Every guest in your home will visit it. Few will remember the sofa, but plenty will remember the downstairs loo. It is the one room where a visitor is alone, door closed, with nothing to do but look around. That makes it a gift. These cloakroom design ideas are built on a simple belief: the smallest room in the house can carry the most personality.
Part of the interior design Chelmsford guides by Rachel Buscall Interiors. See all interior design guides.
Work Out What the Space Will Allow
Cloakrooms are often tucked under a staircase or squeezed beside the front door, and the shape can be awkward. Before choosing anything, measure carefully and note where the door swings, where pipes run and where the ceiling slopes.
The door is the first piece of the puzzle. A door that swings inward can crowd a tiny room, and swapping it for one that opens outward, or for a sliding or pocket door, can free valuable space. Whether that is possible depends on your building, so ask a qualified professional before you commit.
Think about what you can see from the doorway too. The first glimpse should be the best one, a basin, a mirror or a piece of art, and not the cistern or the toilet roll holder. If the layout forces the toilet to face the door, a little clever placement of a mirror or a screen can redirect the eye.
Choose a Basin and Taps That Fit the Room
In a small room, the basin has to earn its space. A wall-hung or corner basin frees up floor and makes the room feel larger, and a slim, shallow design works well where the room is narrow. Compact basins on a shelf or a small vanity can hide pipework and give you somewhere to set a candle or a stem of flowers.
If you want something with more presence, a statement basin in stone, marble or a handsome ceramic works as a sculptural piece. The room is small enough that a single beautiful object can carry the whole look. Pair it with taps in a finish that suits the rest of the house, so the cloakroom feels connected to what comes before it. For the bigger picture on fittings and finishes, my guide on how to design a luxury bathroom covers many of the same choices.
Keep practicalities in mind. Guests need somewhere to put a handbag or a phone, a hook for a coat if the room doubles as a cloakroom, and a way to dry their hands that isn't a damp towel hanging off a radiator.
Be Bold With Colour, Pattern and Texture
Here is the permission slip many people need. A cloakroom is small, used for short visits and usually closed off from the rest of the house, so it is the perfect place to take a risk. A deep, dramatic colour on walls and ceiling can make a tiny room feel cocooning and intimate instead of cramped. Dark colours blur the corners and the edges, and the room reads as a jewel box.
Wallpaper is another natural choice. A bold pattern that might feel overwhelming in a living room becomes a delight in a space you are only in for a couple of minutes. Choose a paper suited to a room with a basin, and check with the supplier that it can cope with the occasional splash.
If you prefer calm, work with texture rather than loud colour. Panelling, limewash-effect paint, textured tiles or a tactile stone surface give depth without shouting. My guide to choosing a colour scheme for your home will help you decide how far to push it, and how to connect the cloakroom to the rooms beside it.
Light the Room So It Flatters Everyone
Lighting in a small windowless room can make or break it. A single bright ceiling spot above the head is harsh and unflattering, and it casts shadows across the face in the mirror.
Aim for light at face height. A pair of wall lights either side of the mirror, or a lit mirror, gives a soft, even glow. Add a dimmer so the room can be gentle in the evening and brighter for cleaning. If the room has no window, a warm, low-level light source such as a small lamp or a discreet strip light under the basin will create atmosphere. All electrical work in a room with water needs a qualified electrician, and the right fittings for the zone.
A good mirror is a key piece. A large mirror reflects light and makes a small room feel bigger, while an unusual shape, like an arch or a round, adds character. Hang it so that it catches your best light and, if possible, reflects something worth looking at.
Cloakroom Design Ideas for Details Guests Remember
This is the room for finishing touches, because each one is seen up close. Choose a handsome soap dispenser, a good hand towel in a lovely fabric, a small vase or a candle, and one piece of art that makes someone smile. A small framed print or a collection of tiny pictures in a tight cluster rewards the person standing at the basin with nothing else to do.
Think about scent, too. A subtle, pleasant fragrance changes the feel of the room, though keep it light. Good ventilation matters here, and it makes the room fresher in a way that no candle can replicate, so check that your extractor or window does its job.
Flooring is worth a mention. Because the area is small, you can splurge on something special, such as patterned tile, a beautiful stone or a herringbone parquet, and it won't be the budget-breaker it would be in a big room. A little goes a long way.
The best cloakrooms feel like a surprise that still belongs. They can be bolder than the hall they open from, but they shouldn't feel as if they come from a different house. Repeating a colour, a metal finish or a material from the nearby rooms ties it all together, and the contrast does the rest. My article on hallway design trends is a useful companion if the cloakroom opens off your entrance.
You don't need to spend much to make a cloakroom memorable, and you don't need much space. You need a clear idea, one confident choice and the courage to commit to it.
If you'd like help finding that idea for your own home, you can talk through my cloakroom with Rachel, or read about how Rachel works on interior design in Chelmsford.
Rachel Buscall Interiors
Where Business Excellence Meets Design Innovation