The Kids' Bathroom That Grows With Them
Renovating is expensive. Children are not small for long. And yet, kids' bathrooms are often a totally missed opportunity, because people make decisions that don't hold up — either because they're too childish to age gracefully, or too precious to survive the daily chaos of someone who is six years old and not particularly concerned about your finish selections.
After more than a decade of designing family homes across Toronto, we've developed a clear point of view on this: a kids' bathroom should be fun without being juvenile, durable without being boring, and designed with enough foresight that it still makes sense when that six-year-old is sixteen. Here's how we think about it.
Tile: The Jumping Off Point
Tile is where we have the most fun in a kids' bathroom — and also where we see the most mistakes. Fun does not mean bright colours and cartoon motifs. It means using timeless materials in a way that feels a little more playful, a little less serious, without ever crossing into something you'll want to rip out in five years.
In our Rossmore Road kids' bathroom, we used concrete floor tiles with a subtle lily pad pattern paired with a glossy white penny round on the walls. Neither material is childish in isolation, but together they feel approachable and fun, while still being completely durable and timeless.
In our Alcina Ave Jack-and-Jill bathroom, we added a stripe detail using a tile trim piece running through the subway tile — a small hit of colour in a muted, considered tone that gives the space personality without dating it.
The through-line in both cases: interest and character, achieved through pattern and texture rather than colour or theme. These bathrooms will look just as considered in fifteen years as they do today.
Vanity Height: A Detail That Actually Matters
Vanity height is one of those decisions that sounds minor and turns out to matter enormously — especially in a kids' bathroom.
Standard vanity heights range from 30 to 36 inches. We almost always specify 34 inches across our projects, which hits the sweet spot between comfortable for adults and workable for children with a step stool. In a kids' bathroom we'll occasionally consider dropping to 32 inches, but more often than not we land at 34 — low enough that a stool makes it accessible for young children, high enough that it doesn't feel awkward as they grow.
Two things to keep in mind alongside height: first, make sure there's room for a stool in front of the vanity for younger children. Second, avoid an overly deep vanity that pushes the basin and faucets too far back to reach comfortably. In a kids' bathroom, proportion matters as much as dimension.
The Shower and Tub Question
For younger children's bathrooms, we almost always include a tub. Most children under six will use a bath rather than a shower, and removing that option is a decision you'll feel immediately. With that said, a shower is equally non-negotiable — whether that's a tub-shower combination or, in more generous spaces, a separate freestanding tub and shower.
Our Rusholme Road project is a good illustration of how this plays out across different ages. For the youngest child we designed a tub-shower combination. For the eldest, a freestanding tub paired with a separate shower. For the middle child, a generous shower was the right answer. Three kids, three different briefs, three different solutions — all within the same home.
Finishes: Built for Real Life
Beyond tile, the finishes in a kids' bathroom need to be honest about what they're signing up for. This is not the space for soft honed natural stones that scratch and stain, or for cabinetry that can't handle heavy daily use by someone who is not being careful.
For vanities, we recommend a well-made wood veneer or MDF finish — whether that's a custom piece or a quality off-the-rack option. Both hold up well and can be specified in finishes that read as elevated rather than utilitarian.
For countertops, a non-descript quartz is our default recommendation in kids' bathrooms — durable, low maintenance, and available in finishes that work with almost any tile selection. If you want to use natural stone, opt for a harder variety in a polished finish. It will age beautifully and is far more forgiving than a honed surface in a space that sees this much action.
Storage: Plan for Who They're Becoming
Storage is a principle of any well-designed bathroom, but in a kids' bathroom it deserves extra attention — because the amount of stuff in this room will only grow and evolve as they do.
Built-in storage is always worth the investment here. Whether that's deep drawers in the vanity, shelving, or a recessed medicine cabinet, the goal is to ensure everything has a home before the chaos sets in. A bathroom designed with generous, well-considered storage will serve a six-year-old and a sixteen-year-old equally well — which is exactly the point.
Megan Crosbie Design is a boutique full-service residential interior design studio based in Toronto, with projects featured in Architectural Digest, Toronto Life, Style at Home, Refinery29, and The Spruce.
If you're considering a renovation in Toronto, Muskoka, or across Ontario — or thinking about what one might look like in the next few years — we'd love to hear from you.
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