The Good Design Journal
Set Up Your Holiday Home Properly With These 10 Design-Led Essentials
Setting up a place, whether it’s a holiday home, a rental, or just somewhere that never quite got sorted, usually ends the same way. You get the basics in, it works well enough, and you leave it there.
And it is done. Until you actually start using it.
That’s when the gaps show up. Not all at once, and not always in ways you can point to straight away, but in the small, repeated moments where things don’t work as they should, and where simple tasks take more effort than expected. It’s rarely about needing more. It’s a few key pieces not doing their job properly, which becomes obvious the more you use them.
Most of those fixes are quick wins, and they tend to sit in the same places. The sink, the bench, the bathroom, the areas you rely on every day, where things are used, cleaned, and put away without much thought, and where the wrong setup slows you down.
So instead of reworking everything, we’ve pulled together ten essentials across the kitchen and bathroom that make the biggest difference. The things you use constantly, which improve how a space works day to day, whether you’re there for a weekend or every day.
Kitchen First
The kitchen is usually where you notice things first, because it’s used constantly and without much thought. You’re moving between tasks, putting things down, picking things up again, and expecting everything to just work. When it doesn’t, even in small ways, it slows you down more than it should, and that tends to come back to how things are set up rather than how much you have.
Most of the fixes here aren’t complicated, but they do need to be considered properly, because this is where good systems make the biggest difference. When everything has a place and does what it’s supposed to, the whole space runs more smoothly without you having to think about it.
It usually comes back to what happens after things are used. Where they go, how they dry, whether they stay put.
Get that right, and the rest of the space settles.
Everything that’s just been washed needs a place to land
DESIGNSTUFF Dish Drainer
This is one of the first things you interact with after every meal, so if it doesn’t work, it’s immediately obvious. In a space you’re stepping into fresh each time, there’s no adjustment period, which makes a good setup here matter more than expected. This keeps items upright, allows water to drain, and avoids the bench becoming a holding area for everything else.
A damp sponge left on the sink never really dries
DESIGNSTUFF DRIP Sink Sponge Holder
A sponge is usually the last thing used before leaving, and in a space that sits closed up, it stays damp longer than expected. When you come back, that’s one of the first things you notice. This keeps it elevated so water drains away, allowing it to dry out between uses instead of sitting wet on the sink.
Brushes, cloths, and bottles start to spread without something holding them together
DESIGNSTUFF VANA Sink Caddy
When items around the sink don’t have a set position, they shift over time, especially if the space is used by different people between stays. That means you return to a setup that’s slightly off each time. This holds everything in one place, so the layout stays consistent from one visit to the next.
The dishcloth is usually the first thing that doesn’t make it to the next visit
DESIGNSTUFF ETTA Compostable Eco Dishcloths, Set of 3
Dishcloths are often left damp before a space is closed up, which affects how they hold up between visits. When you come back, they’re usually the first thing that needs replacing. These dry more effectively between uses and maintain their structure, so they’re still usable the next time you return.
More dishes than space is when the setup starts to fall short
DESIGNSTUFF DRIP Folding Silicone Drying Mat
A smaller kitchen setup doesn’t always account for larger meals or multiple people, which becomes obvious when everything needs to be cleaned at once. In a space you’re not constantly refining, that limitation shows up quickly. This adds extra drying space when needed, then folds away so it doesn’t take up room between uses.
Bathroom Next
The bathroom works a bit differently, although it’s no less important. It’s used just as often, but in a more contained way, which means small issues feel more noticeable, especially when things don’t sit where they should or need to be moved around each time you use them.
Here, it’s less about volume and more about placement. A few well-chosen pieces that hold, organise, and contain what you use every day tend to solve most of the friction, because once they’re in place, the space stays consistent without needing to be reset each time.
Loose bottles change position every time the space is used
ZONE DENMARK A-Rack Coat/Towel Rack
In a space you don’t use every day, you don’t remember where things were left or what’s been moved since your last stay. Loose bottles shift, get replaced, or run out at different times, which means you’re figuring it out again each visit. A fixed dispenser removes that variation and keeps the setup consistent from one stay to the next.
Small items don’t stay put unless they’re given a fixed position
DESIGNSTUFF ARC Tumbler
Small items are easy to overlook when you’re setting things up quickly, which usually means they never have a fixed position. When you come back, they’ve moved, been swapped, or disappeared entirely. This gives them a set place, so you’re not resetting the same area every time you return.
A standard tissue box tends to sit outside the rest of the setup
DESIGNSTUFF ARC Square Tissue Box
A standard tissue box is often whatever was already there, which means it’s the one item that doesn’t match or sit properly within the space. In a bathroom that’s used occasionally, those inconsistencies stand out more because everything else has been set deliberately. This keeps it contained and aligned with the rest of the setup.
Anything used this often needs to work without slowing you down
DESIGNSTUFF ARC Pedal Bin
A bin gets used constantly, which makes small frustrations more noticeable over a short stay. Lifting a lid by hand or dealing with something awkward to clean becomes repetitive quickly. A pedal bin keeps it hands-free, easy to use, and easy to maintain, so it does its job without slowing anything down.
You’re not stepping back onto a damp surface
DESIGNSTUFF CURV Silicone Bath Mat
A bath mat sits in a space that’s often closed up between stays, which means anything that holds water becomes noticeable straight away. Fabric mats can stay damp, especially without regular use, which affects how the bathroom feels when you return. This allows water to drain and dry out between uses, while providing grip underfoot when you need it.
What should you include in a holiday home or Airbnb setup?
This is one of the most common starting points when setting up a holiday home or short-term rental, because it covers both the essentials and the overall experience. The focus should be on items that are used repeatedly and need to work without adjustment, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom where daily routines happen. Dish drying solutions, sink organisation, cleaning cloths, soap dispensers, and bath mats all fall into this category, as they support the basic tasks that every guest or visitor relies on.
In a space that may sit unused between stays, it’s less about quantity and more about reliability. Choosing items that are easy to clean, hold up over time, and maintain their position ensures the space feels consistent and ready to use each time someone arrives.
What are the essentials for a holiday home kitchen?
A holiday home kitchen needs to support repeated use without requiring adjustment, which makes a few key items more important than a long list of tools. Dish draining, sink organisation, and cleaning materials form the core setup, as these are used after every meal and tend to create friction when they’re not handled properly. A structured drying system, a defined place for sponges and cleaning tools, and cloths that dry between uses all contribute to a setup that works without effort.
Because the space may not be used daily, these items also need to handle periods of inactivity. Materials that allow water to drain and dry, such as stainless steel and silicone, help prevent issues that would otherwise be noticeable when the space is used again.
What are the essentials for a holiday home bathroom?
In a holiday home bathroom, the essentials are the items that support daily routines and remain consistent between visits. This includes soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, bath mats, and bins, all of which are used frequently and need to function without adjustment. When these items don’t have a fixed position or are difficult to use, the space can feel unsettled each time it’s used.
Products that manage moisture and maintain their condition between stays are particularly important. Materials that allow water to drain and dry, along with items that are easy to clean, help ensure the bathroom is ready to use without additional preparation.
How do you set up a holiday home so it’s easy to use every time?
Setting up a holiday home so it’s easy to use comes down to consistency and clarity. Each item should have a clear function and a fixed place, so there’s no need to figure things out again when you return. This is especially important in high-use areas like the kitchen and bathroom, where tasks are repeated throughout the day.
It also helps to choose materials and formats that can handle being left unused between visits. Products that resist moisture build-up, are easy to clean, and maintain their structure will continue to perform as expected, even after time away from the space.
What are common mistakes when setting up a holiday home?
One of the most common mistakes is focusing on how a space looks rather than how it works, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom where function matters most. Items that don’t drain properly, stay wet between uses, or don’t have a defined place tend to create small but repeated issues that become noticeable over a short stay.
Another mistake is choosing products that require adjustment or frequent replacement. In a holiday home, simplicity and reliability are more important, as they ensure the space works as expected without needing to be reset each time it’s used.
What materials work best in a holiday home kitchen and bathroom?
Materials that handle moisture, repeated use, and periods of inactivity are best suited to holiday homes. In the kitchen, stainless steel and silicone are effective for items like dish drainers and drying mats, as they allow water to drain and dry between uses. In the bathroom, silicone bath mats and sealed finishes help reduce water retention and make cleaning more straightforward.
Durability is also important, particularly in spaces that may be used by different people over time. Materials that hold their shape and resist wear ensure that products continue to function as intended, without needing frequent replacement.
Get the Basics Right From the Start
Setting up a holiday home properly means thinking about how the space will be used in short bursts, not over time. You arrive, you use everything straight away, and you notice what works and what doesn’t without much buffer in between. That’s why the kitchen and bathroom matter most, and why getting those decisions right from the start makes the biggest difference.
The pieces in this edit aren’t about adding more, but about removing the small points of friction that show up every time you stay. When those are handled, the space holds its setup between visits and works the way you expect it to, without needing to be reset each time you return.
If you’re setting up a holiday home, or tightening up the parts of your own space that don’t quite work yet, you can explore the full Designstuff range below.
