Top tips on designing your dream cloakroom!
24.06.2022
A downstairs toilet (aka cloakroom) can be a great addition to your home. But designing these small spaces so they’re perfectly formed can be tricky. So here’s our top tips to help you along the way!
Installing or refreshing a cloakroom in your property is definitely a great idea. Having a downstairs toilet that looks super stylish can add as much as 5% to the value of your home. Plus, having a cloakroom can be extremely handy for your family.
But the big question is, how do you ensure the smallest room in the house looks great and ticks all your boxes on a practical level too? To help give you some inspiration our expert designers have put together some top cloakroom ideas to help make this essential but often neglected space a real winner.
Unleash your creativity
A cloakroom is a really great place to express your creativity and do something completely different in your home.
As it’s usually a pretty small room, busy patterns, bold images and striking colours don’t feel overwhelming, which they may do in a larger space.
The wall and floor space in your cloakroom will also be small, which means you can splash out on unusual, luxurious or designer wallpaper, flooring and fittings.
Go bold with your flooring
Making a statement in a cloakroom isn’t for everyone. But playing safe with your design may also be an option you’re not that keen on.
If that’s the case, a great option that’s worth considering is having a patterned floor but keeping the walls neutral with shades of greys, nudes, whites, light blues or pinks.
As a result, you’ll create visual interest with your patterned floor tiles, or whatever type of flooring you choose, but your cloakroom will feel bigger because of its clean and simple walls.
Keep it classical
A cloakroom design you shouldn’t discount, and which has remained popular for a long time, is a traditional style that takes its inspiration from bathrooms of the past.
Some of the ways you can create this charming heritage look are by installing a toilet and basin that have a distinctive Art Deco or Victorian feel; adding panelling to the walls, which is often found in period properties; and painting your walls with timeless colours, such as those by Paint & Paper Library, Little Greene or Zoffany.
What’s particularly pleasing about this style is that it can work exceptionally well in both a modern home as well as an older property.
Seamless sophistication
Just because your cloakroom is hidden away or somewhere people don’t spend much time in, doesn’t mean it has to feel separate from the rest of your home. Sometimes it can be more appropriate for your cloakroom to have a visual connection to the hallway or room its connected to.
By using the same colours and materials on the walls and floors, you can create a seamless look that feels thoughtful and sophisticated.
You can also create even more harmony by choosing accessories, storage and even fixtures and fittings that reflect design elements found in the rest of your home.
Maximise space and storage
Space is nearly always limited in a cloakroom, which means it’s important you make your downstairs toilet feel as spacious as possible.
One of the best ways you can do this is by using clever storage, such as a corner unit that sits beneath your sink, cupboards and shelves that are built around your toilet, or a wall-mounted toilet or sink that exposes floor space that can reflect more light.
On top of this, we recommend keeping window sills free from clutter and adding a mirror (the bigger the better) to help your cloakroom feel even more spacious.
Hopefully this has given you food for thought when it comes to designing your next cloakroom.
We are always happy to receive enquiries about your next interior design project. We have design studios in Harrogate, Ilkley & Wetherby so please get in touch, pop in or call to make an appointment.
