simplicity and let texture do the talking to create a stylish and calm guest bathroom.
FAQs
What Is the Golden Rule for Bathroom Layouts
Experts agree that zoning a bathroom is THE golden rule for every bathroom layout. Get this wrong and even the chic-est bathroom will be disappointing to use. Zoning your bathroom will ensure balance and flow and allow every element – the shower, bath, toilet, or basin — to have space to breathe.
The best bathroom layouts have three distinct zones: the dry zone (vanity and storage), semi-wet zone (toilet or freestanding bath) and the wet zone (shower or bathing) There should be clear separation between wet and dry zones with the driest zone near the door and the bath and shower at the back of the room so water and steam are contained. Every zone should feel balanced and purposeful, with a natural progression from the dry to wet zones.
Although less frequently used, guest bathrooms should always feel intentional, calm, beautifully lit, and impeccably presented. And a few small tweaks will ensure visitors enjoy a memorable stay. Fluffy, matching towels, fresh, subtle scents. and clutter-free surfaces are just a few simple adjustments that can make a world of difference. But it’s a common design slip to focus on aesthetics and forget to incorporate essential bathroom storage.
“A shower with no built-in space for toiletries or a sink with no surface area inevitably leads to a cluttered bathroom and leaves guests with nowhere to place their essentials,” adds interior designer Lucy Van der Gucht. “No matter how beautiful the design, guests won’t feel at home living out of their wash bag, and your carefully curated space will quickly look messy and uninviting.”
If you’re about to renovate your guest bathroom, speak to a bathroom designer who can advise on the best storage solutions for this typically small space. Otherwise, invest in a stylish shower caddy for guest toiletries and, if you’ve got spac,e a stool or bench where visitors can place washbags and grooming kits.