Bathroom Design
Before and Afters
Bathroom of the Week: Bright and Kid-Friendly
A designer found on Houzz creates a streamlined white, blue and gray bathroom with a curbless shower and playful touches
When this California couple decided to embark on a family-friendly renovation, they needed help putting their ideas together. They searched Houzz and found local interior designer Christie Hausmann. One of the important aspects of the project was transforming a dated bathroom into a clean-lined and bright space for their children. The result is a room with streamlined style that pleases the adults and playful touches that make it fun for kids.
After: Hausmann replaced the existing window with a smaller one due to privacy concerns. But installing a new Sun Tunnel from Velux more than made up for it. This type of skylight is also known as a solar tube — it has a dome on the roof that captures the light and sends it through a highly reflective tube to the ceiling. “They rarely turn any lights on in here during the day,” Hausmann says.
After mulling over tub-shower combos and open versus closed shower stalls with the designer, the couple decided they preferred the flexibility of a separate shower stall that was open. The shower is curbless and has a linear drain. While the bathroom was designed for young children, this universal design feature makes it versatile and accessible for all ages and physical capabilities.
One must-have was a handheld shower head for washing a child’s hair in the tub, washing the dog in the shower and cleaning. The designer placed it between the tub and shower so it could serve both spaces.
The couple also liked the idea of an all-white shower stall in classic subway tile, as well as hexagonal tiles. The hexagonal floor tiles ground the light room in a darker color. They play off the color of the countertop and have a weathered linen-like texture. To suit the owners’ love of crisp lines, the tub and countertop have squared-off edges, and the inset slab-front doors and drawers of the vanity are streamlined.
Find an interior designer on Houzz
After mulling over tub-shower combos and open versus closed shower stalls with the designer, the couple decided they preferred the flexibility of a separate shower stall that was open. The shower is curbless and has a linear drain. While the bathroom was designed for young children, this universal design feature makes it versatile and accessible for all ages and physical capabilities.
One must-have was a handheld shower head for washing a child’s hair in the tub, washing the dog in the shower and cleaning. The designer placed it between the tub and shower so it could serve both spaces.
The couple also liked the idea of an all-white shower stall in classic subway tile, as well as hexagonal tiles. The hexagonal floor tiles ground the light room in a darker color. They play off the color of the countertop and have a weathered linen-like texture. To suit the owners’ love of crisp lines, the tub and countertop have squared-off edges, and the inset slab-front doors and drawers of the vanity are streamlined.
Find an interior designer on Houzz
The couple wanted more counter space than the option of two sinks would provide, so Hausmann found a compromise: a trough sink with two faucets. The couple liked the look of concrete but ultimately decided they wanted something that wouldn’t show rings and other signs of wear and tear. The designer found a quartz that has a polished concrete look. The homeowner came up with the idea of adding a 3-inch ledge atop the backsplash, which adds additional space for placing things.
More counter space was saved by choosing wall-mounted faucets. Polished chrome finishes throughout the room add another modern touch. Mounting the sconces atop the mirror allowed for a larger mirror to bounce the light around. “I love these simple lights from Schoolhouse Electric,” Hausmann says. “They can take all kinds of bulbs, so I brought in just about every type of bulb and we messed around with them until we found a favorite.”
Because this is a kids bathroom, Hausmann persuaded her clients to stretch beyond their comfort zone of mostly white. The custom vanity adds color to the space. The designer found small hexagonal tiles in the same hue to use as accents in the niches and to play off the hexagonal floor tiles. “He loved niches and we used them throughout the house for storage and display,” she says. To get the niches as clean-lined as possible, the cabinetmaker inserted wood around the inside edges after the backs were tiled. This resulted in a crisp look and eliminated the need for tile edging trim.
Browse wall-mounted faucets
More counter space was saved by choosing wall-mounted faucets. Polished chrome finishes throughout the room add another modern touch. Mounting the sconces atop the mirror allowed for a larger mirror to bounce the light around. “I love these simple lights from Schoolhouse Electric,” Hausmann says. “They can take all kinds of bulbs, so I brought in just about every type of bulb and we messed around with them until we found a favorite.”
Because this is a kids bathroom, Hausmann persuaded her clients to stretch beyond their comfort zone of mostly white. The custom vanity adds color to the space. The designer found small hexagonal tiles in the same hue to use as accents in the niches and to play off the hexagonal floor tiles. “He loved niches and we used them throughout the house for storage and display,” she says. To get the niches as clean-lined as possible, the cabinetmaker inserted wood around the inside edges after the backs were tiled. This resulted in a crisp look and eliminated the need for tile edging trim.
Browse wall-mounted faucets
Hausmann also backed the tub niche in the blue hexagonal tile. “Because they wanted an all-white shower stall, we used the same hexagonal tiles in white in the shower niche,” she says.
The faucets throughout the space are from the Litze bath collection by Brizo. “They are a little industrial but not in an over-the-top way,” Hausmann says.
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The faucets throughout the space are from the Litze bath collection by Brizo. “They are a little industrial but not in an over-the-top way,” Hausmann says.
Find a local tile professional
The husband is a photographer and he took this delightful photo of a sea otter. Another personal touch involved their last name. Some eagle-eyed readers may have spied one of these swan-shaped hooks in a previous photo. The couple’s last name begins with “S-W-A-N.” “They have swans throughout the house,” Hausmann says. So she had the cabinetmaker create this towel and robe rack using more of the swan hooks.
Browse wall hooks in the Houzz Shop
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Browse wall hooks in the Houzz Shop
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a local bathroom remodeler
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who uses it: Two little girls
Location: Scotts Valley, California
Size: 92 square feet (8.5 square meters); 7 feet, 9 inches by 11 feet, 10 inches
Designer: Christie Hausmann
Before: “The bathroom was dark and dingy,” Hausmann says. The couple wanted to make it a light and bright space. To get an idea of their style, she had them share inspiration photos in Houzz ideabooks. “The funny thing was, they each decided to create their own, but around 75% of the photos they chose were duplicates,” she says. This let her know she wouldn’t have to play the role of design negotiator — both of them liked modern and clean-lined style.
Early on in the planning phase, the couple found out they were expecting. They accelerated the construction schedule and the husband took over the task of working with Hausmann on the design decisions. “He really embraced the design process,” she says.
How to Create and Use Ideabooks