ENTERTAINING EVERYDAY entertaining

Prepping the bathroom for house guests

Posted on March 15, 2008

pottery barn bathroom accessories : marimekko towels : umbra

With Easter at the corner, you may visit friends or family from out of town as home guests.

Beside taking care of their sleeping quarters, I feel the bathroom is the most important room to prepare in advance. For a stay longer than one night, you can plan on having an extra key ready at their arrival.

I gave you some tips on how to prepare the bathroom so you and your guests enjoy their time together.

My checklist

  1. Set everything in advance, so you will get more time to enjoy the company of your guests. Your guests will feel welcome right away and enjoy a more comfortable stay.
  2. Vary the colors or the patterns from one towel set to the next. Your guests must be easy to identity which towels they were assigned to.
  3. Prepare a well-stocked basket / shelf on the linen closet with the basis: soap bars, body wash, hair products, razors, hair dryer, moisturizing lotions. Place in jars: cotton balls, hygienic cotton swabs, adhesive bandages, and tampons.
  4. Have enough space to hang the wet towels. Since you may not have enough wall space in your bathroom, install a few extra double hooks instead of more towel bars. Install temporary over-the-door hook on the guest bedrooms. A fun idea from Finland is the towel clips. The kids will love having their own clip to hang their towels. You never know, the towel clips may persuade your kids to clean up every day, at least for a while.
  5. Leave some free storage bin or shelf in the shower or bath tub so you get can leave their products. The cling corner bin by Umbra is a simple solution that you can remove when you guests return home.
  6. Provide a pair of plush slippers for each guest that you can throw in the washing machine. Get the average size for women and for men.
  7. Do not worry if you forgot something. Your guests would not mind since they felt welcome from the start.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Grosgrain Dobby Bath Towels at Pottery Barn – price: $8 to $24 USD
Buy online: Marimekko Kaivo Towels at FinnStyle – price: $9 to $37 USD
Buy online: bali double hook by Umbra – price: $13 CAD
Buy online: aarikka Leivonen Bird Towel Clips at FinnStyle – price: $11.95
Buy online: cling corner bin by Umbra – price: $15 CAD
Buy online: Cozy Slippers at Pottery Barn – on sale at $7.99 USD
Buy online: PB Classic Glass Canisters – price: $19 to $44 USD
Via: Marimekko for the Bathroom published on Apartment Therapy Chicago

An ex-lifestyle and entertaining expert and UX designer who became a STEAM educator. At Bidouilleurs, I helped kids aged 5-12 become inventors and makers. An innovative mom who cares about gender equality and to get more girls and boys interested in STEM/STEAM.

  • Gwen
    April 30, 2008 at 14:49

    I recommend pampering your guests with luxury soaps, candles and afterbath lotions like the ones found at ElegantLinensPC.com. I know I always appreciate being able to try different products when I’m traveling and visiting that I wouldn’t ordinarily purchase for myself, but might after experiencing them elsewhere. And, it makes me feel cherished when my hosts treat me to the best.

  • Closet Organizers
    February 15, 2010 at 15:26

    Do you love shoes? Then you might need a great deal of storage for all of them. Maybe you need shelves for your sweaters or your favorite books you keep in the closet.