If you have more than one bathroom, or a separate powder room, and time is short, it’s perfectly fine to direct guests to one bathroom and keep the others closed. You’re still entitled to a little privacy.
Plenty of storage ensures keeping the bathroom clutter free is straightforward, even if guests drop by at the last minute.Credit: Karen Akers Design
Clear the clutter
Nothing downgrades a bathroom faster than a collection of toothbrushes, used makeup and pill bottles on the vanity. Ditto for fake flowers and dead plants. Interior designer Karen Akers says a clutter-free bathroom is the No.1 way to have a positive impact on the space.
“Ensure you have enough storage in the bathroom – this allows for clear bench-tops and reduces clutter, which is always a good first impression,” she says.
Viret agrees.
“Everyone loves a floating vanity but if storage is not considered in the bathroom, everything can end up on the benchtop,” she says.
Multi award-winning designer Darren Genner from Minosa Design says streamlined storage has always been a key part of design consideration, but it has become more sophisticated in recent years.
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“We are minimising our use of drawers [in our clients’ bathrooms] but where we are doing drawers, we are adding power points inside so appliances like hairdryers can stay plugged in. That way there’s no need to take the whole thing out to use it.”
Genner goes one step further with benchtop design, suggesting eliminating one of the most popular features in contemporary bathroom design – twin basins.
“Everybody thinks they need a double basin because there are two people using one space,” he says. “But why do they need it? She might say: ‘I need to do my hair while he shaves’. But that’s not another basin they need, it’s a bigger mirror.
“In our view, you need a bigger bench for functions like hairstyling or electrical equipment. Two basins take up that space.”
Not everyone has the budget to splash out on a statement basin but a moody paint colour in the powder room sets an elegant tone.Credit: Minosa Design
Go all out on design
In for a penny, in for a pound, as the old saying goes. If you have a separate loo, or powder room, Genner says it’s an opportunity to knock yourself out style-wise in a contained space.
“It is an opportunity to do something really creative as a juxtaposition to the house,” he says.
Choose a bold wallpaper, paint the room a strong colour you love, hang a statement mirror or install a statement sconce light. Given you can close the door on it, it’s a low-stakes environment to express your style – and give your guests something to talk about.
Fresh, fragrant flowers are always a good idea in the bathroom. Patterned wallpaper takes this space from ordinary to elevated.Credit: Michelle Viret Design
Create a sensory experience
For most people, bathroom lighting is all about function, but there is a case to be made for setting the mood with lighting, especially when you have guests over.
Genner says a sensor light takes the guesswork out of finding the switch in an unfamiliar bathroom or powder room, especially as the evening wears on. As a kinder alternative to guests, swap out cold blue lightbulbs that are less than flattering for warmer globes.
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If you’re really adventurous, Viret says candles can be an easy alternative in the bathroom, and a romantic option for a bathroom that might have seen better days.
If you’re looking for a quick update, Akers says you can’t go past scented handwash and fresh towels.
“Towels are the answer and an easy way to beautify your place a whilst adding personality. Ensure they all match, all the time,” she says. “Invest in a good quality and looking room spray and hand wash – these items give a sensory experience that your guest will remember positively.”
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