10 Tips to Style Your Powder Room for Holiday Guests
Treat your guests – and yourself – to a memorable powder room with tiny touches that make strong style statements
Holiday and party guests may never see your bedroom or home office, but they’ll likely make a trip to your powder room. With a little extra care, you can make this small but hardworking space welcoming, whether it’s for a special occasion or drop-in visitors. Here are 10 touches to help dress up your powder room for company.
2. Pretty up your bin
Is it silly that something as small as a rubbish bin can make an impression? Perhaps, but upgrading this detail can boost your powder room’s style factor just the same.
Look for one made from a material with a bit of shine such as brass, copper, wire or ceramic.
Need expert help to enhance your interiors? Find a local decorator on Houzz to give your home a professional makeover
Is it silly that something as small as a rubbish bin can make an impression? Perhaps, but upgrading this detail can boost your powder room’s style factor just the same.
Look for one made from a material with a bit of shine such as brass, copper, wire or ceramic.
Need expert help to enhance your interiors? Find a local decorator on Houzz to give your home a professional makeover
3. Monogram your linen
Setting out fresh hand towels with your monogram is a traditional and welcoming personal touch. For a budget-friendly option, go for a single-letter monogram. Triple-letter monograms are elegant but tend to cost more since they are made to order.
Setting out fresh hand towels with your monogram is a traditional and welcoming personal touch. For a budget-friendly option, go for a single-letter monogram. Triple-letter monograms are elegant but tend to cost more since they are made to order.
4. Diffuse some scents
You may not feel comfortable leaving a lit candle in the powder room during a party, especially if children are present. But having a pleasing scent in the space is a gracious detail.
Choose a scent or reed diffuser with a subtle fragrance and set it on the sink or a nearby shelf. You’ll get all the good vibes without the flame.
You may not feel comfortable leaving a lit candle in the powder room during a party, especially if children are present. But having a pleasing scent in the space is a gracious detail.
Choose a scent or reed diffuser with a subtle fragrance and set it on the sink or a nearby shelf. You’ll get all the good vibes without the flame.
5. Invest in nice soap and hand lotion
Swap out your usual no-frills hand soap for a pretty matching set of liquid soap and hand lotion. It’s such a simple thing, but guests really appreciate it.
Bonus points if you pick a seasonally inspired scent such as jasmine or gardenia in spring and summer, or apple cider and spice in autumn and winter.
Swap out your usual no-frills hand soap for a pretty matching set of liquid soap and hand lotion. It’s such a simple thing, but guests really appreciate it.
Bonus points if you pick a seasonally inspired scent such as jasmine or gardenia in spring and summer, or apple cider and spice in autumn and winter.
6. Arrange a vase of flowers
In the powder room (already a small space), a little bouquet can make a big impression. Place a bud vase or a small vessel (cream pitchers and julep cups work well) beside the basin and fill it with a few stems of freshly cut flowers.
And if you have a bouquet in another room already, just pull out a few sprigs for the powder room – no need to buy any extra blooms.
In the powder room (already a small space), a little bouquet can make a big impression. Place a bud vase or a small vessel (cream pitchers and julep cups work well) beside the basin and fill it with a few stems of freshly cut flowers.
And if you have a bouquet in another room already, just pull out a few sprigs for the powder room – no need to buy any extra blooms.
7. Style up with a tray
Corralling items on trays is a staple decorating trick. If you don’t already have a small tray to use, keep an eye out for vintage trays at weekend markets.
Setting your soap and bud vase on a ceramic or silver tray will make your powder room set-up look intentionally designed.
Corralling items on trays is a staple decorating trick. If you don’t already have a small tray to use, keep an eye out for vintage trays at weekend markets.
Setting your soap and bud vase on a ceramic or silver tray will make your powder room set-up look intentionally designed.
8. Hang a seasonal wreath
Around the holidays, including a wreath in the powder room can make the space feel stylish and festive. Pick up a wreath of fresh greenery, preserved olive branches, magnolia leaves or faux winter berries and hang it on a wall or right over the mirror if the shape and size are well-suited.
Around the holidays, including a wreath in the powder room can make the space feel stylish and festive. Pick up a wreath of fresh greenery, preserved olive branches, magnolia leaves or faux winter berries and hang it on a wall or right over the mirror if the shape and size are well-suited.
9. Make a mirror statement
If your powder room has an easily removable mirror, swapping it for something with more personality can be a great styling trick to refresh the space.
Generally speaking, opting for a mirror the same size or larger than the old one makes for the easiest swap (that is, the fewest holes to fill).
16 Petite Powder Rooms in the UK With Dark Walls
If your powder room has an easily removable mirror, swapping it for something with more personality can be a great styling trick to refresh the space.
Generally speaking, opting for a mirror the same size or larger than the old one makes for the easiest swap (that is, the fewest holes to fill).
16 Petite Powder Rooms in the UK With Dark Walls
10. Give it a lick of paint
Have a free weekend in your future and want to give your powder room a whole new look? A new wall colour can offer the biggest impact.
Don’t be afraid to go bold: navy, charcoal and even black look elegant even in a bite-sized space.
Your turn
How do you dress up your powder room? Share your styling tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Fancy some more small-bathroom inspiration? Don’t miss 4 Great Small Bathrooms… and How They Did It
Have a free weekend in your future and want to give your powder room a whole new look? A new wall colour can offer the biggest impact.
Don’t be afraid to go bold: navy, charcoal and even black look elegant even in a bite-sized space.
Your turn
How do you dress up your powder room? Share your styling tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Fancy some more small-bathroom inspiration? Don’t miss 4 Great Small Bathrooms… and How They Did It
Shop for Similar Bathroom Accessories
Item 1 of 6
Longer lasting than a bouquet of flowers and undeniably elegant, orchids make a smart choice for the powder room.
While rare varieties of orchids can be expensive, you can often find budget-friendly potted orchids in your local grocery store.
Orchids like bright indirect light, so a basin by a shaded window would offer an ideal perch.