Gone are the days of sticking fish or flower decals on the walls of our kids' bathrooms or hanging a plastic shower curtain with rubber ducks on it to add an element of fun to a family's secondary bathroom.
When my clients wanted to renovate their girls' bathroom, we all knew that we wanted good design that would grow with their kids and flow with the rest of their eclectic, farmhouse-style home. But we also wanted it to be a little whimsical and fun because their girls are young and life's too short to not have some fun!
We started with patterned tile. These days, there are a lot of affordable options out there, but even just a few years ago when I designed this bathroom, affordable patterned tile was hard to come by. This ceramic Merola Tile has been a tried and true alternative to traditional encaustic tile. I've used it in my own home and in multiple clients' homes. It is beautiful and stands up against wear and tear really well. Tile like this is a bit of a commitment (unlike a fun paint color that is easy enough to change), but it packs a big punch in way of design. If you want fun and interest in a room, I'm always an advocate for interesting tile!
While we're on the subject of tile, we used beveled subway tile in the shower for that nod to the classic farmhouse feel and added some interest by using hexagon penny tile in the soap box.
As I began the design of the bathroom, the black and white was coming out a little cold. The clients' home is really warm and inviting, so by adding the wood plank wall, we carried that feeling into the bathroom. It plays well off the round wood mirrors, too. Free advice for the day...when using different materials, always try to have it appear at least 2-3 times within the room to make it feel intentional vs. random.
Aesthetic is obviously a big thing, but functionality is key to really enjoying a space. Without it, it doesn't really matter how beautiful the room is, you aren't going to love it. With that in mind, we added these pull-out step stools that double as storage. I love that they don't have to have an ugly stool taking up room in the bathroom!
Once the hard finishes are decided, you can add a lot more fun and personality in the decor. These are the things that are easily switched out and can be changed as kids grow or you just tire of the decor. In this bathroom, we used the art on the wall and the shower curtain to add some playfulness to the room.
Find these cute prints at ILovePrintable Etsy Shop.
This shower curtain is so random, but it was perfect for this room!
Overall, I think kids bathrooms can be mature and youthful. Design the hard finishes for the long-haul since those things are harder (and more expensive) to change, and use the decor (art, shower curtain, countertop decor) to add interest that's relevant to the life-stage you're in at the moment!
For more pictures, see the project portfolio here. And to see this client's primary bathroom, visit here!