Our cheery Jack-and-Jill bath

Our bathroom situation for the kids is so totally different today than it was last year. We used to have two very small bathrooms squeezed between their bedrooms, and by combining them, the function has dramatically improved (not to mention the looks). Here are the before photos:

Bathroom One:

This bathroom was tiny, carved out at the landing at the top of the stairs. We aren’t sure about the window in there; we think it probably wasn’t there originally. The one hidden in the wall was behind the stand-up shower stall. 

Bathroom Two:

Here it is today:

The colors were inspired by a print my husband gave me five years ago. It’s such happy art, and I wanted my kids to start each day in a happy space.

By the way, I have mixed feelings about the quote—we can choose our attitude, but we can’t always choose how healthy we are mentally and emotionally. So Lonnie and I had a conversation with the kids about what we can and can’t control as far as happiness is concerned, and I hope they’ll remember that conversation when they look at this art.

There’s not a lot of storage in this bath, but I like how utilitarian and spare it feels. To achieve that look, I went with medicine cabinets for storing toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and hair elastics. We also opted for towel hooks instead of towel rods (and I finally wised up and had towels embroidered with the kids’ initials—now I always know who left his or her towel on the floor).

 

You’ll remember the sinks from this post. Here they are with the underside painted black and sporting shiny chrome faucets. I have four kids, so having four faucets is perfect for brushing teeth. The water on the hot side doesn’t heat up instantly, so we haven’t had any problems with temperature, and the twins love having their own side of the sink.

The animal towel rings add a little levity to the room.

 

The yellow tile is from Floor & Décor. They have lots of good colored subway options that can be special ordered if you’re interested. This yellow is such a lovely shade of goldenrod, reminiscent of our kitchen downstairs.

Here’s a pic that shows the two doors to the kids’ bedrooms.

We chose penny tile with charcoal grout for the floors. The window by the tub is the one uncovered during demolition. I can’t tell you how much light it casts down our stairway—such a big change.

Our tub was originally in the main-floor bath, but we had it refinished and hoisted through the upstairs windows for this bath. It’s the only original tub in the house, and it’s a dandy. The refinishers said it’s probably the heaviest tub they’ve ever worked with. Made out of cast iron, it seriously holds onto heat and is such a lovely depth. The kids are loving it.

Tell me the truth: Would you ever do a yellow bathroom? Would you ever do colored tile on the wall? It’s a risk for sure, but it goes well in an old house that probably had colored tile at one point anyway. I’m a big believer in the power of color to influence mood, and this yellow is about as cheery as it gets. I’m hoping this means all mornings will be sunshiney in our family—too lofty a goal? •

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