Downstairs toilet ideas: how to design a loo with character
Small loos are the perfect place to have a bit of fun with your decoration: many of the most stylish examples in our archive are charming jewel boxes, making use of bold colours and extravagant wallpapers. After all, you (hopefully) don't have to be in there all the time, so there's no reason not to be exuberant.
Before you get to the fun part, there are some space-saving considerations to be made. Jo Sangster, Senior Designer at Ripples Bathrooms is quite the expert: her key tip? Where floor space is tight, do not neglect the walls. 'Concealed fittings are the perfect choice. Wall mounted taps not only look sleek but are also great space savers, and can be more practical than basin mounted versions. Opt for a wall-hung WC which reduces the need for clunky boxing. Add shelves above it for valuable storage space'.
The team at Retrouvius, who specialise in the use of salvage and recycled materials in interior design, suggest that these rooms are also brilliant places to start using salvage, because their small footprint allows for the use of one-off pieces and small remnants of material.
Maria Speake and her team are fond of using old pieces of furniture to create washstands. "Loos and bathrooms can often feel bland or impersonal," they explain, "and modern sanitary ware doesn't help. An old piece of furniture adds loads of character and hides unsightly waste pipes." Mirrors are another easy way to make use of vintage pieces; they're cheap and come in a wide variety of designs, and will effortlessly add a sense of originality to the room. Mirrored panels can also help bounce light around in a room - particularly useful if you have a windowless bathroom.
Unusual materials are also key to adding character to a bathroom. Panelling the space in reclaimed wood, creating a splashback out of vintage glass, or using a brass door handle for a towel rack – these are the idiosyncratic decisions that make a room feel like something extraordinary.
The interior designers on our pages regularly use bold wallpapers in the bathrooms they design, and the addition of bright colours, whether that's done using paper, tiles, or paint, can be a more affordable way to update the feel of a bathroom without replacing the sanitaryware. Rich, jewel-like colours such as those found in Emery et Cie's zellige tiles make a loo feel warmer and more interesting, especially when arranged in unusual colour combinations.
Here we have gathered some of our most delightful downstairs toilet ideas, full of characterful decoration.
Christopher Horwood1/17Tasked with bringing a modern take on the English country look to this Georgian rectory, Tamsyn Mason set about adding colour, pattern and a wonderful array of furniture from varying eras. The downstairs loo is a favourite room of Tamsyn's, wrapped in Antoinette Poisson wallpaper. Tamsyn converted the washstand from an antique sideboard and used Nicky Haslam's ‘Balcony Stripe’ for the blinds.
Sarah Griggs2/17In this smart Notting Hill house, designer Natasha Quick carved out space for a little loo just off the sitting room, which is something of a jewel box, wrapped in Soane's ‘Persian Maze’ wallpaper. Natasha designed the joinery to house the sink and had it painted in ‘Caddie’ by Paint & Paper Library. The curtain is made from another Soane fabric, while the tiny lampshades were made bespoke by Eloise Scotland.
Michael Sinclair3/17Sleightholmedale Lodge in Yorkshire is home to textile designer Natasha James of Tasha Textiles and her husband, and is filled with charming fabrics and wallpapers. Morris & Co’s ‘Willow Boughs’ wallpaper is a fitting backdrop for the original WC.
Boz Gagovski4/17In the downstairs loo of this family house in Hampstead, Anna Haines has employed tongue and groove panelling painted in ‘Brassica’ by Farrow & Ball, paired with ‘Eldblomma’ wallpaper from Svenkst Tenn. The mirror, from B & T Antiques, is flanked by lights from Balineum.
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5/17The couple behind Rapture & Wright fabrics and wallpapers are used to combining their talents to creative effect – not least in the design of the Gloucestershire barn conversion where they live and work. In the downstairs loo, Rapture & Wright's ‘Webb’s Wonder' wallpaper in Raspberry adds a a burst of pattern above panelling painted in a rich cherry-red.
6/17Louise Jones could see the merits of this 16th-century Surrey farmhouse despite its interior having been stripped of any character. With ingenuity and hard work, and the introduction of pattern and colour, she has given it personality in abundance. Her love of Arts and Crafts is evident in the CFA Voysey wallpaper that brightens the downstairs loo and a wonderful William De Morgan pot in the back hall.
Paul Whitbread7/17This Victorian house in Oxford by Charlotte Boundy is full of lovely patterns, but we particularly like her use of Pierre Frey's ‘Sur le Nil’ pattern, which creates an enveloping feel in the downstairs loo.
Boz Gagovski8/17The downstairs loo in Max Hurd's London house, decorated by Benedict Foley, is a perfect example of how a large-scale wallpaper can be used to great effect in a small space. The design is Farrow & Ball's ‘Versailles’.
9/17In this Oxfordshire project, the antique dealer and decorator Max Rollitt introduces antiques in unlikely places. A repurposed chair hides the lavatory, while the raised cistern is a good option if floorspace is tight. The floating basin support is painted in a blue shade matched by Edward Bulmer to Mauny’s ‘5785-516’ wallpaper from Zuber.
Christopher Horwood10/17Tiles can also be a great option for downstairs loos. The artist Natasha Mann has used glossy dark green tiles combined with a William Morris wallpaper in the downstairs loo of her London house, while also framing some of her own handpainted tiles as a piece of art.
Sarah Griggs11/17In the tiny downstairs loo of this Chelsea house by Tiffany Duggan, a bold wallpaper from Gucci sits perfectly with the Robin Myerscough mirror and brass sconces from Graham & Green.
Simon Brown12/17Panelling in a deep shade of blue livens up this boot room loo in a Georgian house revived by Salvesen Graham, with pretty pink wallpaper (Soane's ‘Seraphic Star Bastille’).
13/17The layering of pattern and colour in the bathroom of this Sydney house by Lisa Burdus creates a striking effect. Saffron and cream floor tiles from Popham Design, ‘Scrolling Acanthus’ wallpaper by Soane and a vintage fabric from The Cloth Shop surrounding the vanity unit all work harmoniously to create a room with plenty of character.
14/17In Carskiey House, Tom Helme's Scottish retreat, the Fermoie co-founder has extended the cloakroom, placing the WC in the smallest area and using larger spaces to introduce antique pieces, alongside the basin and a mirror on the opposite wall.
Michael Sinclair15/17Like many of our favourite downstairs toilet ideas, this space by Retrouvius is a jewel-box of a loo. An enamelled wash basin, vitralite float glass and spangly 1930's wallpaper are all salvaged, with flooring in thick glazed tiles. A vintage Italian mirror is backlit to bring it all to life.
16/17In this loo by Laura Stephens, Cole & Son’s ‘Strawberry Tree’ wallpaper is complemented by a smart blind in a striped fabric that picks up on its colours. White-painted bespoke joinery balances the pattern and showcases the traditional fittings.
17/17In Robert Moore’s London flat, walls painted to look like wood panelling bring warmth and depth to the room. Simple black-framed lanterns on either side of the mirror provide a pleasing sense of symmetry. The radiator cover is painted in the same faux-wood effect to blend with the walls.
