When we bought this house our biggest issue was that we would share a bathroom with our 1 and 3 year old children. We generally like them a lot. Love, even. But despite our general obsession of them, sharing a bathroom with those two for the next 10 years (or so) didn’t make us want to do that jump and click your heels thing. If I were to rate them on the disgusting scale they are a solid ‘5’. They pull off their pull-ups and throw them in the trash without needing us in the morning, which seems like a ‘win’, but that definitely depends on the contents of said diapers. You get my drift, although hopefully you never have to.
So we gave our architect the challenge of adding a bathroom to our already very conservatively build bedroom floor.
For the record, this is why you hire an architect. I thought it was impossible. But after 100 years of people living happily (albeit crowded) in this house and sharing a bathroom, he figured out how to reconfigure the second floor to allow for two bathrooms.
And boy am I glad he did.
Bedroom 1 (which had the best light with two big sets of windows overlooking the backyard) was the smallest. Bedroom 2 is awkward and small already (but with a beautiful wall of old windows) and bedroom 3 (previously perceived as ‘the master’) was the biggest. We didn’t have the skills or imagination to know where that second bathroom would live. There was and is BARELY closet space and yet we have more closet space than before and yes, another bathroom.
Here is what he gave us for the kid’s bedroom layouts:
Our fear was that it would feel forced and look like we had shoved a bathroom in a small second floor that didn’t have the space. We didn’t want to sacrifice the other bedrooms just to accommodate a kids bathroom.
But we did… because we wanted it that much. Birdie’s bedroom was already awkward with very few right angles – so making it even a weirder shape seemed kinda ok.
So we stole from Charlie’s bedroom like so …
We also stole from Birdie’s bedroom (while making her closet bigger and deeper).
It looked really good and almost natural.
Stealing from the kid’s rooms and adding a bathroom for them is literally the best thing we did for the house and our family, and walking up into the second floor you would have literally NO IDEA that it wasn’t always that way. People are shocked. It feels so natural and obvious. Of course there should be a bathroom here and obviously, the house should have been built as it is now, originally.
Both the kids rooms are smaller, but neither are compromised. Birdie’s is still small and awkward (but way more functional) and Charlie’s still feels like a good size and absolutely big enough for a 4-year-old.
My intent for this bathroom matches the result – a playful take on a classic English tudor. The herringbone floor is timeless, the matte subway feels updated, the wallpaper is fun and unexpected but appropriate for the house. I didn’t go super graphic or trendy, it’s an updated toile that looks the part and our kids love talking about what’s in it (and pointing to it). I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Having cows and horses on fields and farms in a simple color palette is apparently my jam.
MOO.
We chose a readymade vanity that had furniture legs – thus looking less builder-grade and it has a step stool built into it that can pull out for the kids when they need to use it which is why 9 million people have bought it since I originally posted about it. Our kids are just now getting old enough to use it, but when they do it’s not to brush their teeth. PARENTS! Don’t fool yourself into thinking that if they can see themselves in the mirror they’ll actually scrub a brush on a stick around their molars. They are still going to just suck the paste off the brush and tell you they are done, just like they did before.
For the wall tile and shower surround we went with this beautiful (the pics don’t really do it justice) matte white subway tile from Fireclay. We decided to go with this option vs. the glossy option as it not only visually is more soft and textured but also because it helps hide water spots which you know the kids love to adorn the wall while splashing around during bath time.
Speaking of bathtime that little toy cubby behind the bath is one of the best things we did in the bathroom. I was able to find a plastic basket that fits perfectly in there and it keeps all those toys contained and off the floor. We also added a little niche halfway up the wall for shampoos and soaps for when they eventually are old enough to bathe and shower themselves. Which by the way if you are wondering, once that happens we will either install a glass shower panel or some sort of shower curtain. We haven’t yet as bathing them is so much easier without it getting in the way.
We brought the wainscot over to the bath which was a mistake, but a pretty one. If you don’t have two toddlers splashing for 1/2 hour all over the bathroom every night then you might be fine with having wood on the front of your bathtub as I am sure the water doesn’t get everywhere. But we do, and because we were rushing I didn’t properly ask our contractor if the materials he was using would stand up to water. If I were to go back and do it again I would have done some research to see if there was a waterproof version that mimicked the look of the wainscoting or may have continued the shower surround tile all the way down the front of the tub as well.
We love their little bathroom, and they do too – and if you are into the look then here are all the sources below linked up for you. Let me know if you have any questions on anything. And for your viewing pleasure, we created this little “style school” video a while back, before we shot the bathroom, which is why the styling is slightly different. You’ll also have to pretend that those big black annoying bars don’t exist as this was shot vertically for instagram. 🙂
1. Wallpaper | 2. Toothbrush Holder | 3. Soap Dish | 4. Ceiling Light | 5. Shower Tile | 6. White Fringe Bath Towels | 7. Shower and Tub Combination | 8. Toilet | 9. Beadboard | 10. Beadboard Paint | 11. Faucet | 12. Vanity | 13. Tub | 14. Floor Tile | 15. Wood Horse | 16. Planter | 17. Bath Mat | 18. Striped Towel (similar) | 19. Facial Brush | 20. Bath Letters and Numbers | 21. White Bin (similar) | 22. Submarine Bath Toy | 23. Toothbrush Set of 2 | 24. Wooden Comb | 25. Wooden Brush
***Photography by Ryan Leibe for EHD
For more reveals from Emily’s Los Feliz Home: Powder Room | Living Room Update | Charlie’s Big Boy Room | Master Bedroom | Master Bathroom | Living Room | Kitchen & Dining Room | Elliot’s Nursery | Backyard | Closets | Laundry Room | Elliot’s Nursery Update | Family Room Update | Kitchen | Updated Living Room
This is both genius and gorgeous. And I love how different it looks from each bedroom, yet it suits both perfectly (which is also genius). I’m curious about lighting, since you have no natural light there. Were you tempted – or was it possible – to add a window or skylight or even a sun tunnel?
I had this exact question about lighting. From the one shot from Birdie’s bedroom you can see that the bathroom is actually a realistic brightness for a bathroom with no window. Otherwise its internet magic I think. I wonder if they put in recessed lighting to help?
It’s the roofline 🙂 I suppose we could have asked if we could put a window in the roof …. but i’m not sure you can do that! The other two walls are the kids walls … But a skylight could have worked … hmm ..
I love every. single. thing. about this bathroom: the wallpaper, the tile, the vanity, that amazingly brilliant toy cubby above the bathtub. I would even share it with our five year-old, and that’s saying something.
When you were initially giving us sneak peaks I wasn’t overly excited about the bathroom, but this full reveal is quite lovely and bright. When the doors are closed what is the lighting like in their? Can you shed some light on maintaining brightness in interior bathroom caves?
ah, thank you 😉
we have an overhead fixture and then some cans as well …. its bright enough, but obviously I love some natural light. I think that’s why I chose such a happy and bright wallpaper – it still feels happy despite not windows. xx
So pretty and functional. And what I love most, maybe, is that it is a small bathroom and so full of really useful ideas. I get so tired of seeing massive bathrooms in pictures when I (and everyone I know) has a much smaller bathroom. What do you need a ballroom sized bath for?
Can you share what color grout you used for the floor tile. I like that it brings out the pattern but it’s not too graphic.
I’m curious about the square footage of each of the bedrooms. We also have a small upstairs with only one bathroom and I want to know how big your rooms are now that you added a second bathroom.
Hi Emily and thanks for sharing your beautiful bathroom. My question regards the smaller bedrooms. We are constructing a vacation mobile home near the beach with a limited footprint and trying to get 3 bedrooms where there were 2. What is the minimum size you would consider for the secondary bedrooms, to be used at this time for 3 kids age 5 and under, and the occasional girlfriends. Thanks!
Same question as Lisa ⬆️
I’ll look! I honestly couldn’t tell you off the top of my head although I’m sure you could look it up and there might be a rule somewhere thats like ‘a minimum bedroom should be 10×10 or something …
Hi Emily! I am in the process of renovating a bathroom which also has a slanted ceiling in the shower as this beautiful jack and jill. The previous owners also placed the tile in said slanted ceiling but somehow it looks dingy and makes the bathroom feel smaller.
Is there any thought or purpose behind the ceiling tile decision? Protecting from water? Yours obviously looks better because of the white tile, maybe also the scale of the tile… Would love your opinion! Thanks 🙂
I think you have to to protect the wall from water. Even if it isn’t directly splashed it won’t dry well or quickly and you end up with mold. We recently added tile to an existing shower ceiling for this exact reason.
Hi Emily! Your kids’ bath is so adorable! Just fyi, Azek (or any other cellular pvc trim product) should have a beadboard profile that you could use in front of the tub. It can be painted, and is great for wet areas. I’ve used it for trim behind kitchen sinks, and around in-shower windows.
Yeah, and Azek isn’t super expesive to buy or install. It’s available everywhere too. Can’t you also get it pre-primed? I know Emily&Co. aren’t weekend warriors, but this would be an easy diy project for others in the same boat.
That is exactly what we are doing in the basement bathroom (eventually) because every now and again if there is a month of rain, it might flood and redoing the entire floor will be $40k. So I’m designing the bathroom to be totally waterproof and using that! (its low on the priority list so it may not ever get done).
I love this; it is gorgeous! I (surprisingly, for me) love the wallpaper!! And am stealing that floor tile idea for my bathroom upgrade, I think.
I love this bathroom so much. Everything about it! What a magical bathroom to have as a child, tucked away under the eaves. And that wallpaper is the perfect choice.
The toy niche is GENIUS!!!!
Looks great. I am interested also in a wallpaper in my bathroom, however, I know there might be an issue with humidity. Which wallpapers’ brands do you recommend for bathrooms?
You should be safe with any wallpaper as long as you have a good professional installer instal it with the right paste. This paper is from Farrow and Ball and has held up really well in there. If you need some more inspiration here are a few of our favorites. https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-best-wallpaper-roundup-ever
Not really a question about this bathroom, but related – What’s your opinion on glass shower doors? We’re renovating our master bath and wanting to add a tiled walk-in shower (approx. 5′ x 2 1/2′). I’ve seen glass doors, shower curtains, and even door-less entries. With door-less, wouldn’t water get everywhere?? And I’m worried that a curtain would bring down the beautiful look of a tile shower (not to mention hiding the tile from view). BUT I’ve never had glass doors and I’m concerned about maintenance. I’ve heard bad stories of hard water spots, etc. What have others experienced? Is there a glass product that’s less prone to water spots? Any help/opinions are appreciated!!
Glass walls/doors in tubs and showers is very common in the uk where I’ve had several, and we built one in the states and I have really enjoyed them! Ours was a similar size to yours and we had a gap-no door and no significant water escaping. We had a piece of stone as a little step-over (leftover from kitchen countertop) that kept the floor water in and maybe the occasional spray but nothing major. We didn’t even have time on the wall outside of it (although that probably would be smart). As for spots I’d say that depends on you water hardness which could be helped by a softener. My method which I don’t even think about and trust me I’m not a clean freak-is I have a little metal squeegee and method daily shower spray. Once I’m done showering I just give it a spray and very quickly squeegee the spray and water off. Takes approximately 20 seconds. It’s bizarrely satisfying to do!
We didn’t have tile-not ‘time’ outside the shower. You don’t know how upset auto correct was with me over that theory. Fifth times a charm.
We do not have hard water where I live, so I can not speak to that. But I can say that switching to liquid body soap instead of bar soap eliminated ALL of the soap scum and water spots on my glass shower surround. Bar soap has talc in it, and this is apparently what leaves a residue (plus it’s not good for you to potentially inhale talc).
We have glass doors in our master and after each shower we quickly squeegee it and it stays pretty clean from water spots/etc. We do also have a water softening system in our house that helps minimize the water spots (as those happen due to the hard water). I would definitely recommend glass doors if they work in your space as they keep it open visually and aren’t too much maintenance if you are willing to give it a little love every so often.
that wallpaper, though! It’s so beautiful and although I don’t have children, nor a house of my own, I’m really tempted to get it anyway! hahaha!
It’s awesome and makes me so happy. xx
So pretty! I love the wallpaper.
Hi emily. Gorgeous! How do you protect the wallpaper in the bathroom?
Love it, glad other readers solved the beadboard issue. Darling bathroom.
I love love love this wallpaper. Reminds me of one of my favorite children’s authors and illustrator’s Wanda Gaag who wrote “Million’s of Cats.”
Very creative use of space!!
it’s adorable and perfect for two little kids! the only thing that is not my fave is that mirror. I am wishing it had a gold or wood border in a more symmetrical shape. also, in addition to your beadboard how is the wallpaper doing with steam/water etc. I would love to wallpaper a bathroom like this but was thinking you can only do it for powder rooms?
The wallpaper has been great in the bathroom. No issues at all. And all the tips for the beadboard are super helpful… if we get around to changing it. I think it is only an issue due to the kids splashing around as normally there wouldn’t be water spilling all over in a bathroom.
Also listen, will wallpaper last for 20 years in a bathroom? Probably not. I was willing to take a risk knowing that this room would likely not get steam for years and it has a fan anyway.
Are you happy with that marble floor tile and the grout you chose? Did you seal it? I’m considering using it in my bathrooms. thanks!
That wall paper is fabulous! Everything else is lovely too, but I’m ready to go buy that wallpaper for my house. Beautiful
I love this bathroom. Can you tell me the grout color you used for the floor tile? Also where did you get the sink for the vanity? Thank you.
Totally gorgeous..
You’re so generous showing the how-to n where-to-go for your designing . Love the realistic approach too : ) Thank-you..
So pretty and that wallpaper is fantastic. Curious, with the angled wall, what will you do for a mirror as the kids get taller? Will you be able to lean a mirror in there (is there space behind the faucet)? Maybe this isn’t an issue as you will move again…but curious what you recommend.
It is a tricky room once they get older, but they could bend over if needed or we could look into getting a pivoting mirror that could be tilted up if it really bothered them enough. xx
I’d love to know where the mirror is from? I’m remodeling a similarly shaped bathroom and would love one like yours! I’m obsessed by the wallpaper too …
I ADORE that wallpaper. I adore the entire room! And also, especially, that lovely, unusually shaped mirror. Total charm in every direction.
What color grout did you use?
Word about the kids sucking the toothpaste off the toothbrush. My toddler has 2 teeth and spends 85 minutes a day sucking the paste off her brush.
I know that “envy” is not an admirable trait, and normally I try really, really hard not to “go there”, but seriously with every reveal in this house I turn a really dark shade of green. Sigh… It is all just absolute perfection!!!! I might have to unfollow because I almost can’t handle it!!!!
NO! Don’t unfollow!! 🙂
Looks really, really great and good call making room for a bathroom. Personally I don’t see the reason for big bedrooms. People generally want to spend their time in family spaces.
Hi Emily, this bathroom is adorable! I wonder what your solution to wet towels/washcloths will be. I only see one ring. We are getting ready to remodel our children’s bathroom (we have four!) and this has been on my mind. How do you create an attractive space for all of the necessary hanging towels?
Hi Emily and thanks for sharing your beautiful bathroom. My question regards the smaller bedrooms. We are constructing a vacation mobile home near the beach with a limited footprint and trying to get 3 bedrooms where there were 2. What is the minimum size you would consider for the secondary bedrooms, to be used at this time for 3 kids age 5 and under, and the occasional girlfriends. Thanks!
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for sharing this renovation, it is simply darling. I am wondering if maybe you might do a post about when to hire a designer vs. an architect. We are in the process of trying to reconfigure our 2nd floor layout and were meeting with both designers and architects. I was curious as to why you all went the architect route for this?
We are looking at the Waterworks version of that faucet for our master remodel, how do you like the sink faucet from a functional perspective? I am worried it’s too low, that it will annoy me when I wash my face… also not sure about how it performs in terms of length—is it far enough over the sink? I love the look so would really appreciate your thoughts using it!
Love the bathroom, and how bright and sunny your house feels overall. This Seattleite is jealous of all that sunshine!
Just an editing note: Kids’ bathroom with the apostrophe after the s, please. That means it belongs to more than one kiddo. If you ever want to hire a remote editor, I’m your girl. 🙂
Perfectly appropriate and practical. Yup, architects are worth every penny. We nudged a master bath into an impossibly difficult space, but it worked. My brother-in-law was the genius designer. 20 years and 2 sudsequent owners later, no one has touched the master bath.
It’s not too late to paint your wainscoting under the bathtub with marine-grade paint. That is what we did in our bathroom and that stuff HOLDS UP! You will likely need to source a marine supply store, but I feel like that won’t be hard on the West Coast. Good luck! xo
ps– the bathroom is (unsurprisingly) beautiful!
Such a beautiful space! I’d love to know what finish the faucets are?? Thanks!
It looks so much fun and beautiful.
Love this so much! I also have slanted ceiling in my bathroom which we are renovating this summer. Curious to hear more about a future shower curtain solution, if you have one, for this space?
Emily: I can’t tell you enough how much your straight forwardness, cost analysis and tips (make sure to cover vents with the wallpaper….make sure your election adds another 6-10″ of wire if you have to move your light fixture after your vanity/mirror are installed- brilliant!) have made my first forays into massive home renovations projects far more informed and inspired. A thousand thanks.
I’m in the midst of 2 simultaneous bathroom renos (modern vintage in a 100 year old Washington, DC row house) and have been looking like mad for the kind of heavier than usual vintagy mirrors you’ve used in both the kids’ beautiful bathroom as well as your master bath.
If you have any suggestions for where others can be sourced, I’d be grateful.