What's Not to Like?

Just Another Quaint Jill & Jill Bathroom

Designing a space for anyone is always an adventure. Throw in two clients; one who can’t tell you her choice of paint color even if she tried (that's my 1yr old); and another who left to her own devices will douse the room in teal and pink paint (my 6yr old), and you have yourself a monumental design dilemma.

When we moved into our home, I knew the first thing I needed to tackle was my girls’ bathroom. I wanted them to have a nice space they could use in the morning to start their day and unwind in, before heading to bed. Plus, I was pregnant at the time and needed to make some necessary adjustments in order to accommodate bathing a my two kids.

I had a great template to work with and appreciated having a bathroom that could accommodate three people at the same time comfortably. The room had ample built-in storage, solid wood vanity, a nice tub, and a relatively new toilet. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to settle for the sliding glass doors (not very practical when you are trying to give baths), the less than desirable beige shower tiles, the hideous brown grout lines on the floor, builder grade shelves and light fixture, Formica countertops (I think), and that terrible siege/green paint again.

As with any of my projects, form and function were key in this space, and it all had to be done on a very lean budget. We created a functional and stylish Jill & Jill (frequently known as Jack & Jill) bathroom for our girls that they currently enjoy. More importantly, it’s a space they will grow into as they approach their teenage years. So, here’s how we did it:

• We started by taking off the glass shower door

• Installed white subway tiles all the way to the ceiling (and used grayish grout) - this immediately made the ceilings seem higher and brightened the space

• Replaced the builder grade shelves in the storage cabinet with steel pipes and stained wood boards. You’ve seen me use these in my laundry room spruce and I must say, my husband did a phenomenal job with these shelves

• Spray painted the vanity a nice light blue and added new cabinet knobs

• Replaced the existing countertops with quartz

• Mounted a new light fixture

• Installed a large vessel sink as well as an unlacquered brass faucet that will patina over time

• Painted the room with HGTV Sherwin Williams Olympus white paint and the floor grout lines white

• Replaced the builder grade mirror with a gorgeous wood framed mirror I spotted at Ross (it was a hassle getting it into my very tiny car…)

• Added art and organized

As stated above, this was the first project I tackled in my home, so it's been over 2 years. While I have spruced it up with some new accessories, I would say the basics have held up nicely, and I do enjoy getting my kids ready in this room each day.

Let me know in the comments what you think of this space and whether any of the changes I made inspired you to tackle your own kids’ bathroom. Cheers.

ODD Tips for Kids Bathrooms

The tips I shared in my master bathroom renovation are applicable here as well. The only two additional tips I would add are the following:

• Design a space that your kids will grow into and love; and

• Don't be afraid of mixing metals – I incorporated brass, brown, black, hints of copper, and it all worked!