10 Youthful Yet Sophisticated Bathrooms for Tweens and Teens
These bathrooms hit the sweet spot between young and refined
Suzanne Ennis
7 February 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. I write about all aspects of home design and remodeling, but I have soft spots for historic homes, California modernism and lakefront cabins.
Houzz Editorial Staff. I write about all aspects of home design and remodeling, but... More
Anyone who’s refereed a spat over a borrowed hairbrush or sink access knows that thoughtful design can help preserve family harmony. Ample storage and good circulation are paramount in bathrooms used by siblings, for example — and they’re appreciated by product-loving singletons too. But function isn’t everything, especially when you’re aiming to create a space your kids will love as they mature into young adults. If you’re refreshing a bathroom for your growing brood, take inspiration from these 10 youthful yet sophisticated bathrooms, which were designed with tweens and teenagers in mind.
1. Blue for Two
Two teenage girls and their mother worked with interior designer Sabrina Alfin to achieve the classic-but-fresh look of this San Francisco bathroom. The 100-square-foot space features a tub, a separate toilet room (a lifesaver when the sisters are both getting ready for school), a shower stall with a 24-by-15-inch niche and a generously sized custom vanity.
Painted in Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue and topped with a durable quartz that resembles Calacatta marble, the vanity gives each teen her own sink and drawers, two of which contain outlets for hair appliances.
Classic white subway and mini mosaic herringbone tiles and vintage-inspired lighting and fixtures lend the room a timeless look, while dip-dyed plant baskets on the wall, a dip-dyed stool and a bathmat with pompom fringe add youthful pizzazz.
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Two teenage girls and their mother worked with interior designer Sabrina Alfin to achieve the classic-but-fresh look of this San Francisco bathroom. The 100-square-foot space features a tub, a separate toilet room (a lifesaver when the sisters are both getting ready for school), a shower stall with a 24-by-15-inch niche and a generously sized custom vanity.
Painted in Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue and topped with a durable quartz that resembles Calacatta marble, the vanity gives each teen her own sink and drawers, two of which contain outlets for hair appliances.
Classic white subway and mini mosaic herringbone tiles and vintage-inspired lighting and fixtures lend the room a timeless look, while dip-dyed plant baskets on the wall, a dip-dyed stool and a bathmat with pompom fringe add youthful pizzazz.
Find a local interior designer on Houzz
2. Pop the Top
When their two tall teenage boys started to outgrow their cramped attic bathroom, the owners of a cottage-style bungalow in Texas raised the roof to create the fun 147-square-foot bathroom seen here. Designer Shea Pumarejo of Younique Designs kept the home’s cottage style and coastal theme, and she added colour liberally, starting with the wood tiling covering the backsplash and a coordinating stained ceiling.
Vapor-jar-style light fixtures, including the wall sconce between the mirrors, are among many coastal-inspired details in the room — others include shiplap walls and porthole-shaped windows in the shower (not visible here) and on the door.
Also not pictured are a toilet hidden behind a pony wall and ample built-in storage that coordinates with the white freestanding double vanity.
When their two tall teenage boys started to outgrow their cramped attic bathroom, the owners of a cottage-style bungalow in Texas raised the roof to create the fun 147-square-foot bathroom seen here. Designer Shea Pumarejo of Younique Designs kept the home’s cottage style and coastal theme, and she added colour liberally, starting with the wood tiling covering the backsplash and a coordinating stained ceiling.
Vapor-jar-style light fixtures, including the wall sconce between the mirrors, are among many coastal-inspired details in the room — others include shiplap walls and porthole-shaped windows in the shower (not visible here) and on the door.
Also not pictured are a toilet hidden behind a pony wall and ample built-in storage that coordinates with the white freestanding double vanity.
3. Vintage Vibes
Designer Sarah Kraus Bartelson transformed the blah 40-square-foot guest bathroom in her home in Winter Park, Florida, into this vintage industrial-style bath for her 13-year-old stepson and occasional visitors. Updates included installing a new 30-by-60-inch white alcove acrylic tub and a vintage-style trough sink with brushed nickel faucets set on a custom wood vanity. Two oversize niches above and beside the sink plus another in the tub-shower wall provide much-needed surface area and storage for toiletries.
Keeping to a white-and-grey colour scheme, Kraus covered the shower wall and floor with 8-by-8-inch glazed porcelain tiles that mimic the look of traditional handmade cement tiles, and she backed the niches with coordinating mini mosaic marble tiles. Matte black plumbing fixtures and warm wood accents complete the cool, teen-approved look.
Designer Sarah Kraus Bartelson transformed the blah 40-square-foot guest bathroom in her home in Winter Park, Florida, into this vintage industrial-style bath for her 13-year-old stepson and occasional visitors. Updates included installing a new 30-by-60-inch white alcove acrylic tub and a vintage-style trough sink with brushed nickel faucets set on a custom wood vanity. Two oversize niches above and beside the sink plus another in the tub-shower wall provide much-needed surface area and storage for toiletries.
Keeping to a white-and-grey colour scheme, Kraus covered the shower wall and floor with 8-by-8-inch glazed porcelain tiles that mimic the look of traditional handmade cement tiles, and she backed the niches with coordinating mini mosaic marble tiles. Matte black plumbing fixtures and warm wood accents complete the cool, teen-approved look.
4. Soft and Subtle
A Milwaukee-area teen was the muse for this beautiful 60-square-foot bathroom. The “artists” were her parents, architect Cleve Brakefield and designer Megan Brakefield of Brakefield Design Collective. Megan designed (and Cleve drew up plans for) a double-sink vanity painted in Unusual Grey by Sherwin-Williams, only half of which is visible here. It features a dressing table area in its centre and inset doors with a distinctive arched profile. The countertop is marble-like quartz that coordinates with the marble hexagonal tile floor, and the hardware and mirror frames are classic polished nickel.
A shower-tub-combo with a glass door and white, zellige-inspired glazed ceramic tile is opposite the vanity, and a toilet sits discreetly beside it. The walls (Unfussy Beige by Sherwin-Williams) and accessories are ever so slightly pink. The colour combines with the vanity’s greyish-green paint to lend the bathroom a soft, somewhat vintage look that’s spot-on for a 14-year-old but sophisticated enough to suit a user of any age.
A Milwaukee-area teen was the muse for this beautiful 60-square-foot bathroom. The “artists” were her parents, architect Cleve Brakefield and designer Megan Brakefield of Brakefield Design Collective. Megan designed (and Cleve drew up plans for) a double-sink vanity painted in Unusual Grey by Sherwin-Williams, only half of which is visible here. It features a dressing table area in its centre and inset doors with a distinctive arched profile. The countertop is marble-like quartz that coordinates with the marble hexagonal tile floor, and the hardware and mirror frames are classic polished nickel.
A shower-tub-combo with a glass door and white, zellige-inspired glazed ceramic tile is opposite the vanity, and a toilet sits discreetly beside it. The walls (Unfussy Beige by Sherwin-Williams) and accessories are ever so slightly pink. The colour combines with the vanity’s greyish-green paint to lend the bathroom a soft, somewhat vintage look that’s spot-on for a 14-year-old but sophisticated enough to suit a user of any age.
5. Tween Traditional and Twinkly
For this renovated New Jersey bathroom, two tween girls craved sparkle and fun. Their parents wanted to stay true to their home’s Victorian-era architecture. The compromise: Interior designer Miriam Silver Verga of Mimi & Hill Interiors selected classic and neutral permanent elements such as this double vanity with Shaker-style doors and a Calacatta marble countertop and backsplash. Then she went fresh and bold for elements that are easier to change, including a sparkly chandelier, oversize Lucite cabinet knobs and this exuberant botanical-print wallpaper by Rebecca Atwood.
Verga also swapped out a tub-shower combo for a large corner shower with a frameless clear glass enclosure and roomy niche. It’s no sparkly chandelier, but it’s an addition the girls are likely to appreciate just as much as they grow.
For this renovated New Jersey bathroom, two tween girls craved sparkle and fun. Their parents wanted to stay true to their home’s Victorian-era architecture. The compromise: Interior designer Miriam Silver Verga of Mimi & Hill Interiors selected classic and neutral permanent elements such as this double vanity with Shaker-style doors and a Calacatta marble countertop and backsplash. Then she went fresh and bold for elements that are easier to change, including a sparkly chandelier, oversize Lucite cabinet knobs and this exuberant botanical-print wallpaper by Rebecca Atwood.
Verga also swapped out a tub-shower combo for a large corner shower with a frameless clear glass enclosure and roomy niche. It’s no sparkly chandelier, but it’s an addition the girls are likely to appreciate just as much as they grow.
6. Black, White and Bold
Sandwiched between a teenage boy’s bedroom and a guest bedroom, this transitional Dallas bathroom needed room for two and a cool-yet-approachable style. Kitchen Design Concepts delivered it all in a timeless black-and-white palette.
A 66-inch-wide freestanding vanity cabinet has inset cabinet doors and a 3-centimetre-thick quartz countertop. The designer used marble tile in Carrara White and Nero Marquina throughout: The accent wall is the 6-inch hex black-white blend. Fixtures and hardware in a luxe gold finish up the glam factor.
Sandwiched between a teenage boy’s bedroom and a guest bedroom, this transitional Dallas bathroom needed room for two and a cool-yet-approachable style. Kitchen Design Concepts delivered it all in a timeless black-and-white palette.
A 66-inch-wide freestanding vanity cabinet has inset cabinet doors and a 3-centimetre-thick quartz countertop. The designer used marble tile in Carrara White and Nero Marquina throughout: The accent wall is the 6-inch hex black-white blend. Fixtures and hardware in a luxe gold finish up the glam factor.
7. In the Jungle
The couple remodeling this Seattle bathroom had several requirements, including leaving the existing bathtub, toilet and flooring unchanged; fitting two sinks into the space for their two teenage children; and integrating a niche into the shower area. Their aesthetic aim was less tame: They wanted a fun yet sophisticated look with an African wildlife theme.
Ellen Weiss Design met their goals with additions including a quartz-topped wooden vanity with two undermount sinks, giraffe-print accent tile, elephant-motif artwork and a niche that stretches the full width of the shower. As a bonus, what had been an unused built-in medicine cabinet is now open storage that adds yet more counter space and a splash of colourful jungle-print wallpaper.
The couple remodeling this Seattle bathroom had several requirements, including leaving the existing bathtub, toilet and flooring unchanged; fitting two sinks into the space for their two teenage children; and integrating a niche into the shower area. Their aesthetic aim was less tame: They wanted a fun yet sophisticated look with an African wildlife theme.
Ellen Weiss Design met their goals with additions including a quartz-topped wooden vanity with two undermount sinks, giraffe-print accent tile, elephant-motif artwork and a niche that stretches the full width of the shower. As a bonus, what had been an unused built-in medicine cabinet is now open storage that adds yet more counter space and a splash of colourful jungle-print wallpaper.
8. Fancy Farmhouse Flourishes
Another bathroom created by an interior designer for her teen takes the green-and-pink color scheme and gives it a vintage farmhouse spin. For her 16-year-old daughter’s retreat in the Charleston, South Carolina area, Bobby Jo Engelby painted a combo vanity-dressing table mint green (Waterfall, Sherwin-Williams), topped it with a vessel sink and warm poplar wood countertop in a driftwood finish, then added a whimsical faux-fur stool with acrylic legs.
Mint green paint on the walls (Brilliant Chandelier, Clark+Kensington), glass floral sconces, antique reproduction mirrors and a cabinet with bamboo details add a vintage feel. Up to chair rail height, Engelby installed subway tile, which continues into a large walk-in shower behind the far wall.
Another bathroom created by an interior designer for her teen takes the green-and-pink color scheme and gives it a vintage farmhouse spin. For her 16-year-old daughter’s retreat in the Charleston, South Carolina area, Bobby Jo Engelby painted a combo vanity-dressing table mint green (Waterfall, Sherwin-Williams), topped it with a vessel sink and warm poplar wood countertop in a driftwood finish, then added a whimsical faux-fur stool with acrylic legs.
Mint green paint on the walls (Brilliant Chandelier, Clark+Kensington), glass floral sconces, antique reproduction mirrors and a cabinet with bamboo details add a vintage feel. Up to chair rail height, Engelby installed subway tile, which continues into a large walk-in shower behind the far wall.
9. Colorful Classic
A custom quartz-topped vanity cabinet painted in Envy by Sherwin-Williams is the star of this 91-square-foot kids’ bathroom in — wait for it — Greenville, South Carolina. Working with architect Kirsten Schoettelkotte of Tindall Architecture Workshop, homeowner Cathleen Seay and her sister designed the space for Seay’s 16-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. They started with classic permanent fixtures such as the vanity and the basket-weave tile floor. Then they got creative with decor, nailing a high-low mix with details like the colourful Mansure & Co. upholstery on the window seat, vintage French enamelled coat hooks and budget-friendly bamboo blinds.
A custom quartz-topped vanity cabinet painted in Envy by Sherwin-Williams is the star of this 91-square-foot kids’ bathroom in — wait for it — Greenville, South Carolina. Working with architect Kirsten Schoettelkotte of Tindall Architecture Workshop, homeowner Cathleen Seay and her sister designed the space for Seay’s 16-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. They started with classic permanent fixtures such as the vanity and the basket-weave tile floor. Then they got creative with decor, nailing a high-low mix with details like the colourful Mansure & Co. upholstery on the window seat, vintage French enamelled coat hooks and budget-friendly bamboo blinds.
10. Crisp and Clean
In San Francisco, Hideaki Kawato (lead designer and project manager) and Stephen Shoup (principal) of building Lab transformed a dark, dated bathroom into this bright and efficient full bath for three brothers, ages 11, 14 and 16. Contributing to its clean and airy feel are a wall-mount dual-flush toilet (not seen here) and a sleek floating custom vanity topped with a solid-surface material called Krion that features two integrated trough sinks. Blue 8-inch-square terrazzo tiles from France add a subtle shimmer, and a translucent window of satin etched glass behind the cabinets and a new horizontal skylight above the vanities bathe the room in natural light.
Not resting on its good looks, the room is also packed with functional new features. Those include a hinged glass shower door, a shower-width niche, a sliding handheld shower head to accommodate users of different heights and a pullout laundry bin in one of the vanity cabinets.
Tell us: Which of these bathrooms would your tween or teen love most, and why? Share your favourites in the Comments.
In San Francisco, Hideaki Kawato (lead designer and project manager) and Stephen Shoup (principal) of building Lab transformed a dark, dated bathroom into this bright and efficient full bath for three brothers, ages 11, 14 and 16. Contributing to its clean and airy feel are a wall-mount dual-flush toilet (not seen here) and a sleek floating custom vanity topped with a solid-surface material called Krion that features two integrated trough sinks. Blue 8-inch-square terrazzo tiles from France add a subtle shimmer, and a translucent window of satin etched glass behind the cabinets and a new horizontal skylight above the vanities bathe the room in natural light.
Not resting on its good looks, the room is also packed with functional new features. Those include a hinged glass shower door, a shower-width niche, a sliding handheld shower head to accommodate users of different heights and a pullout laundry bin in one of the vanity cabinets.
Tell us: Which of these bathrooms would your tween or teen love most, and why? Share your favourites in the Comments.
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Numbers one, five and 10 were beautiful and my favorites.
1 and 10
I have triplet boys, who are 16. They've been sharing a long bath for 6 years in our current house. Biggest mistakes ever are 1. not having a separate toilet room and 2. see through shower walls. I will never ever do either of those again. It's a totally fun bathroom, but can only be used by one at a time.