Wow, I never thought I would see another main bathroom as long and narrow as mine! Actually, your bathroom looks pretty nice as is, but I do understand wanting to make a better flow as your family grows. You say that the bath is needed for the children. Are you planning to put a shower somewhere also? And if so where?

You may want to do a rough sketch with measurements. I know pros will be asking for that. I love all of the tile choices you have selected but especially the first one that’s that soft blue. I’m also wanting to update my 1935 house’s bathroom so I will be following this post closely.

Debra

I like the white tiles in your picture that has an arch and a stool. A wall hung toilet can help maximize space in a small bathroom.

I agree with jck910 -- focus on durable finishes and a bit of fun for the kids. You could do sky blue in the cabinetry or tile or paint...

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Something like this might balance fun with elegance:

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One other thought: Do you expect to move before they are big? Because having a bunch of teens or tweens sharing a tiny sink could really be a challenge, in which case the cost of rearranging to put the shower at the end of room (like jck's first example) so that you can have a larger vanity could totally be worth it and save you having to redo later.

Along the same lines, while I like the idea of wallpaper, I would avoid kid oriented type designs. The bathroom is so small that I think large prints with dark colors will make the room look smaller. I would stick to a small print or perhaps a textured wallpaper. Or you could be inspired to do a split color painting, for instance a pale blue that you like on the bottom half or 2/3s and a lighter blue on the top third. I would also keep a light floor which will keep a small space feeling lighter. Good luck with whatever you do!

debra

We need a to scale floor plan of the space mark where the pieces are now but do not draw them in Do the drawing on graph paper show windows doorways how those swing and every measurement clearly marked post here in jepeg format in a comment DO NOT start another post. I do not see a tub in the pics so a bit more info too. Is this the only bathroom taht can have atub/ My experience is that kids use a shower as soon as they can do so alone . Are these kids all one sex ? This will work right now but I agree 3 kids sharing a tiny bathroom as they age will be a nigtmare and more so if mixed sexes

If it were me, I would be tempted to do a classic black and white bath with gorgeous tiles that jibe with the 1920’s feel of the home and then do a fabulous sky blue geometric wallpaper to knock back the “dressy-ness” for the kids

(I understand that people love zellige I just feel like it’s been done to death)

When the OP comes back with some info we can maybe help. IMO none iof the bathrooms shown are what I would do for 3 kids sharing. I kind of like the black and white idea .But I need a to scale floor plan.Posted here in jepg format in a comment .

We just gave our powder room a facelift…black and white. I had first thought about wallpaper but wanted simple so we just added moldings and painted it all white..had the wood vanity painted lacquer black..we are so pleased with the simple classic style. you could do a light blue cabinet! would be so pretty..maybe black and white tiled floor…polished nickle would be lovely with light blue.

Reminder: This is a bathroom for 3 small children, all under age 6.

Same concept as mine white walls but more casual blue vanity..black and white tiles a plus! raised two kids boy and girl with jack and jill bathroom…..and still could have a pretty bathroom..just kept it simple classic…fun with color.

Japandi can easily be achieved without Zellige tiles (article below might be helpful). There are lovely tiles that will create a similar feel overall and be more practical for a children’s bathroom.

https://www.hausofvorwith.com/blog/all-things-zellige

Wonder if this tub set up would work/be practical.

Avoid white grout on the floors

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your input and advice! I am still processing all but wanted to quickly share the floor plan as requested. This is the current floor plan. Like I mentioned we are leaning towards keeping plumbing to save money. I can be convinced otherwise though since I do agree that having the tub at the end would open up the room. I also included the two neighboring bedrooms. Another idea I had was to move the wall to the right even just 12 inches into the bedroom. That would make a big difference in the bathroom and have less impact on the bedroom but it would likely be quite expensive.

Someone asked if we could stay when the children are teenagers. Unfortunately, I think we may outgrow our house at that point. The 1 year olds are twins so it is currently 4 kids under 6... But I do want a design that takes into account that these kids will grow.

The reason we want to redo the bathroom is that it has turned out to be very impractical, it's just too narrow and we keep bumping into the little alcove walls, the sink, or the radiator when we bathe the kids. We've only lived in the house for 2 years but immediately realized the problems with this room.

Regarding storage. Yes, we'll need some. I don't think the current recessed cabit behind the door works that great because I could use that space for towels (currently there is one spot on the wall between the tub and the toilet and then a rack next to the toilet. This is not great. I am thinking of four hooks behind the door and then a bigger cabinet over the toilet. Possibly recessed. If we keep the design as is, we have to go with a more shallow sink/vanity so I don't think this will provide much storage. As you see on the floor plan we also have a linen closet right outside the room but it is more practical with storage in the bathroom.

Yes, I like the idea of a wall-mounted toilet. We built a brand new bathroom in our basement for an au pair suite/guest room this summer and went wall mounted for both toilet and vanity.

I will follow up with more thoughts on comments and thoughts on where I am at after I have processed all of this advice!! Thanks again.

Okay, a few more thoughts. I like the ideas of a fun floor with simpler wall and tub titles. I think white subway is a little plain and "cold", generally I'd like tiles with natural variation and warmer hues, but I will do more research for non-zellige. @Maureen, thanks for the Ivy hill suggestion. I like those too. I like the fun star floor suggested by @jck910and thinking more about fun floors I do really like floor in the photo I posted with white zellige walls:

And this one:

Such mosaics are probably quite expensive, but similar-ish looks can be achieved with some of the cement options. I think blank/ white contrasts will stand out in our home which generally has softer more natural hues, but these above images may capture some of that same classic look.

And yes, Japandi can be achieved without Zellige and may be more practical.

I appreciate the ideas for a blue cabinet, but I also think the vanity is a nice way to bring in some natural wood to add warmth like this... .. depending on how busy the rest of the design is...

Ore more blue hues

Still thinking ...

I think you are confusing what you want for your master bath, with what works for a kids bath. A kids bath need not be ugly, but it does need to be easily cleanable, and not too ”precious”. Not cutesey nursery. But not grown up high maintenance elegant either.

Not sure I agree with all the commentary on "dumbing it down" for the kids; a bathroom is a bathroom and by definition should have finishes that are easy to clean. I'd check out Fireclay Tile's 1 x 6's in a soft sage green or a creamy white installed vertically in a straight set for the shower and backsplash, and get some soft gray porcelain tile for the flooring in either 12 x 12's or 12 x 24's. Here are some other inspo pix with similar looks.

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It sounds like a move is in your future so make this a budget friendly, resale friendly, warm japandi bathroom, with kid aesthetic coming from shower curtain, window blinds, and art work, which can be easily swapped out when you go to sell your home in 5 years, 8 years? Use warm neutral floor and wall tiles.

Tub area

Keep the current layout. Towel hooks on back of door and behind door. Remove built in upper cabinet. Replace radiator with radiant heat. Add recessed open shelves nearly floor to ceiling where radiator is now. Shelves can hold easy to reach toys and bubbles now, and as the kids get older they can each have their own shelf for stuff.

Sink - toilet area

Nice to have a vanity with storage instead of pedestal, but do you need a place to stash a step stool and potty training thing? If so, consider a console with legs and some usable surface space around the sink for sitting down toothbrushes.

We recently renovated a *tiny* bathroom from 1938. Here are some pics. We kept it neutral and can swap out wall color, shower curtain, and towels if we want to change it up. We live in a coop and were not allowed to change plumbing locations.

If you live in an historic house and think you will be moving, I would create a “modern black and white 1920’s” bathroom for your children. It’s classic and will help with resale. The next owners may not have children so I would not design specifically for them.

Some ideas to ponder:

A cute mosaic floor goes a long way, which lets you save on the tub and vanity. Also, if you keep it black and white, a light blue vanity will look great!

Here is a blue vanity in a black and white bathroom for a young family.

Again, thank you all for your input and feedback. So much advice to take in and I love much practical and hands-on you all are! I agree need to think a little little more practically, and I will also cater more towards my liking and a more neutral space, than pleasing the kids (which I can do with more kid-centric art!). I did look at wallpapers but got overwhelmed and gave up. Currently, I am weighing three ideas inspired by my Scandi & Serene liking and input here.

Simple white tile, possibly with a dark floor

Wall Tiles: Maybe fireclay tush 2x8 (first image) or Zia linen ceramic....

[Floor tile: larger formats will be easier to clean and gray rather than black may look less dirty...]

Japandi / kitkit minimalism:

I struggle to find good tiles for this. Yes, Fireclay has nice options but so expensive.

I also worry a little about the amount of grout in the tub area. Could look really dirty.... the door thing is that they don't take showers yet, only occasional guests do...

Colorful but simple subway

This will depend on finding a tile I like. Most of these ideas are from Fireclay and I LOVE to look on paper, but when I ordered samples I had never seen crazing before and I still struggle to wrap by head around it. My husband and I thought all the tiles had scattered during shipping. They are also quite expensive...

Storage

I do like the idea of getting the kids each a shelf close to the sink. I am a little worried that recessed shelves where the radiator is will be too shallow and that things could fall when you walk around since this is our current "challenge spot". I will think more about this. The other obvious spot is above the toilet and maybe there could be room next to the toilet like here although that may require us to move plumbing which is currently at that end :

Thanks again! I will be busy sourcing tile samples but appreciate everyone's thoughts!

Also the house is a dark blue/green shingle style colonial for anyone who asked about the house overall style :)

You pulled together some great looks. Colorful but simple subway tile is my favorite. The serene look will bode well for your small space. The white fixtures help blend into the background, which is helpful in such a small, potentially claustrophobic space. I would not do kit-kat or other tiny tiles as the grout lines can get dizzying in a small room. You should be able to find plenty of affordable colorful subway tiles. A Fireclay splurge should be reserved for grown up spaces.

Do I understand correctly that the first few pictures are your own space? And then the following pictures are your inspiration pictures. Thoughts:

- It's narrow but workable.

- Are you open to moving things around? The toilet across from the mirror isn't ideal, as it opens you up to the possibility of a person sitting on the toilet looking at himself in the mirror.

- Are you married-married to the idea of a tub? If you'd consider a shower, you could "recess it" into that closet by the door, leaving just an entrance to the shower in the bathroom itself.

- You have quite the pinchpoint between the vanity and the tub edge ... recessing a shower would alleviate this problem.

- Is the fairly large window by the toilet an issue? Privacy, I mean? If so, could you reduce the window and slide the toilet around so it "backs up to" the exterior wall ... then place the sink beside it against the back wall?

- Is storage an issue in this bathroom? Could you do away with the pedestal sink (love 'em for half baths, but not so practical for "real bathrooms". You wouldn't be able to have a very large vanity, but it would hold more than your current pedestal.

- I don't love those Hollywood lights.

- Is that narrow shelf item a radiator? And that's going away once you add the radiant heat? Good ... I'd consider shallow shelves in that area, which your kids may not need much now, but they will appreciate that storage when they're older. Size it so they can fill those shelves with small baskets?

- I too love the Zellige tiles, but I don't see them fitting in with what you have now. If you go with them, it'll be "a whole new world" with a whole new look. I really like the example with the wood-tone vanity and arched mirrors ... but, even if you had the space, I wouldn't go with duplicate sinks for children. Storage is 100% more important.

- I do not think your ideas are "too much" or "too elevated" for a children's bath. The tile you like is simple, and that's the background for everything ... but I don't like the gold-tone lights and the fancy-edges mirrors; that's too much for me, much less for children.

- I like the idea of hooks behind the door (or on the back of the door). I don't care for the towel that's hanging /projecting out into the walkway now. And towels behind the door would be reach-able from the tub.

- You're replacing the tub? With three children sharing, definitely go with one of the long-long storage niches.

- From an aesthetic point of view, I do not particularly love Kendrah's suggestion with the toilet dead-ahead of the door ... but it sure is practical. And practical really matters with kids. This'd squish your tub into the corner and allow you more space for the vanity /sink.

So many good points!

@Kendra, I see your point about Kitkat, especially since it is a narrow space. It might work better if the tub was at the end but the current configuration could be dizzying.

@Theresa, a lot of great observations. Yes, you are right that the first photos show the room now. And yes, the narrow shelf hides the current radiator, which has to go. Since the room only has a small amount of exterior wall I think radiation heat and maybe a fan with a heater should be enough. Regarding your Zellige comment about a whole new world, that is definitely what we are looking for :) I think this room probably dates back to the 80s and we are going for a FRESH start gutting everything. Yes, the Hollywood light will not return.

I do think we will need a tub. It would be too impractical not to have one. I have thought about recessing the tub into those closets, but I am a little worried it would make that end of the tub, which would then be the shower end, quite dark. This is (approx.) what it could look like:

I get your point about the mirror across from the toilet. Not ideal, but it doesn't bother me too much. The window does bother me and I thought about replacing it, possibly doing a transom instead, but I ended up accepting it as a place to save costs. I agree it would be better to move or change somehow.

Storage is good, but I am also realistic about the limitations imposed by the size of the room. You guys are opening me up to the idea of recessed shelves where the radiator is....

Please make sure that the radiant will provide enough heat before removing the radiator. I’m in NY and we have a bathroom with radiant heat and no other heater (rest of the house has baseboard heating) and the bathroom is soooo cold.

For a kids' bathroom, consider a Marmoleum floor. Period appropriate, and so much easier to clean. Little boys and tiled bathroom floors are a very. unpleasant. combo. And it doesn't matter how well you train your kids--some of their friends will have bad habits and poor aim.

This might not apply in your home, but was a factor in us keeping our bathroom radiator: might the warm air in winter keep your pipes from freezing?

I hope you will save the sink and offer it up on an upcycling site or give it away on craigslist. It is a beautiful shape and someone will love and use it.

You are all right, I will ask my plumbers for input on the heating. We are in MA and it can get pretty cold... but this room has never been an issue. The primary bathroom does have issues so we have used a portable heater on very cold nights, which could also be done here. I hope we can get rid of the heater. If not, possibly recess it into the wall... But good points!

I agree the sink is beautiful and it fits with the style of the house, but it is impractical for us. It is too big and has no storage. As someone mentioned it would also be more practical to be able to have a stool under the sink. But yes, I will try to offer it to somebody!

Keep in mind that darker tile floors show everything. Medium to light floors will be easier to take care of. As will less grout, so I would nix the thinner tile looks. If Zellige is too expensive, forget it. There are so, so many beautiful tiles out there, sticking to your budget should be doable. AND have a lovely bathroom.

You are definitely balancing the need to have a “regular” (not expressly designed for children) bathroom, plus something updated, but also true to an older home. Pick a color theme (I already pressed my vote for classic black and white) and stick to it. If it’s any consolation, when my friend and her husband were finally redoing their basically unusable master bathroom, they sent me 7 different color combinations of tiles (walls, shower floor, main floor) and then changed their minds again.

This isn’t easy! But if you take a family poll, what colors are favorites? You mentioned blue earlier so putting a blue vanity in a basically white bathroom can work.

I think you need to slow down a bit. you are focusing on finishes without even having a workable layout yet.

if it doesn't work as is today how is keeping everything the same going to improve this fior you?

without a scale layout people will only be guessing at what is possible. my first guess was possibly exploring moving the left bedroom door to the bottom wall and enclosing the bathroom alcove to be included in the bathroom. or if the bedrooms are good sizes maybe steal a few inches from one to widen the bathroom.

@RedRyder. I needed that relatable story! And your definition of what I am trying to balance here is spot on. I try to be practical, but get caught up looking at those beautiful bathrooms and fail to note that the grout is bright white and the floor impossible to clean. Whatever color I pick it has to go with gray grout which I think is true for at least most of the latest ideas I shared (maybe less so some of the colored tiles). I am willing to splurge on Zellige if I felt that was the right option. But I am swayed toward thinking it may not be practical in a kid's bathroom. My oldest daughter LOVES blue so the baby blue Zellige which also put me in such a good, light mood seemed a good option. I haven't found other blue tiles I like quite as much but I know they are out there. And I agree with all the comments in this discussion that there are other easier ways to bring in those colorful elements. Thanks!

@wsea Thanks for the suggestion! That would make sense, but here is the full ploor plan:

The only options I see are using the closet space or moving the wall in the smaller bedroom. I cannot sacrifice the study, otherwise, we could have moved the door to the corner bedroom ... But I am all ears of anyone has others suggestions.....

the floor plan helps but you really need exact inches to redesign. could you steal 6 -12 inches from the 12x12 bedroom? line up that bedroom with the study wall. might make more sense.

The cabinet behind the door - could you lengthen that and make it much longer/taller for storage? (would be nice if the entry door swung the other way perhaps?) we have a 1920s house and my kids have a small bath - we put in a tall recessed cabinet during our reno and I am amazed at how much it holds - it is also way easier for kids to access than a recessed medicine cabinet (although we did that too) - we did doors that folded back flat against the wall which helped with traffic flow

FWIW when we were redoing our kids bath, i got really overwhelmed with all the tile choices - I wanted a black and white bath bc it fit the house and wouldn’t quickly date, I went to my local tile shop and met with their staff and asked to see their favorite reasonably priced B&W options, we figured out the tile in 20 min - I was happy and my tile pro was happy bc I chose lines that were easy to work with (don't underestimate this - your walls/ceiling are likely not plumb so you need to be strategic about your choices - larger format wall tiles can be harder in older homes from what I heave heard)

I have owned a few homes of that vintage and have remodeled some bathrooms. I tend to go very classic black and white. In one I had Pear Green for a while, which I loved, it was so cheerful and great with B & W. Then I repained to a Tiffany Blue (can't remember the actual BM color) and that was really nice too.

@wsea technically we could move the wall but I quite like the build in on the other side of the wall of that bedroom so I would be more inclined to move the other wall into the other bedroom...

(yes, I am in a one-year processes of changing a door knob on an old door... )

Sorry for the bad sketch

Oh, reverse door swing on bathroom

I love the hand drawing but I think this design would make it hard for us to bathe the children... which is part of the problem now... But something like this could be an option....

I had that layout in all three bathrooms we lived in when we had babies & toddlers. Bathing them seemed fine--granted I have no point of comparison. I would do that layout, but make the door swing the other way. People spend the most time in the bathroom at the vanity. Styling hair, popping in to wash hands, etc. So maximize convenient access to the sink. It's not a big deal to close the door fully to access a recessed cabinet on the back wall.

Once kids can sit up, your best friend for bathing them is a shower wand. If you're redoing plumbing anyway, get a good wand on a slide bar. Put good blocking in the wall behind the slider so it can double as a grab bar.

I would definitely get rid of the room outside the bathroom, in favor of a better bathroom layout. Even if you keep the vanty across from the toilet, you could double its size and also have room for a stool (for parent) and/or some storage (toys, cleaning supplies) between shower and toilet. There could even be a linen cabinet in the corner. Also, the option is to leave the tub/shower where it is and move the *sink* into the linen closet area, which would make it easy for somebody to dash in to wash their hands. Then you could have a storage cabinet across from the toilet.