Bathroom Design
Kids' Bathrooms, Grown-Up Style
Use a two-pronged approach to create a bath that evolves right along with your child
If there's one spot in your house that practically begs for decorating fun, it's a kids' bathroom. The possibilities are many and tantalizing: exuberant tile, bright linens, quirky fixtures and candy-colored art. Trouble is, eventually the little ones grow up — and you don't want to invest a lost of cash in a room that will be forever stuck in the toddler years.
Your strategy: Keep the bones of the space simple and clean, then overlay them with whimsical accents and tot-friendly colors. Check out these 8 great kids' bathrooms for inspiration.
Your strategy: Keep the bones of the space simple and clean, then overlay them with whimsical accents and tot-friendly colors. Check out these 8 great kids' bathrooms for inspiration.
Pretty and fresh, this cottage-style bath feels just as right for a young woman as for a little girl. One simple, youthful touch — the floral shower curtain — completely changes the feel of the space. Although it wouldn't be out of place in an adult's bathroom, it could easily be exchanged for a more restrained pattern or tailored style.
Round mirrors and rugs arranged polka-dot style riff on the circular shape of the penny tiles that dress every surface of this space.
Little ones would love its playfulness, but if you swapped out the colorful accents for stylish, minimalist accessories, it would morph from sweet to sophisticated in a flash.
Little ones would love its playfulness, but if you swapped out the colorful accents for stylish, minimalist accessories, it would morph from sweet to sophisticated in a flash.
Sure, there are cute frogs on the shower curtain, but it's the sky-blue wall hue that really gives this bath kid appeal.
Nothing beats paint for sheer effort-to-impact ratio, which makes it a perfect solution for a room that needs to transition with the years.
This space could easily go dusty green, gray, khaki, or another mature color as the kids age up and out.
Nothing beats paint for sheer effort-to-impact ratio, which makes it a perfect solution for a room that needs to transition with the years.
This space could easily go dusty green, gray, khaki, or another mature color as the kids age up and out.
At first glance, this setup couldn't look simpler. But the tile treatment here is no easy feat: The homeowners managed to add a grid of pastel colors that stops just short of feeling childish.
The look works great for kids, but with a few artful additions, the tile walls could lend an almost pointillist look.
The look works great for kids, but with a few artful additions, the tile walls could lend an almost pointillist look.
Proof in the power of accessories: A few brightly checkered towels, a quirky towel basket, a stuffed bunny, and this ultra-minimalist bath suddenly feels perfect for little ones. Now picture it with a sleek vase in place of the basket, crisp white linens and a piece of modern art propped at the end of the tub: a dramatic makeover with next to no sweat equity.
Picture this bath with simple brushed-nickel or pewter cabinet knobs instead of the chunky blue ones. It grows up instantly, right? Not only can something as minor as hardware transform the look of a room, small touches like this are a great approach to bringing whimsy into a kids' bath because they're so easy to undo down the road.
What tween wouldn't be all over this sizzling space? Hot color, a shot of pattern and a hint of glamour make for an irresistible combo. The saturated fuchsia feels much more adult than the paler pinks of girlhood.
Next:
Kids' Spaces: Fun, Beachy Bathrooms
Creative Play Spaces for Kids
The Best Colors for Kids' Rooms
The New Look of Nurseries
Next:
Kids' Spaces: Fun, Beachy Bathrooms
Creative Play Spaces for Kids
The Best Colors for Kids' Rooms
The New Look of Nurseries
The lesson: Creating a foundation that has staying power doesn't always mean you have to go neutral.