Small toilet ideas: How to give an overlooked downstairs loo the attention it deserves
Typically occupying the smallest room in the home, pokey downstairs loos do not necessarily occupy – nor inspire – our minds when it comes to decoration.
In fact, whether tucked away under the stairs, nestled by the front door, or renegaded to the end of the hallway, these tucked-away toilets are actively tempting to neglect in favour of bigger ticket areas, like the kitchen and living room.
Yet the downstairs toilet is unavoidably likely to see as much traffic from you and your house guests as any other downstairs space, rendering it worthy of decorative attention when renovating or decorating your home.
In fact, tapping into your most creative inclinations can elevate your downstairs loo from a restrictive box into a tiny vessel of design potential.
An idea that might feel too bold for a larger room can come into its own in the quiet solitude of this space.
Lizzi Catchpole, head of design at Catchpole & Rye, says: '"Downstairs toilets often get overlooked, dismissed as small, utilitarian spaces that don’t require much thought. We've all been into the cold, neglected downstairs loo: practical, yes, but devoid of character or charm.
"Yet these little rooms hold the potential for indulging in bold colours, dark moody tones, quirky patterns, or whimsical details that might seem too daring for more prominent spaces. The compactness of the room provides a chance to experiment with design in a playful way that larger rooms may not allow, making them the perfect setting for injecting personality into a home."
Whimsical wallpaper
Diligently following Lizzi's advice, wallpaper is the ultimate shortcut to a characterful small toiley.
Textile designer Mimi Pickard has used her own pretty designs throughout her rural Surrey home. The downstairs toilet is cloaked in her Angelica wallpaper, a textural pattern inspired by a trip to Charleston Farmhouse, home and muse to the Bloomsbury group.
A mid-size print on a deep, midnight backdrop, Mimi leans into this palette with the dark cabinetry. While a design such as this might be overwhelming covering a bigger room, the effect in a downstairs toilet is enveloping and indulgent.
Below, Cathy Nordström's Blanche wallpaper is inspired by her favourite tree's leaves: those of the ancient oak. Incorporating countryside motifs (while an obvious design choice in our book) will help to beautify a downstairs toilet – here, it's teamed with a tiny sink, allowing the print itself to shine while optimising space.
Courtesy of Catchpole & Rye, matching the wallpaper to the Roman blind is a way to spotlight a print you particularly love, and conjure a sense of immersion. Opt for a timeless, heirloom pattern, or pay tribute to a specific designer or location that's special to you – this design is Zoffany's Richmond Park.
Confident colour
While many of us could stand to be braver with colour in our homes, this is easier said than done. This is where the downstairs loo comes into its own as an ideal canvas for experimentation: whether you fancy splashing some brights, or prefer getting moody with your hues, the confined space of a cloakroom makes it a worthy candidate.
If you needed any more proof that a dark scheme can pay off (particularly in a period property), look no further than this cloakroom, a project by Catchpole & Rye on an old stone manor house in Somerset.
Colour-drenched in a dark grey, matt lime-based paint, this choice – which may appear too sullen in a living area – leans into the medieval-style architecture brought by the stone sills and latticed glass. We also appreciate the placement of the cistern up high: this is an intelligent way to open out tiny but tall toilets.
Drenching a downstairs loo in your favourite colour contributes to the feeling of a cloakroom as a little portal in the home. Media lawyer-turned-ceramicist Amanda Bannister painted hers (the house is now a bookable luxury holiday cottage) in Wiltshire in Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke. With historic prints on the walls and Victorian sanitaryware, spying this sea green hideaway sandwiched between the neutral walls of the hall is inspiring.
Lizzi says: "Opening the door to a cloakroom can be like discovering a small, hidden treasure – unexpected, intriguing, and full of charm. We always encourage clients to be bold – doing so can transform these spaces into characterful nooks that hold their own without ever feeling overdone. "
What colour is best for a small toilet?
While there is no one 'best' colour as such, we're in Lizzi's camp of encouraging people to go bold – whatever that may mean to you.
Maxing out on favourite colours in eccentric patterns, or leaning into dark or bright colours you may not reach for elsewhere is an ideal tactic. Retro pastels such as mint also tend to perform well in these spaces (see below). Just make sure there's plenty of whichever colour you choose.
Bold sanitaryware
While you may want your bathroom to operate as a spa-synonymous sanctuary, the downstairs toilet is where you can get fruity with the sanitaryware. We identified colourful sanitaryware as the standout bathroom trend of 2024 but, as with all of Country Living's most beloved trends, this one is here to stay.
Below – a project in North London by Studio Duggan – uses a mint sink and correlating tiles for a refreshing scheme.
Likewise, Sophie Robinson, interior design expert and queen of personality-infused interiors, has gone all out in her East Sussex home. If you're feeling really bold, matching the sink to the loo as Sophie has is a stroke of maximalist genius. We like Burlington's Colour Collection best for these kinds of porcelain pops.
If colourful sanitaryware is too jarringly-reminiscent of the 1970s for you, going back even further might be your port of call. Vintage and vintage-inspired sanitaryware will immediately add character in a cloakroom. Catchpole & Rye's limed oak box seat, below, with its decorative flourishes can be fitted to most standard lavatory pans.
All in the details
Another compelling means of making your downstairs loo less of a strictly functional space and more a space to be admired, is through artwork and creative embellishments.
Colefax and Fowler have us hankering for our own small-scale gallery wall. Try Etsy and RE for similar vintage wall art finds, and remember to vary sizes and shapes. A bunch of seasonal blooms and a wallpapered backdrop will pull the mix together – no matter how eclectic (or eccentric). Finish the look with the prettiest waste paper bin you can find – we recommend this one by Tinsmiths in collaboration with Tilley Printing, using Mark Hearld's iconic prints.
If your downstairs loo is well and truly under the stairs, slanted ceiling and all, that's no reason to shy away from going all out. If anything, patterned wallpaper, exciting wall lights and layered artworks will bring a texture and depth to a space that may veer towards oppressive if left white or painted in a dead flat finish.
However daunting these design choices may seem, viewing your small toilet as an opportunity for creativity, rather than a corner to abandon, might just make it a renovation venture worth pursuing.
Sanderson Archive Daisy Wallpaper
$158.00 at anthropologie.com.uk
Calico Wall Light
Indian Glass Paintings
Waste Paper Bin
Bespoke Cosmic Green Edwardian 56cm Basin with Pedestal
You Might Also Like
