5 Things Every “Adult” Bathroom Has, According to Home Stagers

Take a look at your bathroom. You’ve got toilet paper that’s actually on the roll. A shower curtain with a liner to boot. Soap, towels, and a bath mat. Sure, your towels and washcloths may be mismatched and your curling iron might not have a dedicated holder, but things look alright. All in all, your bathroom is A-OK and easily falls in the “adult-ish” category. 

If you’re ready to take your bathroom to the next level—one that nails the “Wow, now that’s a bathroom!” aesthetic—a few small additions will go a long way. We asked professional home stagers to share with us the formula of a bonafide adult bathroom. Here’s what they have to say.

“Who wants to sit on a toilet seat to put on socks or polish their toenails?” asks Susan Bourassa, owner of Coast to Coast Interiors outside Washington, D.C. Fair question, right? Seating is not only practical, but it can also give your bathroom a luxurious touch. A teak stool will do just the trick if your bathroom isn’t spacious enough for an ottoman, she says. 

Avoid yellow bulbs and fluorescent lighting, says Lauren Holmes Larry of Zen Staging with Lauren in San Antonio, Texas. Instead, opt for high-quality bulbs that process light containing all colors of the light spectrum, which best mimics natural lighting. Take your lighting to the next level by installing lights both above the mirror and along its sides, Larry says.

You can find vertical LED lights that are perfect for adding to the side paneling of your mirror at a hardware store, she notes. “If you want a truly great bathroom, focus on lighting and the rest will fall into place,” Larry says. 

Upgrade your towels from “this will do” to ultra-plush. High-end, thick, white towels especially have a knack for making a bathroom feel luxurious and spa-like, says home staging expert and interior designer Sandy Levin, owner of of Beautiful Interiors Design Group. In addition to hanging the towels on racks, add some rolled white towels to your bathroom shelves if you’ve got them, she says. 

Framed artwork on the walls can add interest to a bathroom and make the room feel like it is a continuation of the rest of the house, Levin says. Just avoid placing any above the toilet, she says, to prevent drawing attention to it.

Imbue some organizational bliss to your bathroom by using jars to corral like items such as cotton balls, cotton swabs, and makeup brushes, suggests New York-based interior designer Sandra Moreno of Studio No. 8. Trays will also help you keep your everyday items neatly organized, she says.

Extend the organization into your shower, too, suggests Darla DeMorrow, a certified professional organizer, home stager, and owner of HeartWork Organizing in Philadelphia. She recommends a rust-free shelf or hanging organizer for your shampoos, conditioners and soaps. 

Want more bathroom staging tricks? Here’s what home-staging pros say you should do before letting anyone in your bathroom.