Guests notice the bathroom more than you’d think. It’s the one room where they’re alone for a few minutes with nothing to do but look around. It’s also the cheapest room in the house to decorate: one set of towels, a tray and a candle gets you most of the way.
The main thing to plan around is steam. Real greenery wilts, paper curls and candles don’t throw much scent in a humid room, so a few of these ideas are about choosing things that cope.
On the vanity
1. One tray. A 16 to 20-inch (on Amazon) wood or marble tray holding everything seasonal: a small candle, a rolled-up holiday towel, a pinecone or a sprig of faux pine. On a tray it looks arranged; spread out it looks like clutter. Keep it toward the back so there’s still room to wash your hands.
2. Holiday hand towels (on Amazon). If you only do one thing, do this. It takes half a minute and it’s the most visible fabric in the room. Get two so one can be in the wash. A real pattern (plaid, small trees, snowflakes) reads better than plain red. Keep the bath towels neutral.
3. A small wreath on the mirror. Six to eight inches, on a suction hook (on Amazon). Wipe the mirror with rubbing alcohol first so the hook holds, and hang it slightly above center. Faux only; a real wreath drops needles in the sink and dries out in the steam within days.
4. A better soap dispenser. Move the hand soap into a refillable amber glass bottle (on Amazon), switch to a pine or cinnamon refill for December, and tie a little sprig of greenery around the neck with twine. The dispenser stays useful all year.
Light and scent
5. A flameless candle. Steam kills a real candle’s scent, and an open flame near towels in a tiny room isn’t a great idea. A flickering LED pillar (on Amazon) on the tank lid or the tray, set on its timer, gives you the glow without the worry.
6. Fairy lights in a jar. A 10-foot strand of warm-white copper wire lights, loosely stuffed into a clear jar. No outlet needed, and the jar keeps the wire contained. Keep it away from where water splashes.
7. A seasonal bath mat. Machine-washable, and if your towels are already patterned, pick a solid deep green or cream mat so the two don’t compete.
Things that survive the steam
8. Faux greenery, with one real exception. Anything that stays up all month should be faux. The exception: a small bundle of fresh eucalyptus tied to the showerhead. The steam brings out the smell, and you replace it every week anyway.
9. Art that won’t warp. A framed paper print will curl by January. Print a winter design on cardstock and put it in an inexpensive plastic frame, or laminate it. Swap it into a frame that’s already on the wall rather than adding new holes.
10. A bowl of shatterproof ornaments (on Amazon). Six to ten in one color family, mixed finishes, in a clear bowl on the tank or a shelf. Real glass and tile floors don’t go well together.
Bigger moves and small kindnesses
11. A holiday shower curtain, if you want one. It changes the room more than anything else here because it covers so much area. If you go for it, make it the only patterned thing in the room: plain towels, plain mat. Fabric with a liner looks much better than printed vinyl.
12. A guest basket. Spare toilet paper, a few wrapped mints and hand lotion in a small basket, with a ribbon on the handle for December. People appreciate it more than any decoration. In January, take the ribbon off and leave the basket.