Planning a makeover for your little one’s bathroom? We round up some stylish yet practical designs to get your creativity going…

Joyful and packed with personality, KBB journo Charlotte Luxford has found six kids’ bathroom projects that are sure to provide plenty of inspiration for your little one’s (or even a playful grown-up’s) retreat.

Which would you steal ideas from? Read on…

Versatile play

Here, the brief was to create a bathroom for twin girls, so the space needed to be fun as well as practical. “The starting point was the striking flamingo wallpaper, which was sourced and loved by the family, and so, the rest of the design was made to work alongside it,” explains Louise Ashdown, head of design at West One Bathrooms.

Louise paired this with a striking yellow, pink and black scheme to create a truly unique space. High-quality products were used to ensure that they not only looked the part but would last with usage and remain timeless as the girls grew.

“One of the trickiest parts of the renovation was the need to remove a cupboard to make space to add a shower too,” says Louise. “This proved slightly tricky with moving tanks, but was essential to ensure the space worked for the growing family and their needs.”

When it comes to designing kids’ bathrooms, Louise advises planning for the present but equally the future, as the space will have to evolve and grow with your children, being both time intensive and costly to replace.

“Often, while you’ll need a bath for younger children, as they grow into teenagers, you’ll most likely need a shower, so including either a shower over the bath or, if space allows, both, is a key requirement.”

Cinnamon latte

For this kids’ bathroom in a Victorian family home in Muswell Hill, interior designer Emily Dobbs was tasked with creating a warm oasis that was playful but also cohesive with the children’s bedroom designs. The space also needed to function as an additional family bathroom, particularly for chaotic weekday mornings with the school run.

“The starting point for the design was the amazing wallpaper from Cole & Son’s Seville collection,” reveals Emily. “It inspired a Mediterranean/Moroccan feel, and from that I pulled an earthy cinnamon colour for the walls and then rich chocolate browns for the woodwork. There was also a lot of daylight from the skylight, which gave it a sunny feel so we worked with that. Then, we introduced luxury and pizzazz with the brass details.”

Emily positioned the sink lower than usual, so the children could easily wash their hands and clean their teeth. She also attached the WC to the floor so it was low, and went for soft lighting to create a comforting ambience.

Alpine hut

A tiled mountainscape and deception of space define this tight but practically designed kids’ bathroom in southwest London. Sat on the top floor of a family home, sandwiched between two children’s bedrooms, the compact, kid-friendly bathroom was carefully planned by Woodrow Vizor to use every square inch of its tight 1.6m x 2.2 footprint.

A large, triple-glazed Velux window and a bespoke mirror across the entire wall create a clever illusion of space and light that belies its size.

The bath was placed under the roof pitch to make the most of this awkward spot, although the height gained under the Velux window provides adequate headroom over the bath to allow the children to stand up. The wall-hung, shallow-depth vanity unit offers ample storage without eating into the floor space.

“The tiled mountain mural was designed to form a dynamic backdrop and inspire bathtime imagination, while the colours resonate closely with the joinery in the two children’s bedrooms, giving a consistent feel to the floor,” explains George Woodrow, co-founder of Woodrow Vizor.

The design was future-proofed too. “The layout has been designed so that once showering is the main activity rather than bathtimes, the tub can be replaced by a vanity and the sink by a shower, enabling the WC and main waste stack to stay put; a change that would prove costly otherwise,” explains George. Cork flooring over a hardtiled floor also makes it easier to replace.

Punchy pastels

If this project reminds you of a swimming pool interior, there’s a reason for that. Office S&M took inspiration from the owners’ love of municipal buildings and applied it to the material and colour choices for this London home, to “convey a feeling of richness on a budget”. The result is a joyful, contemporary design with a graphic edge.

In the kid-friendly bathroom, curves contrast with square-format pastel tiles, while an arched, speckled countertop and wavy mirror create a focal point. The electric blue hardware and towel rail alleviate the sweetness of the colour scheme.

“Steps up to the bath allow the younger children to climb independently into the tub and provide a place for adults to perch during bathtimes,” adds Catrina Stewart, co-founder of Office S&M. “The storage hatch at the end of the bath serves as a cubby hole for bath toys, as well as another seat.”

Mellow yellow bathroom

This children’s bathroom created by interior designer Lauren Gilberthorpe was meant to be both fun and functional, ensuring it grows with the kids while also meeting their immediate needs.

Lauren added an enclosed shower (not seen here) to contain splashes, yet it’s spacious enough for the children to use together after their swimming lessons. A double vanity provides ample storage to accommodate bath toys and essentials, keeping the bathroom tidy and functional, but also allows the children to use the space at the same time. Stools at the vanity make teeth brushing fuss-free and give the kids a sense of independence.

Bright but balanced colours bring energy to the room without overwhelming the space. A standout feature is the cheerful yellow bathtub, which adds a joyful and stylish focal point to the design. The children also love animals, so Lauren introduced playful elements to reflect their personality.

“When you’re creating a bathroom for children, you’re not just designing a functional space – you’re sculpting an environment that’s dynamic, invigorating, yet perfectly practical for everyday life,” says Lauren. “Go for materials that stand up to daily wear and tear, but always consider the sensory experience; think of interesting patterns, captivating prints and tactile surfaces, which will breathe life and personality into the space.”

Whimsical wonderland

Naomi Astley Clarke was engaged by a young family relocating to London to carry out the interior architecture and design of a triplex penthouse apartment in Chelsea. Naomi reconfigured the internal layout, prioritising space and light to create a family-friendly home.

For the children’s spaces, she channelled her bold and glamorous aesthetic, designing bespoke elements such as bunk beds, desks and built-in joinery in the bedrooms and bathrooms, which blend practicality with beauty.

Naomi commissioned De Gournay to design and make this custom, hand-painted wallpaper, which was applied to specially designed water-resistant paper – making it suitable for the bathroom.

“Hidden, wallpaper-covered cabinets provide a plethora of storage, and a marble surround to the large bath was included to ensure there was plenty of space for bath toys,” explains Naomi. “The large vanity unit with antiqued mirrored drawer fronts creates an uplifting space and provides childreachable storage for the children’s treasures.”

Enjoyed this post? Click here to tour this classic bathroom with timeless checkerboard flooring

About Post Author