Skip to content

Home

Room of the Day: A Kids’ Bathroom Sets Sail With a Sunny Nautical Theme

A bright yellow-and-blue color palette, maritime mural and fish-scale tile bring cheer to a seaworthy bathroom

By Jennifer Blaise Kramer, Houzz September 27, 2016

This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. Without changing the footprint of this children’s bathroom, designer Catherine Schmidt aimed to lighten and visually expand the previously dark, long and narrow layout. Vibrant colors and a nautical theme did the trick, while a clever pullout step stool gave her clients’ kids a better way to reach the...

This article originally appeared on Houzz.com.

Without changing the footprint of this children’s bathroom, designer Catherine Schmidt aimed to lighten and visually expand the previously dark, long and narrow layout. Vibrant colors and a nautical theme did the trick, while a clever pullout step stool gave her clients’ kids a better way to reach the sink without cluttering up the space with furniture.
 
Photos by Cindy Apple Photography

Bathroom at a Glance
Location: Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters)
Designer: Catherine Schmidt of Model Remodel

A happy yellow-and-blue color palette energizes the once-dark bathroom. The homeowners cut out nautical images from posters, wallpaper and online art, then pasted them together for a mood board. Artist David Heck used this for a springboard to paint the nautical mural on the right.

Schmidt played with changing the directions of the yellow tiles to add dimension and an almost wavelike feel.

Paint: Lemonade, Benjamin Moore; cabinetry and millwork: Canyon Creek Cabinet Co.; triple light fixture: Shades of Light

 
In lieu of a common step stool, Schmidt designed this custom pullout to give the kids an extra boost up to the sink. Builders from Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. built it to slide in and out like a drawer; rubberized feet keep it stable while in use.
 
Schmidt incorporated tiles resembling fish scales on the floor. Anchor-printed wallpaper on the lower part of the wall further pushes the nautical theme.

Magnolia Family Bathrooms Reimagined

Related: Photos to Inspire Your Bathroom Remodel

Floor tile: Grand Fish Scale in white Carrara marble, Stone Center Online; wallpaper: Anchors Away, Swag Paper

Magnolia Family Bathrooms Reimagined

Blue and yellow work their way around the tub-shower. Simple porcelain in indigo blue hits the backsplash, while tiles in a Key lime yellow work their way around the walls.

Wall and counter tile: Daltile; fixtures: Kohler

Related: Store First-Aid and Toothbrushes in a Mirrored Medicine Cabinet

A mirrored medicine cabinet reflects the nautical mural and the glass starfish light overhead.

Magnolia Family Bathrooms Reimagined

Starfish light: Shades of Light; faucets: Hansgrohe; sink: Decolav via Amazon

 

Magnolia Family Bathrooms Reimagined

Follow Us

Better Together

Better Together

This Seattle project presents an out-of-the-box model, where investors are also residents, and the design focuses on longevity and tenant retention—not profit.

Growing up in rural Detroit, Chad Dale spent many after-school and weekend hours playing with neighborhood kids in an open lot near his house. It’s an experience he always hoped his children would have someday, but by the time he became a father in Seattle, land was at a premium: either already developed or prohibitively…

Rachel Gallaher

A Different Kind of Mattress Store
Sponsored

A Different Kind of Mattress Store

Photos courtesy of Bedrooms and More. If you’re looking for the best mattress shopping experience in Seattle, the right choice often comes down to materials, transparency, and expert guidance – not just price or brand names. Bedrooms & More specializes in natural and organic two-sided mattresses and offers a no-pressure showroom environment where customers can…

Bedrooms & More

Joint Effort

Joint Effort

Rooted in the Northwest craft tradition, Mory Homes offers thoughtful furniture and storage solutions with an architectural point of view.

After more than a decade as the executive director of  local lighting company Graypants, one of the cofounders, Jonathan Junker, decided to return to his architectural roots. In 2019, he was raising a family on Bainbridge Island when he opened his namesake studio. At first, Junker enjoyed the holistic approach to residential design; a few…

Rachel Gallaher

Your Land, Your Legacy: A New Way to Build at Suncadia
Sponsored

Your Land, Your Legacy: A New Way to Build at Suncadia

For those who believe that where you live should reflect how you live and how you’ll be remembered Suncadia invites a deeper kind of ownership. It’s an opportunity to create a home that is entirely your own, on some of the most desirable homesites in the Cascades, while benefiting from the ease, support, and long-term…

Suncadia