Ugly downstairs loo - any ideas?

[Uglybathroomsallround]

What would you do with this downstairs loo?

I need to save and do it so low budget, high impact if possible but I just don’t know where to start!

I would go to Pinterest for lots of ideas

i would really look into hiding all those pipes if possible

To make it look more cheerful in the short term, I would suggest some wall stickers. You can get a great range of styles from a company called Wayfair and they are very reasonable. I thought they were just for children's rooms but they have lots of lovely adult ones. Then you can take them off once you have decided what to do with it.

I don't know why anyone would go to the trouble and expense of tiling a bathroom yet leave such ugly pipes.

Paint the tiles, the walls, the pipes everything navy.
Hang some large statement artwork

I have a similar situation; keep doing little bits of accessorising but I’m still unsatisfied with it.

I’ve added a grassy plant on a stand (fake due to no windows but it looks okay). I’ve put artwork on the wall.

My biggest problem is that I also have the exposed plastic p-pipe under the sink, like you, and it’s fitted into the corner. If anyone has any cheap and cheerful ideas for covering it I would be very grateful…

Do not bother with those wall stickers as suggested. They are a very dated decoration fad nowadays.

First off look at hiding those pipes, you have two options - either build a sacrificial wall in front of them (this is dependant on how much space you have in the toilet as it will eat into the size). Or secondly what is behind the wall? Is it brick or plasterboard? Can you move the pipes back? I would do this as a starting point before even considering decor.

Pinterest is great if you type in "small toilet" it will give you lots of space saving designs.

@Summerof22 Im not sure how to get rid of the pipes. I’ve looked at basins with storage to hide everything under the sink. I’ve looked at boxing it all in, but with the pipes in the middle wall I don’t know where else to put them. It’s a solid wall so not sure they can be channeled in.

Repaint the pipes and walls but leave the tiles as they are.

I agree!

Definitely box in the pipe work.

I'd add some colour as it is very beige. You can go quite dramatic with a small loo if you felt like it. As you're on a budget, you probably have to work with the tiles though.

@ChobKnees it’s a solid wall, and it’s a very narrow space as it’s under the stairs.

With the vertical one, a tall shallow (ie 1 toilet roll deep) cupboard would hide it and add storage. Would have to be custom built though.

@SoupDragon I can save more to spend more if needed.
I’d like to sell this house in 2 years so need a balance of sorting out this off putting eye sore but not spending money I won’t get back - if that makes sense.

I'd get a plumber in to move all those pipes to a corner or closer to the floor and box them in.
Then get rid of all the deadly beige tiles. The sanitaryware itself looks fine so look on Pinterest for a colour scheme you like and go with it.

Wow, that is some bad, lazy plumbing!

TBH I’d leave it until I could do something re the pipe situation. Maybe get a plumber to come and have a look and give you an idea of the cost? I don’t think there’s an easy fix.

You can get a little cupboard from Victoria plumbing that fits under that sink. We have it and it hides loads of pipes. We had to cut a small hole in the side for the pipes to come through but looks so much better than before.

Here it is

You can get covering for the pipes.
I would change the floor with some victorian looking vinyl tiles, it's gonna be fairly cheap as it's not a big space.

Get some bathroom storage unit and another for under the sink.

I would get rid of the mirror and get a round one .

So I’ve had a plumber round to service the boiler and he’s had a look.

He thinks the best option is to rip the tiles out, channel the pipes in the wall and then retile.

He’s going to send a tiler around at some point to quote for this.

I'm expecting it to be pricey 🙈

you could get a new corner sink that is twice the size - it would make everything feel more generous.

at the same time, box in the pipes below waist level and make it look like panelling. Similarly, box in just the bit running up the wall. Paint the panelling a dark colour too, and put some bright pictures on the walls to draw the eye upwards.

@Uglybathroomsallround Completely agree with getting rid of the pipes if possible!

If you’re hoping to do it on a budget, does it really need to be tiled if it’s just a downstairs loo? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Go for a really fun bold patterned wallpaper and do a small tile backsplash behind the sink 😊 or half tile the walls and do a bold paper above. I think a downstairs WC is a great place to go a bit fun with design 😊

How about covering the tiles with panelling? You could bring the wall forward an inch or so to cover the pipes. The room would be a bit smaller. But with the right colour I don't think it'd make a massive difference

Little under sink cupboard and tongue and groove panelling to hide horizontal pipes. I think you would get away with the vertical pipes being exposed.

I do think that removing tiles and channelling will be messy and expensive

Paint the ceiling a deep navy, move the pipes , put up some fabulous wallpaper. Unless you plan to have a stand up wash in there daily, I don't see the need for tiles or panels in a downstairs loo so chase the pipes in and then cover with wallpaper.

Big mirrors, cut to an exact fit template on the long wall, and above the WC.

Looking at it, all the pipe mess is because the sink is opposite where the soil pipe is, so both inlet and outlets are snaking across the room. Could you switch the loo for one with a sink above and then just chase the water pipes down the ceiling and onto that wall.