How can you design a bath that your children won’t outgrow? Our top four criteria at Innovative Kitchen & Bath for a well-designed children’s bathroom are safety, usability, durability, and longevity of design.
Bathroom design for children is a lot of fun! When designing a bathroom, we give close consideration to the details, and the children’s bath is no different.
You want this bathroom to last, as do many others who are remodeling. You don’t want to discover, a few years down the line, that your children have outgrown their bathroom. Three things that you may have already thought about for the bathroom renovation for your children are:
- Function: When designing the functional elements (like the tub), keep in mind that the child will grow over time.
- Themes: Steer clear of buying permanent themed fixtures. Instead, create a theme utilizing the color of the walls, wall decals, toilet seats, and towels and floor mats.
- Features: Ample shelves, strategically placed small storage compartments for frequently used items, and soft-close cabinet, drawer, and toilet seat doors are features that both a young child and an older teen would appreciate.
We’ll divide the bathroom into zones and offer our advice on how to make your kids’ bathroom suitable for all ages.
Zone 1: Bathing
- Even though teens and adults do not often use bathtubs, young children generally need them. Design a tub that is generously proportioned for adults and teenagers. A tub can be surrounded with tile or a solid surface to add design, character, and more elbow room.
- Additional features to take into consideration in the tub/shower include: strategically placed hand rails to prevent slips and falls.
- A slide bar with a handheld shower head or two wall holders (one high for the shower, one low for the parent bathing the small child).
- Rather than a glass sliding door, a rod with a shower curtain gives complete access while bathing little children.
Zone 2: Toileting
Toilet height is usually a key consideration. While a standard-height toilet is ideal for a young child, an adult-height toilet is likely to be the best option for everyone else. Of course, a toilet can be readily replaced when the child grows or when the children’s bath is converted into a guest bath.
Zone 3: Hardware
For younger children, utilize passage hardware that cannot be locked from the inside instead of privacy hardware on the entry door. This is easily changed as the youngster grows.
Zone 4: Water and moisture issues
Consider utilizing tile flooring and tile baseboards instead of wood to minimize damage. A proper ventilation fan for the bathroom is essential to remove humidity, which promotes mold/mildew.
Budget
How much should you budget for a kids’ bath remodel? A fresh coat of paint and some new hardware can easily transform the area and cost very little. A full makeover will cost significantly more.
Because there are so many factors to take into account, your best course of action is to speak with a design expert at Innovative Kitchen & Bath to help you create a budget and assess whether your budget ideas would enable you to finish your project. Contact Innovative Kitchen & Bath, or visit our showroom in Kirkland, and we’ll help you every step of the way.