A family bathroom is often one of the busiest and most used rooms in the home, so it is important to design a space that is both functional and stylish. Our in-house design experts have put together some ideas and advice to help you create a family friendly bathroom that is tailored to your exact needs.

Plan the right layout
A well-planned family bathroom design can make your morning routine and/or evening rituals a lot more enjoyable, stress free and efficient. It is important to take into consideration how your existing bathroom layout works for you, but you should also think about how you and your family would like to use the space - now and in the near future.

If you have small children, your ideal family bathroom might need to include a bath, while older members of the family may benefit from the convenience and accessibility of a walk-in shower. When planning your ideal layout, it is important to maximise the space available while also making sure that you can access everything without feeling cramped or uncomfortable. You may be fortunate to have enough space for a separate bath and shower, or you might decide to opt for a space saving over-bath shower instead.

We always recommend discussing your options with one of our in-house expert designers as they can offer valuable experience and advice, helping you to think outside the box. We offer a free 3D design consultation which you can book here.

Storage, storage storage
We understand that sharing a bathroom between many people requires a clever and durable design that caters for many different needs. You might want a sophisticated and minimalist design, while also having somewhere to store toys, toiletries and towels. A wall-hung vanity unit is an elegant way to keep products out of sight, and having the space between the unit and floor always helps create the illusion of space.

Faeber offers various bathroom furniture possibilities to suit your bathroom size and style. This image shows a bespoke 1200mm vanity unit with a mix of deep and slim drawers.

Other clever storage ideas to keep your bathroom tidy include storage baskets, shelves, mirrored cabinets, and shower (or bath) niches. A niche is a compact, sleek and contemporary recessed area in the wall that is designed to keep toiletries such as shampoo and soap in convenient places and away from key areas of your floorspace.

Make clever use of lighting
Good lighting can really transform the look and feel of a family bathroom space. Consideration needs to be put towards task lighting for those busy early mornings, as well as mood lighting for more relaxing bathroom moments. To get the best of both worlds, we always recommend having two light circuits in your bathroom - one for your ceiling downlights, and one for your mood lighting.

When it comes to mood lighting, candles are great, but probably definitely not the safest option for your family bathroom. Instead, we recommend waterproof LED strip lighting installed underneath your wall-hung vanity unit, in your shower recesses, and around your bathroom mirror.

The Faeber Edge illuminated mirror cabinets come with colour temperature changing LED lighting which gives you great task lighting when you need it and softer, warmer lighting to create a more relaxing ambience.

Keep it warm
Heating is important in any bathroom, but for a bustling family, there are a number of benefits to consider. A heated towel rail not only helps to keep your bathroom tidy (and your floor towel free), but it also minimises that 'damp towel' smell. The size of your towel rail should be carefully chosen based on the size of the room as well as how many towels that need to be hung.

Alongside a heated towel rail, consider installing electric underfloor heating for optimum comfort on those tiny toes! As well as keeping the bathroom pleasantly warm, it also allows for quick drying floors, creating a safe environment for all.

Bath time fun
If the family includes smaller children and a bath is needed, making bath time fun is great for everyone involved. We recommend considering the bath type, size & shape as well as the placement of taps and storage for toys. You should always consider avoiding bath taps that kids could bump their heads on.

An inset bath is often considered more practical than a freestanding bathtub when it comes to a family bathroom, particularly when the bath is mostly used by children. This is because inset baths are more splash proof and can easily be combined with a shower, which is a common configuration in smaller family bathrooms.

A foldable bath screen, like the one shown in the image, is a popular choice for shower bath combinations as it offers protection when showering and you can fold the screen away for bath time.

Add playful colours & patterns
When designing a family bathroom, some may feel as though the design should be kept relatively plain and basic, but we’re here to tell you that this is definitely not the case. While the functionality of any family bathroom is extremely important, we can assure you that you don’t always have to compromise on your ideal style and design preferences. In fact, adding a splash of colour will make your family bathroom more inviting and fun, so don’t be afraid to use colours and patterns when choosing your perfect design scheme.

Are you planning a family bathroom and not sure where to start?
Book our free 3D design service and get one of our dedicated designers to help you with every step of the way - from choosing the right layout and making the most of your available space to putting together your perfect design scheme with products that suit your needs and budget. What’s more? You will be able to walk around in a virtual reality version of your new bathroom before purchasing.

Click here to book your free design consultation today.