Turning a Dingy WC Into a Must-See

Having a downstairs toilet is a handy bonus in any family home. But they’re often crammed into a tiny space underneath the stairs or at the back of the kitchen with no natural light to speak of. So, they can be cramped, ugly spaces that you’d be embarrassed for guests to use. 

However, it’s not all bad news. As a WC is small, it makes a great first project for a newbie renovator and doesn’t need a huge budget to completely transform. To make it even easier, this blog is full of info and ideas to help you turn a dingy downstairs loo into an Instagrammable must-see.

Replace the toilet and sink

Let’s be honest, if you want your home’s WC to be nice to use, you need to make sure you’ve got a decent sink and toilet in there. 

Between the 1960s and 1990s, you’d find suites in colours ranging from avocado green and brown to dark red and beige, which can seem quite the eye-sore today. So, if your toilet and sink are showing their age, it’s best to get them replaced with a modern white combo.  

Even if your toilet and sink are in classic white, they might need replacing. Large cisterns and standard-sized sinks take up too much space while chips and permanent staining are just not practical or pleasant. Switching them out for a compact close-coupled toilet and wall-hung cloakroom basin with rounded edges will create more room. So, you’ll no longer need to shuffle in and out. 

The cost of replacing a toilet is around £450, rising to £800, if you throw in the cost of a new sink. But this does include all of the materials and labour, including removing your old sanitaryware. 

Lay new flooring

Obviously, the floor in a WC needs to be practical but that doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. Adding a bit of sparkle to your downstairs loo can certainly turn it from dingy to delightful in no time. 

So, what are your options? Well, you do need something that’s easy to lay as there’s not going to be much room for you or a tiler to work in there. Therefore, you might fancy going for vinyl in sheet, plank or tile format for simplicity. These are easy to cut to size and can be glued down or clicked together. It’s also a very wallet-friendly choice at £10 to £30 per m².

But what style should you go for? Well, that’s up to your own personal taste but if the space is dark, you might want to lighten it up with something bright or bold. You could try a modern terrazzo style or a geometric pattern. Or you could go classic with an oak herringbone or chequerboard effect. These have the added advantage of working with most colour schemes, giving you a bit more flexibility with your wall décor. 

Get some colour onto the walls

Although white gives off a bright, clean feeling, it can leave a small cloakroom or WC looking a bit cold and plain. So, if you want to give it that wow factor, try being a bit braver and get some colour onto the walls. It doesn’t need to be paint, as wallpaper can work very well. 

If you think a patterned wallpaper will leave your WC looking a bit busy, you could try panelling halfway up the wall and just paper the top half. And if you go for an intricate rather than large pattern, it will help the room to feel a bit bigger. If you haven’t wallpapered before, opt for a paste-the-wall or self-adhesive variety as these tend to be easier to work with than traditional wallpapers. 

The colours you use don’t need to be too bold or bright as pastels and warm neutrals can perk a tiny room up just as much and they do create a calm and welcoming tone. So, your guests should feel at home. 

Don’t skimp on the lighting

How fab your WC looks after you’ve renovation, can depend heavily on the lighting – especially if there’s no window in there. While it would be great to have a fancy chandelier or pretty pendant fitted, you may find there’s simply not enough headroom to do it. But you still have plenty of options to give your loo some luxury.

Flush-mounted ceiling lights with metallic fittings and a colourful or clear fluted glass shade is one consideration. For an antique feel you could try a nautical-style brass light. Or for a more modern feel, a flush LED panel might be the answer.

Where you position your lighting is important too. For instance, wall lights fitted on the walls behind the toilet and above the sink not only help to free up space in a tiny WC with a low ceiling but also create a nice feature.

Image Source: Freepik