Get away from me!! It’s MY turn! Hurry up!! Your elbow is in MY space!!

AAAAAaaah the Family Bathroom. Let’s assume you have kids. Or let’s assume there are TWO people using the bathroom. And let’s assume that there is a battle for space. And you don’t have room for two sinks. How about a larger than normal sink with TWO faucets? There are a variety of options from several manufacturers. Following up on my previous discussion regarding the Fear of Modern, I suggested tiptoeing into this design area by mixing modern with traditional. This is an example of a modern sink with two traditional faucets over it.

And how can you resist this one?

What about storage you ask? This is the same sink built in with counter space and a shelf below.

This is a small bathroom with a small vanity but STILL– two people could brush their teeth or wash their hands at the same time.

By incorporating sinks like this, in the 37” range, you can (hopefully) allow for an upright cabinet for storage.

And when it comes to the shower and a growing family, a handshower on a slidebar is a must-have. Your toddler can take a “big kid” shower at age 3 and your growing teenager can raise the showerhead to their 5’8” or their 6’5” height. (Plus, short moms and tall dads can both have the showerhead at a reasonable height). And if your plumbing codes allow it, it’s always nice to shower together with two shower heads!

When I think of little boys, or big ones for that matter, I think about the toilet cleaning issues. With this in mind, it’s hard to beat a wall-mount toilet. (I’ll address these further in a future blog) They’re easy to clean under and there is less of them to clean overall. Think of all of the space you’ll save!

I had to include this photo even though there is no slide bar because this bathroom has a wall-mount toilet IN THE SHOWER!! It’s a great space saver. You couldn’t do this with a floor-mount toilet but think of the space you could save. This is called a Wet Room and I’ll discuss this in a future blog, too.

Family is all about closeness anyway, right? So squeeze in and consider two faucets over one big sink, showering together and building a wet room.

Modern is Cold. Modern is SO not me!! WHY?

So often we hear this distaste/dislike/disgust at modern. And frankly, we don’t get it. While there is some modern design that exists purely for the cool factor, there is so much more modern that IS warm AND cool at the same time. Modern can be clean and unfussy but still family friendly. In the USA, we are so often “behind the times” when it comes to design. Think of the Scandinavians. Think of the Germans. Think of the Italians. They all have families. They all embrace design. And they live to prove that family and design can coexist.

This is not to say that you must give up your love for tchotchke. But rather, edit, edit, edit. Find the pieces you love THE MOST!! Embrace them. Allow them to define you and your history and your hopes for the future. But deny the clutter and the stuff that you inherited or that entered your life wrapped in a bow. Choose pieces that are easy to clean, unfussy and full of storage. For the timid modernist, consider mixing both traditional and modern in the same package. YES!! Choose a modern sink/tub with a traditional faucet. Or vice-versa.

These are some examples of the mix…

Living at the coast inspires us to honor its beauty in our own homes. Our clients often ask for a “Beachy Bath”. There are SO many ways this can be achieved but this new vanity from Native Trails would be a great start. It’s made of caramel bamboo which satisfies our green-minded clients and it’s sexy curves add a touch of Bohemian Glamour–perfect for the city dweller in us who decided to run off n live by the coast (or at least feel like it!!).

Native Trails was founded by an inspiring woman who set out to find her own path to offer great design while respecting sustainable manufacturing. The copper in the line is recycled and the wood in the vanities is reclaimed or in the case of the Monaco, sustainably grown and harvested.

I see this vanity with glass tiles and pale natural stone paired with a brushed or polished nickel faucet. To add a bit of individuality, a faucet in a smoky gun barrel or graphite finish could be conversation worthy. I’m even going to recommend some cute sconces, Beachy–almost lantern-like–to further bring the beach indoors. All we need now are some sandy feet!!

Visit California Faucets Made in California to virtually create your own faucet in their cool graphite finish. (I blog via my iPhone which means I have no access to Flash so I couldn’t create one for you)

Also, check out AquaBrass (made in Italy) to see the Belmondo or Batlo faucet as well as a host of other signature faucets. They offer Gun Barrel as a finish which can make for a SMOKIN’ bathroom ( sorry–I couldn’t resist the obvious humor!)