Family bathroom ideas for a safe and stylish sanctuary

family bathroom ideas

Family bathroom ideas for a safe and stylish retreat: this feature’s full of them. And they’re important, because think: would your bathroom be safe if you weren’t as steady on your feet? For example, this could happen if you were older, injured or tripping over little kids.

Family bathroom ideas to ensure your safety around water are essential. If you’re a bit clumsy like me, you might have done a silly thing such as slip in the shower or on wet tiles. My accident was self-inflicted (I washed out an oily hair mask while standing) and I’ve never made the same mistake. However, I could’ve done without the scare of actually falling. Or the bruise that adorned my shoulder for quite some time, to be honest.

While this might seem like a funny story, safety concerns such as this are key when planning a family bathroom.

But how do you go about combining safe features with a stylish look? Well, it’s actually pretty easy these days. I have all the detail you need to know to make it work, packed into six short steps. So let’s explore some family bathroom ideas…

Family bathroom ideas with large bath and vanity
Safety is paramount in a multi-generational space, which leads me to the first of our family bathroom ideas. Hansgrohe‘s one-jet Croma E shower pipe 208 with bath thermostat, £858, is easy to use, thanks to its cubic form. It also doesn’t heat up, so nobody will accidentally burn their fingers while using it.
Firstly, choose safer brassware

Hot showers are nice, but scalding ones are not. To reduce the risk of kids or older family members hurting themselves with hot water, opt for digital showers with an LED display showing the temperature.

Enclosure with patterned wall tiles and digital shower
A digital shower reduces the risk of scalding, as you can set the temperature precisely as hot as you like it – great for small kids who like to do things on their own. The Classic 1910 dual-outlet digital shower from Smiths Briten, from £1222 for a high-pressure set, can also be set up with an additional remote control, £208.

Even better: invest in one which can be controlled by an app and save user profiles. This way, you can set everyone’s preferences once – and then a touch of a button will do the rest. Some even have a pause function or, ideal for bathroom hoggers (every family has one, don’t they?), a timer. Neat.

For the basin, pick no-touch fittings which use sensors – activated by the wave of a hand – instead. Apart from being very hygienic and easy to clean, they also help save water by only dispensing what’s needed… plus they can’t be left on by accident.

Family bathroom ideas: reduce the slip risk

Think about the last time you went to a lido or an indoor pool. For some magical reason, the tiles they use are far less slippy than the ones in many of our homes, right?

Family bathroom ideas with pink vinyl flooring and grey cement walls
Anti-slip properties are key if you want everyone to be safe in the bathroom. Tiles are one option – another is vinyl, which comes in a whole host of designs. This is the True Colours vinyl in 512 Blush, £22.95 per sq m, from Carpetright.

Well, it’s not actually sorcery. Instead, they’ve treated the surface in a way that helps drain water quickly and generally makes it less slippery. This will help avoid trips and falls for everyone and keep less able family members comfortably upright.

To take it up one level, fit underfloor heating too – this will make water evaporate and dry the floor even faster. And you won’t freeze as soon as you step away from the hot water.

Family bathroom ideas: double up

To make your family bathroom truly efficient, install a double basin with either two mirrors or one extra-large design. This will take the stress out of the morning rush and allow more than one person to get ready at the same time.

Double vanity with green basins and large mirror
A double vanity reduces the wait on busy mornings. This scheme by CP Hart features Cielo‘s Shui Comfort round basins in Muschio, £773 each; the MPRO wall-mounted two-hole basin mixers in Brushed Brass, £329 per set, from Crosswater; and the Trace basin console in Soft Touch White, from £510.

Just… maybe don’t include two WCs. That’s just awkward. Have a separate one instead, and include a third basin so an additional person can get ready. You could even add extra storage, to help you keep both spaces tidy.

Speaking of which, it’s also a good idea to double up on storage. Then every family member can have their own compartment, shelf, or even cabinet to keep all the essentials in easy reach.

Make your family bathroom accessible

You and your loved ones might be mobile now, but that might change in the future. Accessible design is also an easy way of futureproofing your home now, while you’re undertaking a project. Hence all these family bathroom ideas.

Flush-fitted shower tray with grey tiles and wood-effect flooring, one of our family bathroom ideas
A flush-fitting shower tray such as Duravit‘s Tempano design eliminates trip risks while getting into a shower. The Tempano’s price depends on the size you need, but a 80 x 80cm square would cost £465 and a 140 x 90cm rectangular tray would cost £588.

Think about adding a flush-fitting shower tray, including a bench seat in the shower. And choosing a bath with a door or a seat, and having a WC that’ll be easily accessible for less-abled people. This includes the flush, by the way.

A shower toilet is the absolute luxury. You can control most of them from a panel in the wall, but there are also flush systems for conventional WCs that can be controlled by a sensor. And while there may be no need for grab rails yet, look at where they could be fitted in the future. Just in case.

Green wall with shower toilet
A remote control makes shower toilets especially easy to use for everyone as they can automate everything, from opening the seat to which cleansing setting you like. Toto‘s Washlet RW, priced £3588, for example also allows you to save two user profiles – so you’ll only need to press a single button to set everything in motion. And family bathroom ideas don’t get more handy than that.
Go open plan

The best accessible spaces have a lot of free floor area for people to move around – no matter if they’re using a mobility aid or a wheelchair. When it comes to family bathroom ideas, this will also make it feel nice and open, which can help you relax and will limit the impact cabinets or other storage solutions will have.

Family bathroom ideas: make yours easy to clean

This one doesn’t need much explanation: especially if you have smaller children, surfaces that only need a wipe down to sparkle again are a godsend. Not only are they hygienic, they also leave you more time to do fun things with the little ones. And isn’t that the very best of family bathroom ideas?

Featured image: Family bathroom ideas. A spacious vanity makes busy mornings easier, while plenty of floor area means nobody gets in each other’s way. The DuraSquare bathtub, £3890.40, with freestanding mixer, £2545.20, is shown here with the L-Cube by Christian Werner vanity unit, £1152, console, £837.60, and mirror, £1000, all from Duravit.

Want to read more? Here’s a complete family-friendly renovation with indoor slide.

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