How To Transform Your Downstairs Loo Using Wallpaper

The downstairs loo – often small, is perhaps the overlooked jewellery box of the home, the hidden drawer of the chest. The hidden gem. It’s the perfect space to be bold and allow for some creative experimentation. Which, in our books, means wallpaper.

The trick with downstairs loos is to go with the grain of its small size, not against it. If you’re trying to make the room look bigger than it is: you’re fighting a losing battle. This is where wallpaper can come in: large scale patterns, murals, wide width designs can create this enclosed sense of immersion, like you’ve walked into a painting, or a dense forest of leaves, or an otherworldly scene. You might want to even up the immersive ante and paper ceiling, perhaps even the ventilation? The choice is yours.

Downstairs loos can be the most inspiring places to experiment with colour. More than anything: bathrooms are a game of colour tessellations. Think how tiles, skirting boards, wood panelling can be chosen, arranged or painted to your advantage, and how this could complement or contrast with wallpaper?

To get you thinking about which wallpaper maybe best for your downstairs loo, here’s an edit of some of our powder room favourites.

ELLA WIDE WIDTH

A bold, contemporary take on the chinoiserie tradition, Ella Wide Width has true dioramic drama. Perfect for an immersive, muralistic take on the downstairs loo with a fresh use of colour for added vibrancy and charm.

Image of downstairs toilet renovated with green and white wallpaper

ATOLL

A gorgeous depth of colour, with = references to coral, and the sea, Atoll balances between figuration and gently waving abstract patterning, creating a calming, yet still tranquility in any powder room.

EDENFIELD

Just as if slicing through the trunk of a tree, the wood grains – originally hand painted in the studio onto silk, creating this beautiful bleeding, artistic effect, resulting in mesmerising rivulets of colour on a matt vinyl – Edenfield is the perfect contemporary wallpaper for small spaces.

FELLCROFT

A small-scale floral design. Originally fashioned from a woodblock technique, Fellcroft has a chalky, dry texture which adds to a rustic, imperfect finish.

ADDERSTONE

A wallpaper stripe, with a bit of a twist - introducing Adderstone. Designer Henry Holland, on his recent collaboration with Harlequin, looked at the natural waves of chevron that emanated from glass blowing and translated these waves into wallpaper. These naturally resulting lines add a gentle sense of calm into a bathroom.

These are just some initial ideas to get you thinking for your downstairs loo decoration, to discover more of Harlequin’s wallpaper range, take a further look at our website.

So, if you’re tempted to take the plunge and wallpaper your downstairs loo yourself, it’s easier than you think. Start by smoothing and priming the walls, measure, then cut. Paste either the wall or the paper depending on the design you’ve chosen, taking care to align patterns as you go. Work methodically, smoothing out any air bubbles with a clean brush or roller.

And don’t forget those finishing touches – trimming neatly around skirting boards and fixtures makes all the difference. For more tips on wallpaper application, explore our guide on the Harlequin website.