When it comes to re-designing houses, one of the most important areas is the family bathroom. Often overlooked, the family bathroom can often make or break how you feel about a home, after all, you’re using it multiple times a day! But what to look for when designing the perfect family bathroom? Here we break down some of the features we’d recommend based on our experiences renovating homes and raising three (mud-loving) children…
Easy To Clean Surfaces
It’s boring, but if it wasn’t top of your priorities, it should be. From toothpaste in the sink (and down the cupboard!) to dirt in the bath or shower, and never forgetting the times people ‘miss’ the toilet, a bathroom NEEDS to be easy to clean up. This is where you’re getting clean, so by default, it gets grubby.
How to ensure that? Try to simplify the layout of your bathroom so that there aren’t lots of pinch points that are tricky to get your hand or a vacuum in. Everywhere that you have items butting up against each other makes a corner which can be difficult to truly clean. Larger tiles, or even panels on the walls reduce grouted areas which can also allow dust build up. And finally, as someone who has now lived in two houses with this, don’t be tempted by carpet in the bathroom. It gets damp over time and collects dirt, instead opt for a decently sized bathmat that you can stick in the washing machine from time to time.
Storage, Storage, Storage
I was going to tell you that with small children you need plenty of storage, but it turns out as your kids get older, you need just as much. Hooks for towels, drawers for all the various lotions and potions… we recommend trying to build in as much as possible – even in spaces you hadn’t thought of before – for example if you have a bath; why not consider building in some storage into the side at the head end? Items out on the side only create more mess and make it harder to clean – plus who wants to have a relaxing bath with a whole load of bath toys staring at you? Not me. I want to pretend I’m in a hotel or something.
Oh and whilst I’m on it, I love a niche in the shower wall for holding all of your shower essentials. I know they’re controversial for some but it keeps things up and off the floor of the wash area, and they can make the most of space that would otherwise not be used. We have two, and love them! Don’t forget things like hooks on the back of the door – perfect for hanging up little towels ready for post bathtime snuggles!
Slip Resistant Flooring
Although this is for family bathrooms, it applies for all ages. No-one wants a floor surface in a bathroom that’s going to get slippy, whatever your age! Whether you’re looking for a wetroom style or a traditional bathroom, ensuring that your washroom space is safe for all members of the family is really important. If you’re unsure about what you’d need, places like Wetroom Designs can help ensure that you’ve got the best products to meet your needs in creating a safe, functional space.
Thoughtful, Optimised Space
There are MANY different ways to lay out a bathroom in order to make it an enjoyable space to use. Some of those layouts are going to make it feel spacious, and others… aren’t. We would recommend drawing up a scale plan of the room and cutting out all of the different ‘aspects’ of the room. It can really help to visualise what it would look like with the toilet on one side, or the sink in that position! Remember to try to give yourself a decent amount of floor area for moving around in, and that the rules of design work differently in a bathroom – you can stack the towel rail in a different place, or put something under the window. Trust me, take the time to plan it through and it’ll make ALL the difference! Handling a family in a bathroom means you’ll want all the space you can find in there.
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