Room of the Week: A Sunny Bathroom Full of Clever, Child-friendly Ideas
Beautiful design, strong colours and smart ideas make this bathroom look good and function brilliantly for the children who use it every day
The bathroom in a home without kids is simply the location for a quick morning shower or a quiet evening soak, but a bathroom used by children is a far busier space. Bath time can be a crowded, active event, with lots of play, splashing and people, since parents need to supervise bathing. So with three young children – twin boys and a girl – the owners of this Berkshire home called in Karen Beecroft of InStil Design to refresh their dated bathroom with the kids in mind.
‘The challenge was to fit everything into the narrow room, create plenty of storage and choose a great colour scheme to link it all together,’ says Karen. She created a design that rocks an on-trend grey and yellow scheme, is super-functional, but is also packed with clever details that make it safe and enjoyable for the children to use.
‘The challenge was to fit everything into the narrow room, create plenty of storage and choose a great colour scheme to link it all together,’ says Karen. She created a design that rocks an on-trend grey and yellow scheme, is super-functional, but is also packed with clever details that make it safe and enjoyable for the children to use.
A double vanity unit means there’s plenty of space for the kids to brush their teeth at the same time, making the morning rush easier to manage.
‘The little girl will eventually use what is now the guest bathroom and this space will be for the twins, so two basins make it handy,’ says Karen. ‘I was concerned about how to fit double vanity units in, but while a lot of basins are 60cm wide or more, these are just 55cm, so they slot in nicely.’
Vanity units and mirrored cabinets, Svedbergs.
‘The little girl will eventually use what is now the guest bathroom and this space will be for the twins, so two basins make it handy,’ says Karen. ‘I was concerned about how to fit double vanity units in, but while a lot of basins are 60cm wide or more, these are just 55cm, so they slot in nicely.’
Vanity units and mirrored cabinets, Svedbergs.
The bathroom had a dark pine floor when Karen first saw it. ‘It was not practical for children, as wooden floors can get slippery,’ she says. Instead, she fitted anti-slip porcelain tiles. ‘They have a slight texture, so if the kids do decide to run around when wet, they will be safer.’
Check out 10 ways to design a practical family bathroom
Check out 10 ways to design a practical family bathroom
The bath has a hand-held shower attachment that can be pulled out from the side, making hair-washing simple. ‘It also makes cleaning the bath a lot easier,’ says Karen.
There was a corner bath in the room originally, which was awkward to use. ‘Bathing was an issue,’ says Karen. ‘The owner was finding that quite frustrating.’ In its place is a standard-sized, double-ended bath, allowing two children to share the tub without either bumping into taps. Neat valves sit at the far end and the water flows in at the side.
The owner wanted lots of storage built in so plastic bath toys and various products could be neatly stored out of the way. In addition to the double vanity units, a cupboard hangs above the toilet.
Bath, Cleargreen.
The owner wanted lots of storage built in so plastic bath toys and various products could be neatly stored out of the way. In addition to the double vanity units, a cupboard hangs above the toilet.
Bath, Cleargreen.
Karen added a strip of yellow mosaics in the shower enclosure. ‘I wanted to tie the shower in with the yellow wall without going over the top,’ she says. ‘I also wanted the splash of colour to be visible from the door as you walk in.’
Karen chose a dark grey radiator. ‘It picks up the grey in the room and breaks up the yellow wall,’ she says. ‘We tend to use coloured radiators over chrome – their finish helps them to give off more heat.’
Radiator, Bisque.
Wake up to juicy fruit shades in your bathroom
Karen chose a dark grey radiator. ‘It picks up the grey in the room and breaks up the yellow wall,’ she says. ‘We tend to use coloured radiators over chrome – their finish helps them to give off more heat.’
Radiator, Bisque.
Wake up to juicy fruit shades in your bathroom
‘I love to build a recess in a shower!’ says Karen. ‘It makes a really nice feature. Unlike those wire baskets you can install, which can get rather gunky, it’s neat and clean. There’s also nothing to bang into while you’re showering.’
Shower, Hansgrohe. Shower screen, Kermi.
Shower, Hansgrohe. Shower screen, Kermi.
Mirrored cabinets contain storage for bathroom essentials. ‘The door can pull right out to about a 45 degree angle to the cabinet,’ says Karen. ‘It’s a really useful feature.’
Mirrored cabinet, Svedbergs.
Mirrored cabinet, Svedbergs.
The storage cupboard alongside the toilet contains all the underfloor heating pipework. ‘I ordered the vanity unit and the wall-hung cupboard above the toilet, then the fitter made a cupboard for the pipework to match,’ says Karen.
Karen chose a boxed-in toilet. ‘It’s easy to clean and has a neat, streamlined look,’ she says. ‘It also means you can have a shelf above, which is a nice detail.’
TELL US…
What do you think of this bright, sunny bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Karen chose a boxed-in toilet. ‘It’s easy to clean and has a neat, streamlined look,’ she says. ‘It also means you can have a shelf above, which is a nice detail.’
TELL US…
What do you think of this bright, sunny bathroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A young family with twin sons and a daughter
Location A village in Berkshire
Size 4m 90cm x 1m 76cm; part of a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house
Designer Karen Beecroft of InStil Design
The bathroom may be narrow, but it has a high ceiling and gets lots of light. ‘The room was painted horrendous colours when I first saw it and the wooden ceiling had a dark orange stain, so it felt gloomy and oppressive in here,’ says Karen. ‘Painting the ceiling white transformed the space right from the start.’
When it came to the walls, Karen teamed white with bold yellow. ‘The owner said she wanted to use a really bright colour,’ says Karen. ‘She was thinking of yellow on one wall but not sure where to go from there. I came up with the grey to complement it. They are a good combination and look cheerful for children, but also quite contemporary.’
Feature wall painted in Lemon Chiffon 2 matt emulsion, Dulux.