The Bathroom Plus Child Equation
posted in Decoration |Once a couple decides to add children to the home equation, well certain things must change. It starts with the most obvious such as the sporty little two seater car that sits so proudly in the drive but gets traded in for a more practical and roomy mini-van. The carefully collected antique vases make way for new baby clothes, designer diaper bags and cute baby clothes. Oh, but there is more to the equation when adding children, than replacing a few books, vases and saying goodbye to the concept of sleep as well as savings accounts.
Granite and marble shower stalls, countertops and sinks in the bathroom have been a very popular and trendy item among young and upwardly mobile couples with an eye to décor and trends. However, marble or granite plus children are a basically unstable chemical combination. Even composite granite with its enhanced durability and resistance to the ravages of water and soap becomes unstable in the presence of kids. While the couple made the decision to carefully wipe each drop of water from their beautiful marble or granite shower stall, add a child or two to the mix and well, the life of this beautiful bathroom product becomes short and ugly.
Rather than face the inevitable demise of the luxurious and carefully cared for bathroom; the couple should consider adding a children’s bathroom to the house and doubling it if there is more than one child and particularly if one is female. While two children’s bathrooms may seem too much to a young couple, imagine the teen girl sharing a bathroom with brothers? Yes, that is another unstable equation that never seems to balance.
Now, unlike the antique furniture in the guest bedroom that is to be replaced by toys, mobiles, cute baby clothes (quickly outgrown), designer diaper bags (not outgrown quickly enough), and more baby clothes; the bathroom must be covered in a material resistant to inquiring young minds.
Formica or extruded plastic might seem an economical alternative and easily cleaned the necessary three or four times a day. This material can work well, but it too becomes unstable if the bathroom is used by junior scientists whose laboratories are any place with room enough for the experiment of the day. While investigating the corrosive properties of household vinegar, or making their own volcano for science class might seem an ideal experiment to such an inquisitive young mind; the bathroom countertop of Formica is not normally going to come out unscathed.
Of course there is the Formica bathroom countertop and teen girl equation which may or may not balance out. The results of this will usually depend upon if the young lady in question is of the daring sort who likes to experiment with eye searing hair colors, nail polish of all colors and of course make up. While these countertops can sustain a lot of abuse, hot rollers or curling irons, hair dye of almost any description and nail polish remover can wreak havoc upon a counter of Formica.
Perhaps one of the most durable and easy to balance combinations is that of the tiled bathroom. Sealed tile countertops can be practical, durable and often resist even the junior scientist’s experiments. Children are a joy and add laughter to a home, but the bathroom equation must be considered too.
