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Why Your Cloakroom Deserves More Than Afterthought Design
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Your downstairs toilet is the smallest room in your home but gets hit by every dinner party guest, visiting tradesperson, and judgemental relative who walks through your door. It’s also your chance to get experimental without committing your entire bathroom budget to a risky design choice. Think of it as your design playground.
Space-Saving Tricks That Actually Create Room to Breathe
Furniture That Knows Its Place
Corner sinks are your secret weapon. I installed a corner pedestal sink in our cloakroom and suddenly the room didn’t feel like a coffin with plumbing. The wasted diagonal space becomes functional, and you gain precious floor area where it actually counts.
Wall-mounted everything should be your mantra:
- Floating toilets create floor space and make cleaning stupidly easy
- Wall-hung vanities give you back that dead zone under the sink
- Mounted cabinets keep storage off the floor where feet need to go
Short-projection toilets are game-changers. These sit 20-30% closer to the wall than standard loos. We’re talking 600mm or less versus the usual 700-750mm. That extra 100mm might not sound like much, but in a cloakroom, it’s the difference between comfortable and claustrophobic.
Combo units combine toilet and basin into one fixture. I’ll be honest – these aren’t for everyone. But if you’re working with an absolutely microscopic space, they solve two problems with one piece of kit.
Going Vertical When Horizontal Is Off the Table
Forget about floor space. Look up instead.
Install a wall-mounted storage cabinet above the toilet. This dead space is criminally underused in most cloakrooms. Store loo roll, hand towels, cleaning supplies – anything that would otherwise clutter your limited surfaces.
Ladder shelving leans against the wall and provides storage without the visual weight of a cabinet. I keep rolled hand towels on ours, and guests always comment on how spa-like it looks. A simple bamboo ladder shelf costs buttons and adds personality.
LED mirror cabinets triple-task:
- Mirror for checking yourself
- Lighting to actually see
- Storage behind the glass
My illuminated mirror cabinet was one of those purchases where I immediately wondered why I’d lived without it.
Slim vertical radiators replace chunky horizontal ones. Heat rises anyway, so a tall, narrow radiator in the corner makes more sense than a wide one hogging wall space.
★ Steal This Look
- Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117
- Furniture: corner pedestal sink with integrated towel bar
- Lighting: flush-mount LED disk light with frosted glass
- Materials: porcelain sink, chrome fixtures, painted beadboard, large-format matte floor tile
I learned this the hard way in our Victorian terrace—the cloakroom was so narrow you could touch both walls with outstretched arms, but swapping to a wall-hung loo and corner sink made it feel almost generous.
Style Ideas That Range From Subtle to “Did They Really?”
Here’s what I love about cloakrooms: no shower means no constant steam and condensation. That means you can go absolutely bonkers with materials and finishes that would self-destruct in a main bathroom.
The Sophisticated Showstopper
Think hotel lobby, not home loo.
Large-format tiles make small spaces feel bigger. Fewer grout lines trick the eye into seeing more continuous surface. I used 600x600mm porcelain tiles in ours, and the difference from standard 300mm tiles was startling.
Pair marble-look walls with terrazzo floors. Add a matte black basin and wall-hung vanity. Suddenly your three-square-meter room feels like it belongs in a design magazine.
Keep fixtures minimal and sculptural. One statement tap is better than three mediocre accessories.
The Playfully Charming Approach
Not everyone wants minimalist sophistication. Some of us want our guests to smile.
Pastel colors with geometric patterns create energy without aggression. I’ve seen mint green penny tiles with a salmon pink vanity that absolutely should not work but somehow does.
A distinctive colored vanity becomes your focal point. Sage green, dusty pink, or even mustard yellow – pick a color you’d never dare use in a larger room.
Mix in quirky accessories. Vintage mirrors, unusual soap dispensers, plants that thrive in low light – these tiny touches add personality without overwhelming the space.
The Eclectic “I Know What I’m Doing” Vibe
Combine rustic and contemporary elements deliberately. Distressed wood against glossy zellige tiles. An antique mirror above a wall-mounted modern toilet. The contrast makes both elements pop.
Layer textures rather than colors. Rough brick, smooth ceramic, woven baskets, polished chrome. Your eye travels around the room finding new details.
The Safe Contemporary Choice
If you’re selling soon or just want something timeless, go contemporary neutral.
White fixtures never date. Sharp architectural lines look intentional. Geometric floor tiles in black and white or grey tones add interest without risk.
This approach works because it doesn’t try too hard. It’s the little black dress of cloakroom design.
The Under-Stairs Conversion
Got a dead zone under your staircase? You’re sitting on prime cloakroom real estate.
Light colors compensate for the lack of natural light. Cream, soft grey, or white wallpaper bounces around whatever light you can get.
An illuminated mirror becomes essential, not optional. It provides ambient lighting that feels softer than a harsh overhead bulb.
Accept the quirky dimensions. A sloped ceiling or unusual angles make the space more interesting, not less.
🏠 Steal This Look
- Paint Color: Farrow & Ball De Nimes No.299
- Furniture: wall-hung vanity with integrated storage in matte black finish, paired with a sculptural countertop basin in natural stone or solid surface
- Lighting: fluted glass wall sconce with aged brass or matte black arm, positioned at eye level beside the mirror
- Materials: large-format porcelain tiles (600x600mm minimum) in marble-look finish, terrazzo flooring with medium chip size, brushed brass or matte black metalware, reeded or fluted glass accents
There’s something deliciously indulgent about pouring design energy into a room guests use for mere minutes—it’s the interior equivalent of wearing beautiful lingerie nobody sees.
Design Elements That Elevate From Basic to Bloody Lovely
Wallpaper Is Your Friend Here
Main bathrooms with showers? Wallpaper can be dodgy. Cloakrooms without moisture? Go absolutely wild.
Bold patterns work because the space is small. What would overwhelm a bedroom feels perfectly proportioned in a cloakroom. I used
