When decorating for the holidays, bathrooms often get the short end of the stick. It’s not uncommon to walk into a guest bath and be knocked down by the heady scent of a single cinnamon-infused candle and not a thing else. We think we can do better and we were utterly inspired by the cover of this month’s Veranda magazine.

In the feature story, a French ex-pat channels her Continental upbringing for a look that’s elegantly rustic rather than candy coloured disco. We particularly love the mounds of frosted pinecones; they lend such a bucolic feel as if you’ve just scooped them up out of the garden. If you have a basket filled with extra hand towels, swap them out for a pile of these coniferous cones for a few weeks instead. And as the guest bathroom is a place for quick stops, rather than lengthy primping and prepping, a generously sized wreath slung over the mirror still leaves plenty of room to check one’s appearance before dashing back out to the festivities.

Another chic element is the homeowner’s use of silver and gold ornaments, both new and vintage. Why not tie one around the door handle as a way of letting visitors know where the loo is? “The door with the star on the knob at the end of the hall.” Liberty’s fourth floor is a veritable mecca of exquisite decorations or for a simpler, almost Scandinavian note, Katrina Phillips sells a lovely assortment of tin stars at her shop on Portobello Road. 

Photograph © Max Kim-Bee