Get The Most From Your Cloakroom

Cloakrooms sometimes don't receive the same level of love as other rooms in the house, but our guide will explain just how easy it is to create a stunning, practical setting that will truly hold its own.

The cloakroom is all too often the forgotten room of the house, spending its days as an unloved afterthought destined to play second fiddle to your main bathroom. This is usually reflected by the dated décor and ill-fitting fixtures that can be found in them. But it doesn’t have to be this way; in fact the cloakroom is a very easy space to get right.

In this guide we’ll explain what to include and what to be wary of, helping you make your example a more inviting place in the process.

Choose your colours wisely

The first thing you ideally want to pay attention to is what selection of colours to use. As cloakrooms are very small, you’ll want to avoid dark colours at all costs as you don’t want the room to look like the entrance to some primeval cave!

The best approach here is to use one or two light colours to brighten the room up a bit. This will make it feel bigger as a result, avoiding the claustrophobic feeling that can exist in these settings.

Opting for a plain white paint or white tiling will be effective here, as will loud colours such as yellow, orange or lime green. The right shade will make your cloakroom a significantly more pleasant place to be so keep this in mind when you’re planning your redesign.

What fittings should I use?

When you’re choosing your fittings, you need to maximise the available space as much as possible. There are many dedicated cloakroom suites out there which are specifically designed in order to be accommodated into smaller environments. 

Take some measurements of the room before you decide on anything, and make sure that there will be enough free space left so the room doesn’t feel too cramped. Most cloakroom suites will comprise of close coupled toilets as they feature compact styling, and also either a slimline pedestal or wall hung basin to keep space at a premium.Corner toilets are also useful for this setting as they are easy to integrate into tiny rooms.

Some suites feature a vanity unit, which is an ideal option for cloakrooms as having one of these allows you to combine your basin with storage facilities to keep your essentials neatly placed and out of eyesight, keeping the room clutter free.

Subtle enhancements

Besides your suite you don’t really want to be including too much stuff here. Keeping things subtle and refined is the key. A large, wall hung mirror is a good idea as they can enhance the feeling of space while also providing a stylish addition. Toilet roll and brush holders and towel rails should have sleek, minimalist designs that fit in with the tone of the room. Many of these items are available as wall mounted options, which is perfect for cloakrooms.

Simple things like placing a colour coded towel over a rail will also make a surprising contribution to the harmonisation of the room. For an extra hint of style, and to make the room feel that little bit more loved, why not include a couple of simple small canvases or paintings to give off a little personality.

Creating a good looking, practical cloakroom is pretty straight forward; simply paying attention to the amount of space you have to play with and carefully choosing your décor will leave you with something you can truly be proud to show off.

We’ve had the measuring tape out, checking the dimensions of various toilets and basins in order to find you some ideal options for your cloakroom. We think the following examples will be perfect, and will transform their surroundings into stunning, practical spaces.