Decorating ideas- cloakroom

[Gravitygirl]

Am I'm the process of planning our downstairs toilet area. Was just going to get small cloakroom basin and wall hung toilet from bathstore, but am stuck on decorating it. I fancy retro metro tiles in a matt grey but would also love to be bold and do wallpaper above.. Do you think it would work or look to busy, I can't decide, nor get any idea of how it would look. So if anyone that is more design minded than myself can help or point me in the direction of help that would be great.

I'd like the room to make an impact rather thn be bland iykwim.

Go wild! We have white metro tiles, with Vivienne Westwood's Squiggle wallpaper from Cole & Son above. It looks amazing. www.johnlewis.com/231497544/Product.aspx?source=63258

I don't think it would be too busy, downstairs cloakrooms are the perfect place to be bold, wether it's with wallpaper or paint.

when you say above the basin, how does that work? Do you mean wallpapering the whole room? You could do without tiles and wallpaper the whole room and put a perspex sheet above the basin as a splashback?

Love that cole & son wallpaper, although my eyes are watering at the price!

Ohh thanks ! Love that wallpaper, bet it looks fab :) I guess I would need to tile the whole bottom half of the walls to cover the boxing in around toilet, can't get my head around wallpaper behind loo for some reason...
Also, what kind of flooring would you go for?

Kitsmummy - the wallpaper is a silly price, but the loo is the perfect place to use something so extravagant, as you only need one roll.

GG - we've tiled all four walls to chest height then papered above. U can but metro tiles from Tons of Tiles at a fraction of the (cough earth) price and they really are exactly the same.

Oh good point, if you've got tiles half way up the walls, I guess you don't need much at all i am now coveting that wallpaper

hmm in my head, i had tiles half way up then wallpaper... but now dh has thrown a spanner in saying why bother tiling a cloakroom, just use paper... so who is right? in my head tiles and paper is perfect compromise to be able to keep toilet area clean, where as wood floor, skirting?? and wallpaper is his choice....

(im hoping i win) lol

We had our cloakroom half tiled all the way around having just had minimal tiling in our rental which then means that sink splashes mark the walls around the basin. It looks nicer and is much more practical.

Like the paper too!

What sort of height did you have the tiles up too? i dont want it to look dated.. and have half a memory that there is a 'new' height to tile too these days.

I dont know how to do links, but am thinking something like this....www.farrow-ball.com/orangerie-bp-2510/orangerie//fcp-product/202510 with www.tonsoftiles.co.uk/retro-metro-cream-baker-street-75x15cm-p-450.html Not sure what to do with floor though, any suggestions?

also would you go for newish toilet/basin or old fashioned ones?

Sorry for all the questions, clearly I can not decide in panic of getting it horribly wrong.

I've just got a small upstand of tiles at the bottom of the walls (like skirting but smaller and made of the same tile as the floor).

I slightly wish though that we had tiled to half way up the walls as I think it would add interest, and make the room seem less tall and thin as well. Tiles do have a protective effect too.

So I'd say you could do wallpaper all the way down but half tiles and half wallpaper is better.

If you're having grey tiles, I'd aim for a white and grey wallpaper (this one is lovely and I love this too) but I guess you'd need to check the greys go ok together.

Cross posted. I love that Orangerie wallpaper.

I'd suggest a dark floor as people often go into the downstairs loo with grubby shoes on. We've got slate.

Ours is not yet re-decorated even though we moved in 2 years ago. It isn't tiled at all just 3 tiles above the sink. The towel ring is right next to it and there is constantly water marks down the wall.

I am planning to have it half tiled to make it easier to wipe up the water splashes. Ours is under the stairs so we don't have a full height wall all the way round so we will paint above.

I think half tiled and fancy wallpaper is a good combo for practicality or just wall paper all over and tiles only above the sink.

I have ideas for our downstairs loo and have bookmarked some fancy papers, eg

www.lauraashley.com/wallpapers/oriental-garden-naturalcharcoal-floral-wallpaper/invt/3366126/

shop.ninacampbell.com/luxury-wallpaper/montacute-autumn-2011/malleny.html

and some pics for inspiration here
www.houzz.com/powder-room

Thankyou, some great ideas here! im fairly certain it will be tiles, but I have been considering wood panelling around the bottom half of the walls... has anyone done this?

(off to search through houzz link), thankyou

Have seen some rather chic wood panelling here
www.1st-option.net/index.cfm/locations/image/bookingtypes/Filming/locId/8/imgId/199/curimg/23

We recently re-did our downstairs loo, putting in a wall-hung loo and semi-recessed basin. We half tiled to above the basin height - for splashes - with a walnut (effect) top and have Harlequin Bonita Trail Natural (from John Lewis) wallpaper above. I'm so glad we were bold - it looks great. With boys I'm really glad the area around the loo is tiles - they do tend to, err, splash and this way it's so much easier to clean.

www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk/wallpaper-324-c.asp

I'm going for a library feel I think.

The best loo I went to was made out to look like your grannys lounge! 70's carpet on the ceiling, bookcase above the toilet boxing, stripy wallpaper and a dado rail with tongue and groove white wood panelling and best of all, radio 4 piped in!

I adore wallpaper and this is the ideal room to go really bold on.

Personally I love a mix of modern and traditional. Since your going modern with the rest maybe add a twist with some traditional style paper

Or use a strong choice of colour to paint the walls and add some oversized framed prints

Oh and I would only add to bold wallpaper to one wall as it will create a stronger impact, and you could pick up the wallpaper else where by say wallpapering the backsplash area with clear acyrlic tiles on top

Ohh liking the acrylic over wallpaper idea...thanks all.. more food for thought :)

Would that kind of modern look be ok in a victorian period home though?