Designing a Kid-Friendly Guest Bathroom

Many three and four bedroom homes feature a single bathroom that both children and guests have to share. Although it is necessary, this can pose many problems, such as how to keep the bathroom clean, how to choose a design that appeals to adults and children alike, and how to make it a comfortable space for everyone. This weekend I took on the difficult task of designing a kid-friendly guest bathroom and I am excited to share the results with you today.

Problem #1:

I was starting with a builder beige bathroom that was completely lacking any style whatsoever. When I started the redesign process the first challenge I faced was finding a style that would appeal to both adults and children alike. Unfortunately, the shower curtains in the children’s section weren’t sophisticated enough for guests and the ones in the adult section aren’t a fun choice for my small children.

The Solution:

After much searching I found a beautiful white and grey whale patterned shower curtain at West Elm. This simple shower curtain had a sophisticated color palette while still adding a touch of whimsy with the addition of the whales. Simple silver shower curtain hooks and a fresh liner completed the curtain. The shower curtain was the very first purchase for this redesign and it inspired the rest of the selections for this bathroom, right down to paint color. We chose a medium grey tone for the walls and gave the door and trim a fresh coat of barely silver paint while we were at it.

Problem #2:

My kids are still young, all three of them are 6 and under. Their short stature means that they can’t even reach the towel bar. Because I hate coming in to a bathroom with messy towels, I wad determined to find a solution that would enable them to clean up after themselves. I also needed to be able to differentiate which towel belonged to which child.

The Solution:

I stumbled upon the solution to my problem when I located this wall hanging with three hooks extending down from it. I then decided to color code our towels, choosing a pale grey, white, and yellow color combination. I bought two towels of each color as well as a spool of yellow grosgrain ribbon. In less than an hour I sewed ribbon loops to the center side of each of the 6 towels. These loops easily slide over the hooks, which are hung low enough on the wall for my kids to reach. Each towel always hangs perfectly and the kids know exactly which color is theirs.

Problem #3:

Anyone with kids knows how hard it can be to keep their bathroom clean and tidy. Dirty clothes, bath toys, toothbrushes, and toothpaste seem to get strewn everywhere. When you have guests that use that bathroom on a regular basis, the constant cleanup can be daunting. I was bound to find a solution that would work for both me and the kids.

The Solution:

I quickly realized that storage solutions are going to be an absolutely necessary part of my bathroom design. I started with an oversized hamper that is big enough to contain all of y kids’ laundry. The hamper had the same grey and white color scheme introduced by the curtain but has a fun chevron pattern that appeals to children and adults alike. A simple grey plastic egg crate in the bathtub contains the toys and can easily be lifted out and placed under the sink when a guest needs to take a shower. Whale bins on the cart contain my girls’ hairbrushes, headbands, hair ties, and jewelry. Finally, a three-section pen holder was the ideal solution for their battery-operated toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes.

The Finishing Touches:

Any great design requires accessories to bring the whole thing together. A sign on the way reinforces the color scheme, as does the little yellow candle and white jar on the cart. A few mug hooks screwed into the cart provides the ideal place to hang three washcloths. Hanging those gives the kids a place to wipe their hands and faces without dirtying the hand towel that is intended for guests. By far my favorite accessory is the octopus hook hung to the side of the vanity. A single hand towel hangs from a ribbon and remains accessible without taking up valuable counter space.

Get Inspired

Hopefully we have inspired you to tackle your guest bathroom in a way that appeals to kids and adults alike. Feel free to share your finished designs with us, we would love to see what you have done.