Cloakroom & Downstairs Loo Paint Colours
A downstairs loo or cloakroom is small, used briefly and rarely has much daylight, which makes it the perfect place to try colour you'd never risk elsewhere. Drench it in a deep shade, surprise guests with something joyful, or keep it pretty and soft. Every shade below is available as a 60ml sample, and small rooms need very little paint.
Designers agree that a downstairs loo is the place to be bold. It's small, nobody spends long in it and it needs very little paint, so it's a low-commitment way to try a colour you love. Dark shades painted over every wall, the ceiling and the woodwork make a tiny room feel cosy and deliberate rather than cramped. Bright, joyful colour works too. Most cloakrooms have small windows or none, so judge your sample under the room's own light.
At a glance
- Start here
- Small room, big chance. You spend a few minutes at a time in a downstairs loo, so it can take a stronger colour than any other room. It is also the cheapest room to repaint.
- North light
- Warm and deep work best. A small north-facing window gives cool, dim light. Deep browns, reds and warm brights feel cosy rather than gloomy.
- South light
- Deep blues and greens glow. Warm sun through a small window suits deep blues, plums and greens. Very warm colours can look intense.
- East light
- Bright mornings, dim afternoons. A small east-facing window gives brief morning sun. Check the colour later in the day, when the room will mostly be used under artificial light.
- West light
- Shaded mornings, warm evenings. The room is dim in the morning and warmer in the evening. Rich colours suit both.
- No window?
- Judge by the bulb. Many cloakrooms have little or no daylight. Choose the colour under the room’s own light, and consider a warm bulb for a cosier feel.
- Drench it
- Walls, ceiling and woodwork. Painting everything in one colour blurs the corners of a tiny room. Use Trim & Woodwork Paint on the door and skirting in the same shade.
- Sample tip
- Check every change of light. Move your sample between walls. Check it in morning and afternoon daylight, then under the lights you use at night.
Tap any tile to read more.
Dark colours to drench every surface
Wrap a tiny room in deep colour.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
Deep chocolate, plum and near-black make a downstairs loo feel cosy, glamorous and much more deliberate than white. Paint the walls, ceiling and woodwork in one colour and add a brass, chrome or black tap to finish.
Best in north-facing cloakrooms with Pandher™, Turney™, Brahun™, Temperance™ or Riverbed™, south-facing cloakrooms with Turney™, Riverbed™ or Merry™, and east- or west-facing cloakrooms with Apatura™, Skibbidy™ or Lottie’s Heart™.
Bold, joyful colour
Bright shades for a cheerful guest surprise.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
If dark isn't for you, go bright. A rusty orange, a confident pink or a strong blue turns the smallest room into the most memorable one, and the small space keeps the colour from overwhelming.
Best in north-facing cloakrooms with Foundry™, Recreation™, Wellow™, Maz™, Dooper™ or Aslock™, south-facing cloakrooms with Panhard™ or Bellyetter™, and east- or west-facing cloakrooms with Wellow™, Maz™, Dooper™, Aslock™ or Panhard™.
Pretty, softer colour
Gentle pinks and blues for a lighter loo.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
For a lighter feel, these soft pinks, lilacs and blues are still far more characterful than white. They pair well with patterned tiles or wallpaper on the lower wall.
Best in north-facing cloakrooms with Dahnya™, Camisole™ or Sillygoose™, south-facing cloakrooms with Silene™ or Zia™, and east- or west-facing cloakrooms with any of the five.
Sample it the way we would
Step 1
Paint your peel-and-sticks
Each £5.99 sample comes with three paintable peel-and-sticks. Give them two coats and let them dry fully.
Step 2
Stick them around the room
Put them on two or three walls, including the wall opposite the window, at eye level and lower down.
Step 3
Live with them for a day or two
Look in the morning, the afternoon and under your evening lamps. Move them around until you are sure.
Your questions, answered
What colour should I paint a downstairs toilet?
Something you love but might not risk in a bigger room. Deep browns, plums and near-blacks make it cosy; bright oranges, pinks and blues make it joyful. Because it's small and used briefly, it's the easiest room to be brave in.
Does dark paint make a small room look smaller?
Not necessarily. Dark colour on every surface blurs the corners, so the room feels cosy and enveloping rather than cramped. A small, dim room will never feel bright, so working with that often looks better than fighting it.
Colour drenching guideWhat paint should I use in a cloakroom with a basin?
Our Bathroom Wall Paint is made for humid rooms and resists the impact of mould without fungicides. For the door and skirting, use Trim & Woodwork Paint in the same colour.
Bathroom Wall Paint