Best Items to Stage a Bathroom Effectively
Do you have what it takes to stage a bathroom?
Bathroom staging is essential if you are selling a home, but it also works if you are setting up a guest bathroom for company. In this article, I share some of my favorite items for staging a bathroom effectively. In my experience, simplicity allows the flexibility of making quick, impactful decorating changes that elevate an ordinary bathroom into a sanctuary space.
1. Decorative hand soap
Every bathroom needs hand soap for functionality. I like a simple yet elegant bottle, such as this soap by Au Lait. The black and white detailing coordinate with any color scheme. Contrasting colors add elegance to the functionality of the soap.
Pro tip: Refill the empty bottle with a plain white liquid soap. Or use plain glass bottles with a decorative black pump for the same look for less!
2. Decorative canisters
Similar to the hand soap, decorative canisters provide style and functionality to a bathroom. I filled this canister with cotton swabs and cotton rounds. The black matte finish and glass container look great in any style of bathroom and allow guests to see what is in the container.
3. Stylish laundry basket with lid
I chose this wicker laundry basket for its aesthetic and versatility. It is lined with a removable cotton laundry bag to make laundry day easier for me. The light wicker adds a natural element to any style of bathroom, fusing utility with natural beauty.
Pro tip: The lid will hide laundry if the house is being shown for sale. It also makes a great last-minute storage container for items left on the floor if you have to leave quickly!
4. Thick, white fluffy towels
I get that some people love colored towels. White towels are so much easier to keep clean, though. They also give a spa-like impression, which is desirable if you are showing a home that is for sale.
Pro tip: If you are showing your home, keep an unused set of fresh white towels in a closet. Before a showing, quickly swap out your used towels with the fresh ones to make a fabulous impression on potential buyers.
5. Upscale product bottles
Next to the towels above, I placed upscale, new bottles of hair product. Displaying elevated products adds to the perceived value of the bathroom and, again, gives a spa-like vibe to potential buyers or house guests. Choose products with bottles in pleasing colors like the shampoo and conditioner set from Rodan + Fields. Nothing screams “tacky” like a cheap bottle of shampoo with contents dripping down the sides!
Pro tip: Keep a set of upscale product bottles as props, even if you don’t use them. Stage the bath with them just as you would the fresh towels (item #4).
Bonus: Aromatherapy!
Let’s not forget about our sense of smell–especially important in a bathroom! Fragrances should be fresh and natural, like lavender, eucalyptus, mint, forest, or vanilla to appeal most widely. Don’t over-do it, though; small bathrooms tend to concentrate a potent scent. Reed diffusers are an excellent way to provide a continuous, subtle fragrance to a small space like a bathroom.
Do you have a favorite item for staging or setting up a bathroom? Let me know in the comments below!
Hillary McAlhany is the owner of Gate City Design. She is a certified professional home stager/redesigner, E-designer & color expert. Although she is based in North Carolina, she offers remote design services outside of the central North Carolina region.
