How to Design a Kids' Bathroom That Ages Well
When families are building or remodeling a home, it is common to design the kids’ bathroom around the age of the children at the time of the build. Short cabinets, sparkly countertops, tiny fixtures scaled to small children, and trendy tile that looks charming at seven years old and dated by seventeen.
We know this firsthand. We made this mistake when we first built our own home fourteen years ago. The girls have grown up, the sparkly countertops have not; and now we are paying the price of a full bathroom remodel to bring the space up to date, and up to height!
We've worked on enough remodels to know this story is not unique to us. Parents invest real money into a kids' bathroom, and a decade later, they're tearing it out entirely because nothing held up—not the materials, not the design, and not the style. A little more thought at the outset can save a significant amount of money and disruption later.
Here's what we recommend when designing a kids' bathroom built to last.
Select Permanent Fixtures That Can Handle Real Life
These are the most consequential choices in a bathroom, also some of the most expensive and disruptive to change later. The decisions you make here will affect the look and longevity of the space for years.
Flooring: Use tiles with slip resistant ratings, such as matte finishes. Or select small tiles like hex or penny rounds that have more grout, which creates a non-slip surface. Note: smaller tiles require more grout which may get stained and grimy over time, which means more cleaning!
Tile size and color: Choosing larger sized tile such as 12” x 12” or 12” x 24” calls for less grout and cleaner lines, and less grout scrubbing! Neutral colors and timeless designs will stay in style for the toddler to teen transition periods. Always check the slip resistant ratings.
Shower tiles: In kids and teen bathrooms, shiny wall tile is the way to go in showers. It's easier to wipe down and less likely to hold onto mold or soap residue. Light colors will show water spots less than dark colors. Larger tile sizes mean fewer grout lines to scrub clean.
Grout color: White grout is unforgiving. In a kids' bathroom, it will show staining from makeup, nail polish, hair dye and everyday grime faster than you'd expect. A neutral greige or mid-tone grout color is far more forgiving and will continue to look good with less effort.
Bathtub: We always recommend having a tub in a kid’s bathroom. A strong cast-iron or acrylic tub will stand the test of time, from bath toys to long soaks. Standard white will go with any color scheme or design theme over the course of years.
Showerhead, faucets, fixtures: Select timeless finishes such as chrome or brushed nickel for kid to teen bathrooms. Install an adjustable shower head on a slide bar that can be lowered for young children and raised up for teens or guests. Use anti-scald valves for all faucets to prevent burns.
Cabinets: Size the vanity and mirror for adults, not children. Install cabinets at a standard comfort height of 35” to 36” and set mirrors accordingly to that height. Pull-out step-stools can be built-in to cabinets so kids can reach, and they will grow into the standard height before you know it!
Countertops: A solid quartz or quartzite surface, which is durable, easy to wipe clean, and low maintenance is always a good choice. Select a neutral color with a natural stone look or marble veining that won’t seem dated in a few years.
Design the Space to Grow with Your Kids
The goal is a bathroom that doesn't need to be redesigned just because your kids got older or their tastes changed. The way to accomplish that is to keep the permanent, hard-to-change elements neutral and let the easy-to-swap design elements carry personality.
Keep the fixed elements timeless. Tile, vanity, countertop, fixtures—these are the things that cost real money to change. Choose colors and styles that are clean and neutral. White, off-white, soft gray, and warm greige all hold up well. Avoid anything that feels very of-the-moment.
Let the easy-to-change elements do the work. Paint color, shower curtain, towels, accessories—these are low-cost, low-effort swaps that kids can actually have some ownership over. A child who wants a bright yellow bathroom can have bright yellow towels and a fun shower curtain without requiring a tile installation. When their taste changes (and it will), you swap the accessories, not the whole room.
Have some fun with hardware. Cabinet pulls and knobs are an easy swap later, so this is a good place to choose something with a little personality. Glass or painted knobs, or knurled pulls can add style without being permanent.
What to Salvage and What to Replace in a Kids' Bathroom Remodel
If you do decide to do a full bathroom remodel, you'll face decisions about what's worth keeping. Here's a general framework:
Tile: In most cases, bathroom tile does not salvage well. Grout discolors, tile cracks or chips, and the overall look tends to be too tied to the original design to work with updated finishes. Unless the tile is in excellent condition and you're genuinely happy with the style and scale, budget to replace it.
Cabinets: Worth evaluating case by case. If the box is solid and the layout still works, painting and adding new hardware can deliver a significant visual refresh at a fraction of the cost of full replacement. If the layout is wrong, the condition is poor, or you're changing the countertop height, replacement is usually the better investment.
Countertop: Depends entirely on whether you'd choose it again. If the answer is no—if it feels too specific to a moment in time, or too catered to small children—replace it. Countertops are one of the most visible surfaces in a bathroom, and keeping one you don't love rarely feels like a savings once the rest of the room is refreshed.
Fixtures: Faucets, shower heads, and towel bars are relatively affordable to replace and have a big impact on the updated look. If you're remodeling, this is usually worth including in the scope.
The Bigger Picture
A well-designed kids' bathroom can function beautifully for children and also transition into a guest bath or secondary bathroom for teenagers and adults. The difference comes down to design choices that prioritize durability, neutrality, and flexibility over novelty.
The spaces that hold up best over time are the ones where the permanent elements were chosen with care, and the personality was layered in through accessories and paint, not baked into the tile and countertops.
If you're planning a remodel or a new build and want to think through bathroom design choices that will last, we'd love to help. If you're just beginning to map out the scope of a larger project, our guide on what to know before you start a remodel is a good place to begin. You can also browse our remodel portfolio for inspiration, or contact us to start a conversation. And if you'd like design tips and project updates delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
