The family bathroom is one of the most important rooms in a home. It’s where all members of the family will spend a good amount of time daily, so it needs to serve a number of different purposes.

Planning the perfect family bathroom involves taking all of these purposes into consideration and designing a practical space. However, family bathrooms can be both practical and stylish with the right pre-planning.

If you’re looking to design a functional and stylish family bathroom that will last you for years to come, follow our tips and tricks below.

1. Measure the space

It goes without saying that before choosing fixtures and fittings or picking a wall colour, you should measure up the space you’re working with.

Be sure to measure every surface and take into account the size of windows, doorframes and any storage or boiler unit that’s not being removed. Once you’ve measured up, you’ll be able to get a better idea of the bathroom items you can fit in.

2. Decide on a layout

Choosing a layout for your family bathroom is often the most difficult part, and you may even find that sticking to your current layout is the best option – both budget-wise, and if it works then why change it?

It’s important to get the layout right from the start. With a family bathroom, you need to consider how much space you need around each fitting alongside the fixtures that are suitable for the age of your children and any family planning you have in mind.

The key to a successful family bathroom layout is one that offers functionality first and foremost. It’s always handy to incorporate both a bath and a shower if you can, to cater for the needs of all family members. If you don’t have room for both, opt for a bath with a showerhead fixture to please everyone.

3. Streamline your storage space

Family bathrooms require plenty of storage space so this shouldn’t be overlooked, but you also want to avoid taking up too much valuable floor space.

The best solution to this is to incorporate as many built-in storage units as you can possibly fit. Line the walls with cupboards and tuck them away under the sink area if possible. This way, you’ll have enough space to hide away all toiletries and cleaning products without over cluttering the room.

4. Choose a neutral colour scheme

Re-designing your family bathroom can be a costly investment, so it’s wise to choose a colour scheme that will see you through the next 5 or so years, at least.

Be aware of investing in any niche furniture that may be trendy now, but will soon go out of style. Stick to the classic white fixtures and fittings that will allow you to change up the look with different paint colours and wallpaper choices in the future.

5. Make it child-friendly

If you have young children or are planning to in the near future, opt for a child-friendly bathroom design to prevent the risk of any accidents.

Bathrooms can be particularly hazardous when it comes to wet floors, but investing in non-slip flooring and a high-quality bath mat should help to reduce the chances of any accidents.

It’s also wise to opt for soft-close cupboards and toilet seats to avoid any damage to the furniture and mitigate the risk of trapping any little one’s fingers.