Written by Sophie Clemson

In the lead up to moving into my new home, I knew one of the first rooms I wanted to tackle was the downstairs loo. I eventually want to make changes to all the rooms in my home to make it feel like mine, and as an interior designer, of course I find it hard to wait! Though it's the smallest room in the house, a downstairs loo is a fabulous place where you can be bold with your decor. You can go for something a little unexpected that creates a pleasant surprise for your guests. One thing I did need to bear in mind was budget. I knew that I didn’t want to spend lots of money on the downstairs loo, so I needed to think about how I could make the most of what I had.

My downstairs loo was grey and white and lacked any personality. Yes, it was all functional but very, very boring! I wanted to bring life to the room with colour and pattern. I knew straight away that I would be going down the wallpaper route, and I would be wallpapering everywhere! It may sound like it would be a bit much, wallpapering the ceiling, but I knew that it would actually make the room feel bigger. Wallpapering the ceiling takes away the hard edge lines and draws your eye upwards, which adds height to the room too. I also wanted to be bold and go for it - just like we tell our customers to do!

To kickstart my downstairs loo project, I began looking at ideas and ordering wallpaper samples. After ordering a few different ones, I found THE ONE. Yes, it really was love at first sight. From the moment the sample arrived, I knew it was the wallpaper for my downstairs loo. The wallpaper is called New Eden from Graham & Brown, it's such a beautiful design and colour. The wallpaper was a great starting point for a colour scheme, so that I could get to work on building a moodboard. The moodboard helped me to see everything together and bring my vision to life for this small but mighty downstairs loo design. 

The bones of the downstairs loo were fine, the sink vanity unit worked well in the small space, providing some storage with the cupboard, and the spotlight was simple enough to stay. One thing I hated the most about the downstairs loo was the tiled splashback. It felt dated and wasn't going to work with my plans. After a video call with Catherine one afternoon and sharing my downstairs loo design ideas, she convinced me to try and pull the splashback tiles off, and oh, am I so glad she did! By simply pulling at the back of the tile, it came off in one piece, leaving no mess or plaster damage! (Catherine can confirm this brought me so much happiness - it's the little things, right?!) Luckily I had some lovely organic subway tiles from our previous house renovation that I could reuse and which worked so well with the wallpaper. 

The sink cupboard turned out to have been constructed using laminate flooring(!) with kitchen style handles, which again I hated. I couldn’t afford to rip it all out so I needed to look past this and think of ways I could upcycle it. I decided to paint the unit and change the handles. This turned out to be a great decision and saved so much money. Sometimes all you really need is a tin of paint to transform a piece of furniture in your home! 

After looking at a few different paint colours from Frenchic, I opted for Stone Rosie. It's a beautiful neutral with a pink undertone, which pairs lovely with the pink in the wallpaper. From the first coat, you could see the difference it was going to make to the room. I decided to paint behind the toilet, (which was also laminate where the plumbing had been boxed in) and the woodwork the same colour. This created a flow and kept the paint work simple. Frenchic is such a lovely paint to use. If you are planning to upcycle something soon, I would definitely recommend taking a look at their colours. I used their Lazy range, meaning no prep was required, which was fantastic, making it super easy and quick. 

Once all the paint work was complete, I attached the new matt silver concave style handles that I picked up from Homebase. These were a bargain at only £8 for the pair! Now it was time for the wallpaper. I did all the painting myself, but I decided to use a decorator for the wallpaper. It’s a tight space to work in and tricky with the wallpaper going over the sloping ceiling too, so I left it to a professional.

Once the wallpapering was done, which looks absolutely fabulous, it was time to add in those finishing touches to complete the room. I added the new tiles behind the sink (well, my uncle did this part), but I did get involved when it came to the grouting, which I really enjoyed. It’s quite therapeutic! For a contemporary look, I decided to stack the tiles vertically, this also meant no cutting was needed, which was a bonus. With the main elements of the room complete, it was time for the finishing touches. 

The wavy coral mirror from Dunelm was an absolute steal at £11. It was the perfect find to add that splash of colour into the room, and it's something a little unexpected. Coral and blue is a colour combination that I love. They pair beautifully together, and the coral adds a punch of contrast against the soft blue tones. 

I have recently found a gorgeous hand towel from Anthropologie that I plan to buy soon, but apart from that, the downstairs loo is complete, and what a transformation it is! 

I am so pleased with the outcome. When I look back at the before pictures, it really was a soulless white box and now it's full of personality and colour. I’m often finding myself popping my head round the door when I walk past to keep admiring my beautiful new downstairs loo. 

*Wallpaper gifted from Graham & Brown 

If you’re wanting to make changes to your home, take a look at our affordable online interior design packages to give you all the help you need. Whether you’re considering a full redesign or a refresh, we can take the stress away, and give you the confidence to move forward. We can work to any budget large or small, saving you money along the way and ensuring you get the results you want and expect!

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