Designing for the sexes is tough. Especially when they’re of the younger variety and one strongly prefers pink while the other is set on blue. Since our upstairs bathroom will be shared by two girls and a boy (and the occasional guest), I wanted to create a happy, gender neutral space.
This bathroom is one of the busiest places in our house in the mornings and at bedtime, but I hadn’t touched it since we moved in.
To say it was in disarray would be an understatement. We were keeping their toothbrushes in a shoebox, for goodness sake. (Did I just admit that?) Truth is, my goal was to get the kids in and out of this tiny space as fast as possible for baths, to fix hair, brush teeth, etc. Decorating it always took a backseat to other projects I wanted/needed to do.
So, how did this makeover begin? I thought it would be fun to walk you through the process. . .
First stop–our garage. I found a gallon of free paint that Dutch Boy had sent to me a while back to test out. I had randomly chosen this color without a plan for where it was going. The color is “MacKinac Island”, and I thought it would be a good compromise for a shared space.
I also had a faux bamboo mirror that came with another Craigslist purchase. It had been leaning up against our bedroom wall for months, waiting for the right spot. I liked the yellow with the green walls and decided not to spray paint it. Voila! I had my color scheme. (As you can tell, my design choices in our own house aren’t always the result of a detailed, thought-out plan.)
I added the striped shower curtain from West Elm to keep it modern and fresh. (I have a hard time resisting horizontal stripes. . . ) While I didn’t want a theme-y bathroom, I did want it to feel like it belonged to the kids. Having them make their own artwork (in colors I chose) was the easiest–and cheapest–solution.
To solve the never ending towels-on-the-floor dilemma, I bought these big hooks from IKEA. For fun, I bought house numbers from Lowe’s and spray painted them to hang above the hooks.
(Side note to my parents: There are four numbers on the wall because IKEA sold these hooks in packs of two. I promise this isn’t my cute way of making a big announcement.)
I added a seagrass rug (very durable for lots of wet little feet) and a woven basket for texture. Although we have storage under the cabinet, I find it so much easier to have what you use sitting out within arm’s reach.
Although we’re still rushing in and out of this space, it’s no longer an eyesore. And, by using some things I already had and not making any major cosmetic changes (i.e., lighting, flooring, etc.), I was able to complete the project for around $150.
What a fun gender neutral bathroom! Love your honesty Emily :)
haha! I thought.. does she have 4? Great room Emily! I love the shower curtain!
It looks so sweet- I adore the bamboo mirror and that WE curtain is one of my favourites. Great job!!
Beautiful job, Emily. I love the wall color.
Fondly,
Glenda
It looks great Emily! I love the idea of the kids artwork hanging in there. I too have a soft spot for stripes!
This is great – and such an inspiration! I desperately need to do something with my kids jack and jill bathroom and that shower curtain might do the trick – mind if I borrow your idea?
that mirror is the bomb! It fits perfectly. Love it. M.
I really love the towel hooks. The concept of a towel bar eludes my three and the towels usually end up on the floor.
My mom totally would have jumped to the same conclusion about hook #4 :D!
Great job. I love the kid’s artwork (in colors you chose – smart idea) and too funny about the 4 hooks. The 4th one could just be for guests (I’m sure they won’t mind using a hooded towel!)LOL
Honestly Emily….$150!!! Right there….you show that it doesn’t take a truck load of $$$ to make a small room MORE than presentable….so cute and my favorite part is the kids artwork!
Love how it all came together with what you had and what you could easily buy. The color scheme is great!
Perfect, darling, and accessible…I love it! I was cracking up over the note to your parents. :-)
abby
What a great bathroom for kids and visitors, the colours are fun but not too kiddie. Especially love the bamboo mirror. Nice touch.
-Dayna.
Great post!! What is it with stripes, they are powerful and will win every contest with me.
Your honesty is wonderful for those of us who overshare and then think “umm, maybe that’s not normal”.
How cute?! I love that you use the hooks almost like lockers! :)
It tlooks great! I love how you used their art. And I think your birthday party post is great. Not a mom but I think it makes a lot of sense.
I love the numbered towels. Such a great, easy, smart idea. Your color scheme is sweet and perfect for a neutral bathroom.
It looks great, Emily! I love the hooks with the numbers above them. I’ve been sharing a bathroom with my 4 boys while we remodel our master bathroom, and I’m tired of the towels on the floor (among other things :)). The numbers are a great way for them to know which towel is theirs. I may have to copy that idea :)
I really like how you used what you had on hand. And it looks great! My kids always love it when I incorporate their artwork somewhere in our home.
XO,
Sarah
I can not tell you how much I love this bathroom!
If you like horizontal stripes , you should come visit my new blog
http://mylist becomeshislist.blogspot./
PS I love the bamboo mirror and shower curtain but most of all the side note to your parents, hilarious!
It looks like the old mirror wasn’t glued to the wall. You’re lucky! It turned out very cute.
Love the art!!
Love it! I’m filing away pictures of those hooks, so I can copy later!
Love it! The West Elm shower curtain is so beautiful! I was thinking about getting the gray one and now I just might have to! :)
What a cute fun bathroom!
Love it! I hate bamboo, actually, but I really like that frame. Why do things always look better in your house? ;)
Also love the real glimpse inside the “less done spaces” in your home. Nice to know you’re human. Ha!
This looks great! I have considered purchasing this shower curtain. What is the true color? Is it more of a green or a yellow?
Oooooh love the hooks! Such a cute idea for a kid’s bathroom – very cool :>)
That is awesome! And, I love the price tag! Well done. Not too kiddie – just right. My favorite part is the hooks/ numbers!!
LOVE it! the numbered hooks are really cute, and i love the childrens art work and stripped curtain. it’s nice that you made it their room without having it kiddy themed. xoxo jcd
We have the same dilemma over here. Love what you did. I am loving the hooks and numbers. I think I will take down our towel bar and put up some hooks. Great mirror. {good call on the baby disclaimer!!!}
It looks great, Emily!!! I love the shower curtain and what a great idea to have your kids add their own artwork! love it!
I love it! The towel hooks are a fantastic idea – I’ve got a similar wall in my daughter’s bathroom and have gone back and forth about what to use for art in there – I might have to copy this!
Thanks again for the inspiration :)
I am in the process of doing my girls TINY bathroom & you have given me a ton of inspiration with the kids artwork, the towel hooks & even with the basket on the back of the toilet! Thanks
Great choice’s for the bathroom. I love the numbers.
Super cute and great budget-friendly ideas. Thanks for test-driving the curtain with green walls for me! I might just be doing the same before too long.
I love it! I’ve been eyeing that shower curtain for my kids’ shared bathroom, too. Now I have extra inspiration.
Love it! What a great transformation for so little!
A.MAZ.ING. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Our bathroom looks just like yours (placement of cabinet, toilet, tub/shower) and I’ve been at a loss for what to do with it. You’ve given me some much needed inspiration!! P.S. Kids creating their own art using preselected colors – genius! May I steal this idea?
What a lovely transformation! Loving those numbers with the towel hooks. Enjoy your day, Kellie xx
Absolutely brilliant! Love the shower curtain as well! :-)
Another great design! You have such a classic style with a twist of freshness. I love the sidenote to your parents too!!
Enjoy your day!
Maureen
I love this makeover! I love it all – the bamboo mirror, the shower curtain and especially the kids’ art! I had to laugh about the toothbrushes in the shoe box. And I have had a mirror that needs a home leaning against my own bedroom wall for months as well!
Looks great! I love that you shared the before pictures before cleaning up, makes things much more relatable :)
Emily, I love the wall color, great green! I know what you mean designing for the sexes. I am doing a playroom for two boys and a girl. I came up with a color scheme of green walls with navy and white for the boys and I add a pop of pink to the mix when my little gal is visiting. I have had so much fun choosing all the fabs. Still a work in progress but loving it all.
I am sure your little one’s love their new digs. KS
Great compromises that equal the perfect kids’ bath. I love that you used things you already had. Thanks for sharing!
Oh so cute and practical!! So clean and fresh!
Super cute, Emily! Love the numbered hooks!
You’ve got me thinking I really need to do something about my daughter’s bathroom stat!!! Your babies (: bathroom turned out great!
Looks awesome! I love the numbered towel hooks, so cute!
The OCD part of me LOVES the numbered hangers. Cute idea!
I looks so great — LOVE me some stripes too. It’s to the point where I have to make myself think of other patterns or I’ll become crazy-stripe-lady!
I love your kids’s art and the mirror too. and LOL about the number of kids comment…totally something my mom would think!
Love the colors, what a great kids bathroom! The canvases are adorable.
Looks great. I, too, am a sucker for horizontal stripes. Also love the hooks and numbers…too cute.
My challenge is that my boy and girl share a jack and jill bathroom. Each of their vanties are separate and open to their rooms. So, I am having trouble figuring out how to meld a black/white/pink design plan with one that uses yellow and grey. I have a feeling the tub area will be a problem spot and neglected for a while!
I am LOVING the mirror! It adds such great interest to the bathroom. Good eye on that one!
The bathroom look fantastic! Love the numbers over the hooks :)
My fave is the striped shower curtain!
Great story, great bathroom. I love that mirror and the hooks — super cute (the 4th is for the guest?). You are way too talented! Seriously.
I LOVE this bathroom!!! you did such a simple fix but it looks so planned and thought out! I love everything about it; especially that it is for kids but NOT A theme!! ….love the towel hooks
xoxo
E
http://www.glitterandgoldblogblogspot.com
Mission accomplished! And adding their own art was a great, special touch! I cannot even imagine what our household chaos would be like with more little ones running around!
Beautiful!! Love the transformation!!
love this post! great choices, but most of all, the shoebox made me smile.
life is real, is it not???
-{darlene}
fieldstonehilldesign.com
Really, really cute! Love the kids artwork and that WE shower curtain is perfect!!
These are stunning designs. Good thing I manage to find these because I and my partner were having a hard time on thinking the new design for our bathroom. I hope the brown one will perfectly suite on our newly bought granite countertop.
Kitchen Benchtops
You have really imparted useful knowledge and I am little curious to know more. bathroom grab bars
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