The best downstairs toilet ideas are simple: pick one colour, hang one print at eye level, add a mirror and a warmer light, and keep everything else out of sight. A small room gives guests very little to look at, so each of those choices does a lot of work. It is also the one room in the house where you can be bold, or even a little silly, without it taking over. Here is how to make a downstairs loo look finished, plus our favourite prints for the walls, all from £16.
How Do I Make My Downstairs Toilet Look Nice?
Start with one idea for the whole room rather than buying bits one at a time. That idea could be a colour, a pattern or a mood: calm and botanical, smart and dark, or cheerful and funny. Once you have it, most downstairs toilet decor ideas come down to five things.
- Walls. One strong paint colour, or panelling to half height with a different shade above, gives a plain loo instant character.
- A mirror. A round or arched mirror above the basin bounces light around and makes the room feel wider.
- Softer light. A warm white bulb and a nicer shade are an easy change from a harsh overhead light.
- One print with impact. In a small room, one good print does more than three little ones.
- Finishing touches. A thick hand towel, a soap dispenser you like the look of, a small plant and a basket for spare rolls.
Get those five right and the room will look planned, even if it is barely bigger than a cupboard.
What Colour Should a Downstairs Toilet Be?
There are two good routes. The first is to go dark: deep green, navy, plum or charcoal can make a small room with little daylight feel cosy rather than cramped, and a bright print stands out against it. The second is to keep the walls light, in white, cream or soft sage, and let the colour come from the art, the towels and a plant.
Whichever you choose, it helps to pick the print and the paint together. Many of our funny bathroom prints come in several colours for exactly this reason. The definition prints come in eight, from white and cream to forest green, navy and terracotta, and the goose prints come in six backgrounds, including butter yellow, sky blue and sage green.
Making a Small Downstairs Loo Feel Bigger
Most small downstairs toilet ideas are about doing less, better. Keep the floor clear, and use the wall above the cistern or the door for a slim shelf with spare rolls and a candle. A mirror near the window spreads the daylight further, and walls in one colour from top to bottom help the edges of the room disappear.
Size matters more here than in any other room. An A4 or A3 print suits most cloakrooms, and above the toilet it should be a little narrower than the cistern. Leave around 20 to 25 cm between the top of the cistern and the bottom of the frame. On a wall with nothing in front of it, hang the middle of the print at about 145 to 150 cm from the floor. Our bathroom wall art ideas page has more on where to hang prints and how to protect them from steam.
8 Downstairs Toilet Ideas for the Walls
Every guest spends a quiet minute looking at the wall in front of them, so give them something to read. These downstairs loo ideas all start from £16.
1. A definition print with a straight face
Dictionary style prints look smart from the doorway and only give away the joke up close. Loo Definition Wall Art describes the loo as the smallest room in the house and the only one with a lock, a good read and five minutes of peace. Toilet Paper Definition Wall Art covers the moment the roll runs out, and the Toilet Definition Print calls the toilet a porcelain throne where everyone is equal. All three come in eight colours.
2. A goose with a question
You Poopin shows a fluffy white goose hugging a loo roll and peering straight at whoever is sitting down. The You Pooping Goose Poster has a single goose stretching its long neck up from the bottom of the print, and the Are You Pooping Goose Print crowds three nosy geese into the picture. Each comes in six background colours.
3. Frogs reading the paper
A frog on the loo with the morning paper is an old favourite for a reason. Toilet Read is a crisp black and white line drawing that suits a white or grey room. Toilet Time is darker and moodier, with a wide eyed green frog caught in a shaft of light beside a dark curtain.
4. A cheeky welcome
Take a seat is the classic loo line, and we have it three ways. Take a Seat Peach Wall Art pairs it with a big painted peach and the words sweet cheeks, in apricot, sage green, powder blue or butter yellow. Take A Seat Sweet Cheeks writes it in joined up script on a beige panel ringed with fine pinstripes. And Take a Seat is a black and white photo of a toilet with a blunter message underneath: make it quick.
5. A gentle hint for guests
Soap Policy is a black and white photo of a chrome tap and basin, with a little tag reading soap is not optional. For the family member who takes their phone in with them, Do Not Push Me shows a goose in a dressing gown and fluffy slippers, scrolling away on the loo.
6. Animals at bath time
Shower Peek has a dripping wet highland cow peeking round a blue and cream striped shower curtain. Washroom Duck is a painterly white duck balancing a loo roll on its head against soft green brushstrokes. Both are funny without saying a word, which makes them a good choice if you prefer pictures to puns.
7. A sign for the hallway
Not every print belongs inside the loo. The Retro Bathroom Sign has a pink pointing hand under the word BATHROOM, on a cream panel with a deep green painted edge, like an old shop sign. You choose whether the hand points left or right, so it sends guests the right way from the hall. Keep it small and hang it beside the door it points to.
8. Something calm instead
If funny is not your style, choose a print that suits a quiet room. Snake Plant Trio shows three snake plants in terracotta, cream and lilac pots, and the Dandelion Poster is a fine white dandelion clock on black, which looks sharp against white tiles. There are plenty more in our bathroom prints and wall art.
Is a Funny Print a Good Idea for a Cloakroom?
For a lot of homes, yes. Of all the cloakroom toilet ideas, humour is the easiest way to give a tiny room personality, and it is the loo your guests use most. A few things help the joke land:
- Keep it to one. One funny print looks deliberate. Three can look like clutter.
- Think about who visits. Grandparents, children and the in-laws will all read it.
- Match the colours. A funny print in your wall or towel colour looks like part of the room rather than an afterthought.
If you love funny toilet signs, our signs for washroom collection gathers the loo signs, puns and definitions in one place.
Downstairs Toilet FAQs
What size print suits a downstairs toilet?
A4 or A3 suits most cloakrooms. If it hangs above the toilet, choose a print a little narrower than the cistern. A larger print can work on the wall facing the door, as long as nothing sits in front of it.
Can you hang a print in a toilet with no window?
Yes. A downstairs loo without a shower has far less steam than a bathroom, but it is still worth putting the print behind glass or acrylic and keeping the room well ventilated. A bright print also helps a windowless room feel lighter.
Are funny loo prints suitable for a family home?
The prints in this guide keep the humour gentle, with geese, frogs, peaches and puns that work for guests of any age.
Are the prints sold with a frame?
No. These prints are sold unframed on matte paper, so you can choose a frame that suits the room. A4 and A3 fit standard ready made frames.
A downstairs loo is small, which makes it one of the quickest rooms in the house to finish. Pick a colour, add a mirror and a warmer light, and hang one print that makes people smile. Shop our funny bathroom prints and find the one for your loo.
