I love a party, especially a blog party! Welcome new readers from Ultimate Blog Party ‘09!  In case I haven’t met you yet, my name is Susan and I’m an interior decorator and home stager.  I specialize in making big impacts with small budgets. 

I’m also a bit of an eGeek – I blog (a lot!) and I recently launched an online community for home enthusiasts.  I live in Connecticut and am “Mom” to two little girls. In fact, today’s blog topic is very close to my heart – kid’s bathrooms!

Now if you can’t have fun decorating your kid’s bathroom, then you’re just not trying hard enough. But don’t expect them to keep it fabulous!  It always seems to be Mom’s job to wipe the excess toothpaste out of the sink, hang their towel carefully, put toiletries away, pick up bath toys or respect the natural flow of the toilet paper roll.

This is real life.  And it’s messy! So let’s incorporate a few organizational tips into your design:

Hooks - it’s much easier to hang a towel on a hook than a towel bar.  They come in many fun designs – just make sure you attach them securely to the wall to handle any abuse. 

Toy Bin – keep it simple…one toy bin.  Like hooks, bins too come in many different styles, and can add to a theme.  In our beach vacation bathroom, I use a sand bucket to store the toys. It hangs on a hook along with the towels (win-win!).

Set Zones – one for each kid.  It could be a drawer or a caddy, but each kid needs a place they can call their own, AND take responsibility for.

Spare set of bath linens – accidents happen…there will be times you need a fast towel and bathmat change.  With a “B” set on hand, you can launder them on your timeframe.

Clock and a timer – trust me on this one, especially if you have more than one girl!

Look up for space – Add shelves and use cute baskets to control clutter.  Hang organizers on the wall for hair accessories, etc.

Dirty Laundry – if you can’t fit a hamper in the bathroom, put it right outside the bathroom door.  There are also some over-the-back-of-the-door hampers available.

Now, what about décor (the fun part?)

Take care in picking a theme that is not too focused or too childish (they do grow, you know!).  Limit décor accessories unless they also serve a specific function. Here are a couple ideas:

Hands On -  Here’s a fun idea I got from a Twitter friend – involve your kids and make handprints in different colors on the wall.  Then “real” fingerprints won’t show up as much (they had 4 boys in their family!).

Rubber Duck – paint simple waves on the wall, using vinyl lettering, write the words to Ernie’s “Rubber Ducky” song along the wall, going in a circle around the bathroom.  Add some bright yellow towels for a splash of color.

All About Color – Mix playful colors on walls, shower curtain and towels (and where else in your home can you be so bold)!  How about using a combination of triad colors such as purple, orange and green, or split complementary colors such as blue with yellow-orange and red-orange accents?  For a more feminine room, you can always complement pink with green. 

What are YOUR tips for making AND keeping your kids’ bathroom fabulous tolerable!