This is a great time to have a conversation with your child about decorating for long-term enjoyment. Invite them to come with you to the store as you gently monitor their style choices. Together, you can make something you both love! Below, we have a few tips to get you started.
Color Pop
Children’s bathroom decor should include color. The toys they play with, the books they read, and the TV shows they watch feature a constant barrage of eye-popping hues, so children are comfortable in a color-rich environment. The hues can be wild or mild, but don’t be tempted to give the kid’s bath a mature palette just because it makes you comfortable. Instead, try enlivening neutrals with contrast, such as pairing deep chocolate brown and pale sherbet pink, or paint stripes in a jaunty pattern. Older kids should be involved in decision-making, but add your own limits as necessary. If they want lime green and purple, which sounds awful to you, suggest a compromise: white upper walls, violet below the chair rail, and fluffy towels in shocking green.
Storage Fix
No amount of encouragement or nagging will keep a kid’s bathroom clean and tidy at all times. Children are naturally messy. Make picking up easier for them by incorporating storage into the decor. For example:
A pretty ledge above the sink is a handy spot for toothbrushes and drink cups. Plastic bins for toys should be close to the tub. Pullout shelves lined with colorful cups and bins in the vanity cupboard make it easy to tuck away hair ties, brushes, and sprays.
Funky Finds
Most kids dread getting ready for school in the morning. Boring white walls definitely won’t help their enthusiasm! Instead, decorate their bathroom with a bright, funky accent wall to make the mornings slightly more inspiring. Something like this paisley-inspired print is perfect for bringing out accent colors in towels, wall art, and other accessories. Since wallpaper isn’t easy to remove, pick a pattern that will grow with your child. A dinosaur phase may not last past 6th grade, so choose a broader theme instead. Think outside the box with bathroom accessories, too. Swap out a flat, rectangular mirror for a round mirror with a border. Thrift and vintage stores are great places to find kids’ bathroom art unique to your child’s style.
Safety Counts
Paramount in your children’s bathroom decor is safety—but safety doesn’t have to be ugly. Utilitarian items can work hand-in-hand with decorative ones:
Stick on non-slip pads, which come in fun colors and shapes. Pick a bright, round, non-tipping step stool with non-skid feet to set on top of the kid’s bath mat. Make sure window glass is tempered, but then dress it with a pretty curtain. Let the kids dump toys into the bath, but then keep a large basket, caddy, or mesh bag handy to corral them and keep them from becoming trip hazards.
For wee toddlers, install a toilet lock and don’t keep buckets of water around, but pick large fuzzy towels in cheery colors to wrap them up in after a soak. Note: Check that the bathroom tap is not scalding (set your water heater to no more than 120 degrees)
Theme Styling
Children’s bathroom decor can be a fun way to make a space uniquely their own. Try incorporating the logo from their favorite snowboard company or the colors of the basketball team they follow. Select a motif that will go the distance with your child as they mature, such as animals, sports, or an outdoor activity theme. Kids’ bathroom sets are commonly tied to themes, so you may want to bring them to the store to see which one they like.
Locker Room
It’s no secret—kids smell. If you have athletes in the family, the smell can be extra-strong. Give your kids a clean space to wash off after practice with an athlete-approved bathroom. This one, connected to the mudroom with locker storage, always has fresh kids’ bath towels within reach. A hamper sits in the corner, ready to catch and hide dirt-stained clothes. (Be sure your hamper includes a lid to lock in the stench.) When decorating, incorporate the colors of your kid’s team. A robust and bold red will inspire them for pre-game rituals, and a framed logo of their favorite team will encourage them after a tough loss.
Seaside Sisters
Every family is prone to a bit of sibling bickering. Grumpy mornings certainly don’t help, either. Start the day peacefully with a double-sink layout for your kids. Make sure each sink has its own toothbrush holder, hand towel, soap, and mirror. This bathroom is also decorated in a theme suitable to both girls’ interests. With two individual tastes to work with, choosing a kids’ shower curtain could be hard, but it’s not impossible. Editor’s Tip: With more than one child, making a chore chart for the bathroom is smart. Switch off tasks monthly so one kid isn’t always stuck cleaning the toilet.
Growing Up
Finally, think long-term for children’s bathroom decor. As much as we wish, they won’t be this age forever. And their passion for a cartoon character will wane—maybe as soon as next week. Avoid investing in a scheme that looks outdated and childish by not letting their current passions set the tone. It may not be best to choose cartoon wallpaper; work instead with a comparable color scheme and put a toothbrush holder with its likeness on the counter. Better yet, project a few years out and predict their needs then. If your kids are school-age, carve out a spot for a vanity. If your child is growing inches a week, mount the mirror higher above the sink.
