Just like the kitchen can be considered the ‘heart’ of the home, the family bathroom is certainly an important hub of daily activity.

Ideally, your family bathroom should be functional and convenient to use whilst also being warm and inviting. Modern bathrooms can sometimes feel a bit ‘clinical’ if there’s too much harsh white used throughout for the tiles and paint. So in terms of design, consider using some splashes of colour here and there if you have young children. A bright tile wall splashback or some big fluffy towels in your kids’ favourite colours can make the space more enjoyable for kiddies to use.

While the overall design and colour scheme of your family bathroom is really up to your sense of style, there are some 'must have’ features that you might like to consider if you’re currently designing a new family bathroom or renovating your existing one. Let’s take a look at a few of these.

Family friendly bathroom must haves:

A tub - even if it’s a small one

When children are still small, managing their nightly bedtime routine is made all the bit easier if you can wash them in a bath as opposed to a shower. Plus, most kids love the splish-splash fun of a tub!

If space in your bathroom is tight you don’t need to go with a huge oversized freestanding bath just because that’s the trend these days. A small, yet ergonomically designed drop-in bath will do just fine for a growing family, such as the BetteForm 1400 which is only 1.4m in length.

A good feature to add to a family bathroom is a built-in bath step. Not only do these create a stylish look, but they also make it easier for young kiddies to get in and out of the tub. Plus, you can use the step as a ledge to sit on when supervising bath time. 

Hidden storage

As a rule - kids will find their way into everything they are not supposed to. The family bathroom can contain a treasure trove of things they shouldn’t be touching such as medication, razors and cleaning supplies. Such things need to be kept out of their reach, yet convenient to the adults of the house to access on a daily basis.

When designing your family bathroom, look for ways to incorporate hidden storage which is up and out of reach of grabbing hands. There are plenty of clever options available these days. A popular choice are vanity mirrors with sliding or hinged doors which hide a deep recessed cabinet.

The right type of vanity

It’s a mystery for the ages as to why kids make so much mess when they are brushing their teeth or washing their hands! Globs of toothpaste and hand soap are a pain to have to wipe up all the time, especially if you have a vessel or counter top basin. The best type of basin for a busy family bathroom is an under counter basin. These create a continuous flow from countertop to basin, so spills can be wiped directly from the vanity top and into the basin.

A vanity with double basins is also a must. This allows for two people to get their morning or night time grooming done at the same time, which is a huge time saver in a busy household. When choosing a vanity unit, you not only want to make sure it is big enough to accommodate two basins, but it must also have plenty of counter space left over for easy access to toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes etc.

Finally, you want a vanity with plenty of storage options. Having a drawer at the bottom of your vanity is a nifty idea that you should consider. It’s a great way to store toothbrushes and other small items and have them be easy to find when you need them. Washcloths and extra shampoo bottles can also be stored in the drawer.

Heated towel rails

Having enough space in a family bathroom to hang up everyone’s towels in a way that they dry out properly each day can be a challenge. One way to get around this if space is tight is with a heated towel rail.

Despite the name, heated towel rails aren’t actually designed to make your towels nice and warm – that’s just a pleasant side-effect. In fact, their primary purpose is to keep your towels dry.

Drying out towels on normal rails can seemingly take forever, especially if there are a lot of used towels in the one bathroom and if the climate you live in is either particularly humid or chilly. A heated towel rail will significantly speed up the drying process in your family bathroom, ensuring you never again have to step out of an invigorating shower only to then wrap yourself in a half-soggy towel.

Another benefit of having a heated towel rail is that they help save on household water and electricity costs. Since the towels will be dried directly on the rail, they won’t have to be washed as often, nor will you need to use an energy-guzzling dryer to dry them. Many models come with a remote timer function so you can set them to turn on/off at certain times of the day/night which is another good energy saving feature.

Rail set or combination shower

There are plenty of different types of shower fittings available these days, each with different benefits. For a family bathroom, you want to make sure the type you go with is convenient for everyone to use.

Rail set showers are an excellent choice for family bathrooms. These showers are wall-mounted on a rail and include a removable, hand-held shower head. They are a modern and affordable option which can usually be installed using your existing plumbing. The best part about rail set showers is that the hand-held shower can be adjusted on the rail to suit the heights of different family members. This removable hand-held shower also makes cleaning the shower easy and is great for washing kids and pets.

If you want to add a touch of luxury to the family shower, but still enjoy the conveniences of a rail set, you can instead opt for a shower system. These showers incorporate an overhead shower fitting on an adjustable rail with a separate, removable hand-held shower head. The secondary overhead fitting allows for a more refreshingly full spray and gives you the experience of ‘showering in the rain’.

Thermostatic mixer

All new home builds and specific renovations in Australia need to meet certain safety requirements in relation to water temperature control within the home. Hot water tempering valves ensure the water delivered to your taps and showers won’t be in excess of 50 degrees to reduce the risk of burns. But if you’d like even greater temperature control and safety, you can install a thermostatic valve mixer.

A thermostatic valve mixer gives you more control over water temperature, mixing hot and cold water to your pre-selected temperature. Cleverly adjusting for any pressure or temperature changes from the water supply, a consistent water temperature is delivered. A safety feature stops water from exceeding a maximum 38 degrees Celsius to prevent children from accidentally turning the water on too hot when in the bath or shower. This is essentially a child lock function and can be overridden by adults.

Need help planning your next bathroom project? Talk to the team at Argent

Our bathroom experts have all the right know-how to recommend the right products for your needs so that you can make that final decision with confidence.

Click here to get in touch with us today. We have Resource Centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Or give our Customer Support team a call on 1300 364 748.