Custom NumberPicker - optimization

Question

I have this NUMBERPICKER. But I don't want the numbers in the box to show up in the section_room until selected one. Until that I want to have a backgroudImage (placeholder).

<div class="section_room">
  <select id="persons" type="text" placeholder="" onchange="hideIcon(this);">
    <option value="null">1</option>
    <option value="null">2</option>         
    <option value="null">3</option>
    <option value="null">4</option>
  </select>
</div>

    <script>
      function hideIcon(self) {
        self.style.backgroundImage = 'none';
      }
    </script>

#persons {
    background-image: url(../images/icn_person1_dark.png);
    background-size: 40% 80%;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-position: center;
}
select {
    float:right;
    width: 20%;
    height: 44px;
    color: #858585;
    font-size: 0.8725em;
    outline: none;
    font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif;
    background: #ffffff;
    border-color:darkgrey;
    border-style: solid;
    border-radius: 2px;
    outline: none;
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    -moz-appearance: none;
    text-indent: 1px;
}
select option {
    -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -moz-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -o-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;
}

Answer 1

Try this:

<option disabled selected value></option>

Which will provide a 'blank' selection until someone chooses one of the available numbers.

EDIT: Nevermind. Image in a select option is an awful idea.

View here: Updated JS Fiddle Example

Your full <select> would look like this:

<select id="persons" type="text" placeholder="" onchange="hideIcon(this);">
  <option disabled selected value></option>
  <option value="null">1</option>
  <option value="null">2</option>         
  <option value="null">3</option>
  <option value="null">4</option>
</select>

The Select2 plugin's template feature can handle this: Select2