Kid's bathroom ideas – playful and practical designs for a family friendly space

The right mix of kids' bathroom ideas is functional and fun all at once. It's a room that can be playful in design, yet easy to manage for whatever age. It needs to be a safe space, easy to use, and it must be designed as a room your children can grow and mature into.

Of course, there's a stylish way to approach a bathroom for children, just as you would design a chic kids' room. 

From the choice of the wall color, the design of the key bathroom elements like the sink and the bathing, to how to make your child's bathroom accessible and safe, we've collated eight of our favorite designs to inspire. 

8 stylish kid's bathroom ideas 

Kids’ bathrooms should be focused on helping the child develop and become more independent. Designing your kids' bathroom in the right way allows them to learn and continuously grow and achieve age-appropriate milestones. 'You want a kid’s bathroom to be a balance of functionality and fun, but not babyish,' says Yousef Mansuri, director of design at CP Hart. 'The bathroom should grow with the child, so they love it as much when they are 15, as when they were 5.'

Make sure it is a flexible space that adapts with your child. 'Buy the best quality products you can afford. Choose durable products and that will stand the test of time,' says James Lentaigne of Drummonds.  

1. Add playful pops of color through fixtures

Color is a great addition to a child's bathroom, but make sure you get the balance right. When it comes to décor and colors, you can introduce color in small quantities through features, rather than going for a bold wall tile, for example.  

In this scheme from designer Frederick Tang, the touches of color on the taps, pipework, lighting and accessories add enough color to an otherwise simple scheme. 'Lighting and accessories become playful accents in a similar crayola palette,' says Barbara Reyes, director of design at Frederick Tang Architecture.

'Go mainly neutral in tone but add flashes of color with towels and accessories which can be changed and upgraded,' advises Yousef Mansuri of CP Hart.

'If you want to include more permanent color, I would suggest to keep it to muted tones - dusty pinks, pale blues, or sage greens, for example. This works well as either the furniture finish, paintwork, or as a tiled feature wall or patterned floor.'

2. Or choose a colorful grout 

Grout is another fun detail to utilize color in a kids bathroom. Why not get creative with tile and grout color combinations?

'Grout can often be overlooked or a last minute choice, but good design considers every detail,' says Anie Ritz, principal designer of Los Angeles-based And And And Studio. 'If you're willing to play with it, matching grout color to a wall or cabinet color within the space can make different materials seem connected and harmonious.' 

To keep your kids bathroom a calm space, stick to softer, pastel shades. 'In this kids' bath, we used pale pink grout with a blue tile,' Annie adds. 

3. Include a step stool 

Invest in some cute steps to help your child reach the sink. 'There is no point choosing small sanitary products for children as they will soon outgrow those,' points out James from Drummonds. 'Much better to buy steps so they can reach the vanity, and WC, while they are small.'

This design from J&D London is a simple idea, and painting the steps in a bright and cheery red makes them a details that the kids will love to use. 

4. Make use of brightly colored tiles

Clever bathroom tile ideas are a great way to introduce some personality into a kids' bathroom. Whether you choose a bold pattern, a vibrant color or an interesting tile layout, tiles are a practical but impactful choice. Use bright tiles on a feature wall and introduce color and personality through design in subtle pops of color. 

Large tiles are a good idea for a family bathroom, fewer grout lines mean less cleaning which is ideal for busy family bathrooms. 

5. Get creative with materials 

If you're looking to use more innovative materials for your kids' bathroom design, think about how they can be adapted to suit a theme or color scheme the kids will enjoy. 

In this scheme by Mumbai-based design studio Zero9, a colorful pink and purple scheme echoes the palette used in the girl's bedroom, but in a modern concrete finish. 'Her bathroom is an extension of similar colours with micro-concrete over the existing bathroom setting,' says Prashant Chauhan of Mumbai-based design studio Zero9.

6. Double up on sinks

For families with multiple children, ensure there is plenty of space around the bathroom sink for at least two to gather. 

'Try doubling up on basins, they're not just for primary bathrooms,' says Yousef.  'Use a large trough-like basin with two taps. A seamless built-in basin, or an under-counter basin are the most practical for kids, as they are easier to maintain and contain splashes, rather than a surface-mounted bowl, which may get water and dirt trapped under the sides.'

7. Add a fun wallpaper

Get playful with your design and involve your child in the interiors. Ask them what they like and get them involved in picking a colorful wallpaper to put on the wall above the wall paneling. This gives a bit more personality to the scheme. In this example from Dado Atelier, the blue has been paired with a bright red, creating a loose child-like marine theme.

8. Think about storage solutions

The key to designing a kids' bathroom is also to incorporate as much storage as possible, so that the space can be tidied up and clutter-free. Under-basin vanity units, tall wall cabinets, mirror cabinets, and shelving, are all super useful to store all your child's bathroom essentials.

'Storage for medicines and grown-up products needs to be at eye height away from the kids,' says James. 'The children’s products need to be out in the open on shelving and easily accessible but it is also good to have a cupboard space to squirrel these items away if you have a guest visiting who will also use this room.'

9. Consider a theme for your kids' bathroom

To make the space fun for your child, think about adding a subtle theme. This will encourage them to learn and use the space. In this scheme from Innovatus Design, the sign was the inspiration for the rest of the story to flow. 'I wanted to create a space that was kid-friendly and fun but could grow with the children as they grow,' explains Heather Mastrangeli of the design house. 

'Using a deep blue, I made the bathroom feel vibrant and fun by layering bright colors and fun wall decals. To balance the darkness of the blue, I added white wainscoting to the wall to help bounce light around.

'Bright colors are stimulating and add energy to a space, but as the children grow into their teen years, the bright accents can be replaced with more sophisticated colors.

'Funky planet door knobs, a solar system coat rack used as a towel rack launch this bathroom to a new galaxy,' adds Heather.

What are essential elements for a kid's bathroom?

When planning a kid's bathroom, think about the essential elements of the space. 'The family bathroom has to have a shower, a bath and a large sink - these are essential,' says James from Drummonds. 'When your kids are young the bath will be the place you bathe them. This doesn't have to be drab either.  'A painted freestanding tub can add color to a room and can be easily changed if and when you tire of the colour.'

Attractive light fittings provide both light and a focal point depending on positioning, but opt for waterproof fittings to make sure they are child-friendly.

The flooring in any bathroom should be non-slip to ensure no accidents happen,  which is of particular importance within a kid's bathroom. The use of bath mats and washable rugs in bathrooms are very useful, as they soak up splashes and create a soft surface for delicate toes.