Families need space for improvisation

When several people live together, the bathroom becomes a place of communication – especially when it is where several generations begin their day, learn and practise rituals, take care of one another and all have to make compromises in order to get along. As a rule, this usually means couples or families with children, but it could also mean families who live together with care-dependent relatives.

In busy families where everybody has his or her own life to lead, the kitchen and bathroom are often the last remaining spaces for shared rituals and occasional gatherings; they are where we talk about how the day has gone and any problems that might be troubling us. More than anything else, the sanitaryware and furnishings in this kind of “Busy Bathroom” have to provide space and scope for improvisation. Here it’s not so much perfect styling that matters as the ability of the space and its occupants to tolerate the inevitable chaos. The equanimity to let things take their course and “clear the decks” afterwards is a particularly useful asset for anyone who lives with children.

So as to structure the chaos, multifunctional elements are a great help. They can take the form of walk-in showers, splash-proof bathtubs that can endure skylarking without flooding the floor or double vanities that are the right height for everyone and accessible from all sides. Anybody with enough space is well advised to plan zones for different activities that can be undertaken simultaneously. This mainly means thinking about the toilet, but it could also mean creating a washing area with a corner for the parents (or alternatively one specially for the children), a bathing and dressing zone separated off by pre-wall elements or shelving, or even a spacious splash-proof shower alcove. If there is room for plenty of storage space – ideally, every person who uses the bathroom should have their own storage area – plus a little space for snuggling up, the Busy Bathroom becomes a place of intimacy where the family can experience a sense of togetherness and security.