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Original poster

Would this bother you in a 'guest' toilet?

73 replies

Hidingtonothing · 02/09/2019 11:25

Small downstairs loo, door opens into the hall. Hall is very dark (no natural light) so I'm considering changing the toilet door for one with privacy glass to let some light into the hall. Would put a light-coloured blind on inside of door to maximise privacy but would that still feel too 'exposed' for guests using the toilet?

OP posts:

gingersausage · 02/09/2019 13:59

It wouldn’t occur to me to care what a very occasional “guest” might think about my downstairs loo. My house is set up for my family’s comfort.

The only thing I would say OP is to change it back if you put it on the market, as obviously it would upset a lot of potential buyers! 🤣

beingchampion · 02/09/2019 14:02

Get a fully glazed door and hope none of your friends are mumsnetters!

Definitely go glazed - if you're putting a curtain/screen of some sort I wouldn't even bother with frosted glass - we have clear glass to the outside in our downstairs loo with a 'temporary' fabric panel that has hung there for about 12 years!

Natural light in your house that you'll appreciate every day massively trumps a paranoid peeing potential visitor. (did you see what i did there? )

user1493494961 · 02/09/2019 14:13

Don't faff about with lamps, just do what works best for you, the people living there.

Mysocksarefallingoff · 02/09/2019 14:33

ArgumentativeAardvaark , yep, I’m the one who refuses to stay in any hotels if they have those funny glass partitions between the bedroom and the bathroom. Give me a sturdy door, a lock and a hefty, noisy fan in a bathroom and I’ll be happy. I may well have a peruse of the book IrmaFayLear suggested, as it sounds right up my street...

Equimum · 02/09/2019 14:39

The responses here are interesting.

We have privacy glass (it was like it when we bought the house). I hate it, but J mention it to people who have visited our house, they always say that they didn’t even notice. Saying that, though, our toilet is in quite a private place, and nobody would walk past the door while it was in use.

Original poster

Hidingtonothing · 02/09/2019 14:41

I think I must have bought the worlds cheapest, flimsiest blind if most people wouldn't expect to see light through it! It's really pale blue, very thin and honestly doesn't block any light, it's just enough (in addition to the frosted glass) to stop people seeing in.

That's it exactly dolly, the hall is narrow and the door opens outwards, not the end of the world but I do get sick of shutting it (and plunging myself into darkness) to get to the front door.

Think I've decided to do it, anyone who minds out of my nearest and dearest can have the option of the upstairs bathroom (no plans for anything other than a solid door on that!) if it bothers them. The light thing affects my day to day life, albeit in a small way and I do think that trumps occasional visitors who can always go upstairs. Thank you all for helping me work it out

OP posts:

minipie · 02/09/2019 14:46

I’d go with the transom window option as suggested by Pulling above- although this is only really an option if it’s a stud wall, otherwise it’s major work.

As regards privacy glass in the door itself, it probably wouldn’t bother me but it depends on whether the door is right by the loo or whether the loo is tucked around a corner iyswim. I wouldn’t like someone being able to see if I’ve stood up to wipe etc even if it is all blurred by the glass...

Original poster

Hidingtonothing · 02/09/2019 14:49

The loo is tucked round the corner yes, the sink is opposite the door as you go in with the loo to the left under the window. If anyone could see in through the door it would only be when you were standing at the sink.

OP posts:

minipie · 02/09/2019 14:59

Oh goodness I can’t see a problem at all then. And glazing in the door is easier than a transom window.

Blatherskite · 02/09/2019 15:02

I think the difference between frosted glass between the outside/loo and loo/hall is where the light is coming from.

Inside the loo, the light is coming from outside so no-one outside can see in. Someone stood outside the loo window would throw a shadow and been seen though. In the hall, the light is coming from the loo so the loo-user wouldn't be able to see anyone in the bathroom but the person in the bathroom would cast a shadow and be seen by the person in the hall.

I wouldn't do it.

Mysocksarefallingoff · 02/09/2019 15:02

Ah, if the loo is out of the eyeline from the hall, and is tucked round the corner, that changes things. Especially if you have a blind that folk can choose to pull down when they use it. If you’re also thinking of changing the other doors, I can see you might want them to match. So go for it... even a hardcore paranoid pee-er like me can approve

chocatoo · 02/09/2019 15:05

google solarspot - it's a system where sunlight is 'piped' into your dark hallway from a little dome on the roof - it's really clever!

HeadintheiClouds · 02/09/2019 15:06

I wouldn’t use it. My cousin converted her garage and put a small downstairs loo at the very front. With a big window... Nobody ever used it, you could see everything.
Very particular about loos after that experience!

Original poster

Hidingtonothing · 02/09/2019 15:13

You probably wouldn't use it even as it is now then Head, the window is directly above the loo and the footpath runs right outside it

OP posts:

Lipz · 02/09/2019 15:18

I've a friend who did this, I ended up using her upstairs toilet, I just couldn't bring myself to use it. She has a roller blind on it and you can see the whole body shadow/shape through the blind when the light is on. During the day her hall was still dark as she had the blind down the whole time. Personally I would get any kind of glass on this room, unless it was just us using it then 'maybe' but everyone uses our downstairs loo and I would hate for them to feel uncomfortable using it, although it may put people off and I'd keep a nice clean toilet :)

MrsEricBana · 02/09/2019 15:32

We have this in an otherwise dark basement corridor - frosted glass + cream blind - works really well and I've never seen anything (I might try now though, for research purposes )

Jux · 02/09/2019 15:33

We have a rectangle of glass above our downstairs loo door, like Pulling suggests. It works. I don' know how dingy your hall is though. Ours is pretty bad.

IrmaFayLear · 02/09/2019 22:20

It wouldn’t occur to me to care what a very occasional “guest” might think about my downstairs loo. My house is set up for my family’s comfort.

Well, jolly good. But what about your comfort if there is a caller at the door and you're in the loo? Cynthia from no. 25 has popped round about the Neighbourhood Watch group and whilst she's standing in the hall talking to your dh, you're in stark relief in the loo sitting down, standing up, peeling off sheets of loo roll... It's a whole shadow puppet show.

gingersausage · 04/09/2019 12:35

@IrmaFayLear but if it’s the “guest” loo, why would I care, I wouldn’t be using it.

Anyway in the scenario the OP is describing, that wouldn’t happen. The loo has a frosted half glass door and a blind behind it. If someone wants to use the loo, they pull the blind down. How would anyone see them? Why would anyone be looking? I’m baffled by the number of visitors people have to their door at the exact same time occasional guests in their house are using the loo!

SoupDragon · 04/09/2019 12:37

Why is there no natural light in the downstairs hall? Isn't there glass in/around the front door?

SoupDragon · 04/09/2019 12:38

I'm sure it would be fine but I must admit the idea of a glass panel in th toilet door makes me feel a bit odd

Original poster

Hidingtonothing · 04/09/2019 13:27

Nope, no glass in or around front door, long hall with doors to living and dining rooms at opposite end to the front door and downstairs loo. Think it would help if there was a landing window so we got some light coming from upstairs but it's dark up there too so that end of the hall really is dingy.

OP posts:

HeadintheiClouds · 04/09/2019 14:20

A downstairs loo isn’t just for guests, is it? It’s the one guests would be directed to, but it’ll be used by the family just as often?

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