How to Design a Kid-Friendly Bathroom: The Ultimate Guide for Parents

Creating a family bathroom that’s both stylish and functional can feel like an impossible balance. While Instagram and renovation shows showcase stunning contemporary bathrooms, these designs often overlook the practical needs of families with young children. At Ross’s Discount Home Centre, with over 30 years of experience helping Perth families design practical bathrooms, we understand the unique challenges of creating child-friendly bathroom spaces.

Whether you’re renovating a family bathroom, planning a new ensuite, or updating your kids’ bathroom, this guide will walk you through essential considerations for kid-friendly bathroom design. From safety features and durability to storage solutions and fun elements, we’ll show you how to create a space that works for everyone in your family—from toddlers learning to brush their teeth to teenagers getting ready for school.

The good news? You don’t have to choose between style and practicality. Modern bathroom products and smart design choices allow you to create a bathroom that’s both safe for children and aesthetically pleasing. Let’s explore how to design a kid-friendly bathroom that grows with your family while maintaining its style and functionality.

Include a family-friendly bath setup

A bath is essential for families with young children. For optimal safety and functionality, consider a corner bath with a bath screen, such as our Madrid Back to the Wall Corner Bath with the Alpine Fixed Square Bath Screen. This combination prevents water splashing while giving you easy access to help children bathe. If space is limited, a traditional inset bath works well, though without a screen you’ll want to keep bath mats handy. For maximum flexibility, a bath/shower combo with a screen lets older kids shower independently while maintaining the bathing option for younger children.

Choose a waterproof vanity

With kids’ enthusiastic splashing, overflowing sinks, and wet hands reaching for toothbrushes, your bathroom vanity needs to withstand constant water exposure. A waterproof PVC vanity is essential for family bathrooms; it won’t warp, swell, or develop mould even after years of water play and accidents. Options like our Courtney PVC vanity, Mia PVC vanity, Joyce PVC Vanity and Marine PVC vanity offer peace of mind with their 100% waterproof construction and come in various sizes to suit your space. Additionally, their easy-to-clean surfaces simplify the process of cleaning up toothpaste splatters and soap spills, thereby saving you time on bathroom maintenance.

Install the vanity at a lower height

Make your bathroom accessible for everyone by installing the vanity at the right height for little ones. The standard vanity height of 900mm is too tall for children under 8 years old; consider lowering it to 750-800mm so kids can safely reach the tap without stretching or using unstable stepstools. This height adjustment helps develop independence in daily routines like hand washing and teeth brushing while still being comfortable for adults to use.

Handy hint: Mount the mirror 100-150mm lower than standard height, and consider a tilt mirror that can be angled for different heights. Add a motion sensor light so kids can easily see themselves without struggling to reach switches

Include smart family storage

A family bathroom needs to handle everyone’s essentials—from bath toys and kids’ toothbrushes to parents’ grooming supplies and cleaning products. Choose a vanity with multiple drawers rather than cupboards, as drawers offer better organisation and easy access for children. Look for vanities with soft-close features to protect little fingers and deep storage compartments for bulky bath toys.

Consider a large bathroom vanity like our 1200mm or 1500mm vanity units, which provide separate storage zones for each family member. Wall-mounted cabinets and shelving can add extra storage while keeping dangerous items out of children’s reach. Don’t forget to include low-level storage that kids can access independently for their own towels and toiletries.

Handy hint: Add removable drawer organisers to keep children’s items separate from adults’ toiletries, and consider labelling storage areas to help kids learn organisation skills.

Check out the Best Bathroom Vanities Perfect for Large Families for more storage solutions.

Install a double towel rail

Keep towels organised and prevent them from ending up on the floor with strategic towel storage. A single rail won’t meet a family’s needs; install a double towel rail like the Square 900mm Double Towel Rail to separate kids’ towels from adults’, or upgrade to the Square Towel Shelf and Rail for additional storage of spare towels and hand towels. Consider installing rails at different heights so younger children can reach their own towels, promoting independence.

Handy hints:

• Consider heated towel rails to prevent musty towels in winter months
• For tight spaces, utilise the back of the door with multiple Square Robe Hook
• Install hooks at child-height to encourage kids to hang up their own towels

Choose non-slip tiles

Safety should be your top priority when selecting bathroom tiles for a family bathroom. Matte finish tiles provide better traction than polished tiles, significantly reducing the risk of slips and falls when the floor is wet from bath time splashes or wet feet. Look for tiles with a high slip resistance rating (R10 or above) specifically designed for bathroom use.

Modern manufacturing techniques mean you don’t have to compromise on style—today’s matte tiles come in a wide range of colours, patterns, and sizes that can create a beautiful yet child-safe bathroom environment. Additionally, matte finishes are more forgiving when it comes to showing water spots and fingerprints, making them perfect for busy family bathrooms.

Handy hint: Consider larger format 600x600mm tiles to minimise grout lines, making the floor easier to clean while maintaining excellent slip resistance.

To learn more about different tile finishes and their benefits, check out our detailed guide: The Different Types of Tile Finishes & Their Benefits

Make it a fun place

Transform your bathroom into an exciting destination that makes hygiene routines enjoyable! Consider adding playful elements that can grow with your children—colourful yet tasteful tile patterns or borders at their eye level, removable wall decals that can be updated as they grow, or fun storage solutions like ocean-themed towel hooks.

Create a space that encourages good habits by making them entertaining—consider a musical timer for brushing teeth, or install a height chart on the wall to make bath time both fun and educational. For younger children, designate a water-safe zone for bath toys and include hooks at their height for their own colourful hooded towels.

Handy hints:

• Install color-changing LED lights to make bath time magical
• Use removable elements like decals or accessories to add color, making it easy to update as children grow

Conclusion

Designing a new bathroom is a fun project to take on. However, you must not get carried away and choose design over practicality and functionality. If you have a growing family, your bathroom needs to marry design with practicality and functionality.

This is easily done by choosing a waterproof vanity and installing it at a lower height, choosing non-slip tiles with a splash of colour, including a bath and a double towel rail and ensuring you have enough storage for towels and your bathroom products.

If you’re ready to shop for bathroom products in Perth, Ross’s Discount Home Centre has you covered. We have everything you need to create a stylish and contemporary bathroom that is also kid-friendly. Click here to see our bathroom range.