Great family bathroom ideas are crucial in order to ensure that your new bathroom works hard for all the members of the household. Our guide will ensure you get it spot on
(Image credit: Mereway Kitchens & Bathrooms)
After some brilliant family bathroom ideas? Well look no further.
In order to create a bathroom that works for the whole family, there are a number of considerations to be made from the word go. Everything from your choice of sanitaryware to the room's layout and the type of bathroom storage you opt for needs to be tailored to suit each member of the family.
Bathroom Storage Ideas
Good bathroom storage is vital in family bathrooms. Check out the range from the Orthex Group at Homebase. (Image credit: Orthex Group)
A family bathroom – unlike a master bedroom en suite – has to house not only those toiletries you want on show, but also medicines, bath toys, and lotions and potions for the whole household — not all of which you want to display all of the time.
Building in plenty of shelving, providing storage space underneath or at the end of the bathtub, creating alcoves within the walls of shower enclosures, creating lidded window seats, and ensuring bath surrounds and window cills are deep enough to take the inevitable clutter they will collect, all help towards a sense of calm.
In a family bathroom choose non-slip surfaces and build in storage — this bathroom from Waters Baths of Ashbourne is the perfect mix of practical and stylish. (Image credit: Waters Baths of Ashbourne)
When designing a new bathroom to be used by children, it is wise to include as many child-friendly features as you can.
Consider including the following in your new family bathroom:
Soft close toilet seats
A thermostatic shower to reduce the risk of scalding
Taps fitted with temperature regulators
Non slip baths and shower trays
Shower screens with curved edges
Textured, non-slip floor coverings
Flat-base baths to avoid slipping
Hand-held shower head to make short work of hair washing
Layouts for Family Bathrooms
A shower bath, such as this from Soak, is ideal in bathrooms where there is not enough space for a separate shower cubicle. The tiles are from Tile Mountain. (Image credit: Tile Mountain)
Whilst there is nothing in the Building Regulations to say how big your bathroom has to be, if it is to be used by the whole family, begin with the idea that 4.5m² provides a minimum comfortable space and build on it.
Whilst it might be wise to forgo a bath in some bathrooms, this is not a good idea in a family bathroom. Standard rectangular baths measure 1700x700mm, but there are compact models available to suit small bathrooms that are still practical.
If if you want to save on space without compromising on bathing area, you could also consider a corner model or combine your a shower enclosure and bath by having an over-bath shower and a shower bath (where one is shaped to provide showering space.
Note that you need a minimum of 100cm in front of a bath.
Family-friendly Showers
Ensure the shower enclosure you choose is big enough to be comfortable for each family member. This corner version, the Matki-ONE Curved is ideal. (Image credit: Matki)
Avoid a small shower enclosure in a family bathroom at all costs. It is far better to have either a wetroom-style set-up, or a single screen to divide the showering area.
And remember, while fixed overhead showers look great, including an additional handheld shower makes for easier hosing down children.
Consider Doubling Up
Consider twin basins to make teeth-brushing and face washing routines speedier. Matki. (Image credit: Matki)
Whilst people often consider twin basins and double-ended baths to be suited to couple's bathrooms, they actually make a lot of sense in family bathrooms too.
Twin basins really help out on those busy morning rushes in family bathrooms, allowing for two lots of teeth to be brushed or two dirty faces to be washed at the same time. Twin showers and double-ended baths serve a similar function.
Practical Can Be Beautiful
Family bathrooms can be both practical as well as beautiful — these tiles from Tile Mountain really bring a space to life. (Image credit: Tile Mountain)
Without a doubt, family bathrooms must be practical, above all else. They should be safe, spacious and ideally incorporate lots of storage to help keep clutter to a minimum.
That said, there is absolutely no reason why they cannot also be luxurious. Flush (or almost flush) shower trays and feature lighting, for example, look great but also make sense, as do sleek, fuss-free contemporary basins and baths which are easy to clean and easy on the eye.
Include touches such as a designer towel warmer, large format or patterned tiles and bold art work or paint colours to ensure the space is beautiful as well as practical.
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Natasha was Homebuilding & Renovating’s Associate Content Editor and was a member of the Homebuilding team for over two decades. In her role on Homebuilding & Renovating she imparted her knowledge on a wide range of renovation topics, from window condensation to renovating bathrooms, to removing walls and adding an extension. She continues to write for Homebuilding on these topics, and more. An experienced journalist and renovation expert, she also writes for a number of other homes titles, including Homes & Gardens and Ideal Homes. Over the years Natasha has renovated and carried out a side extension to a Victorian terrace. She is currently living in the rural Edwardian cottage she renovated and extended on a largely DIY basis, living on site for the duration of the project.
