This is probably not the first article you read about small but fancy cloakrooms. Why bother? Well as I intend to produce a comprehensive series of expert tips articles, and this is a popular topic I really didn’t want to miss it and I hope I can delight you with some of my past projects and ideas.
Why do designers get excited about these tiny rooms? Convincing yourself, let alone a client, to be bold and ‘crazy’ on a main room is much harder than taking a bit of risk and have some fun with the guest WC. What’s the worst that can happen? It’s a way to get your creative juices flowing, it’s the most likely place people will experiment with colour or wallpaper or unusual accessories.
The way I see it: compact spaces like these offer a unique canvas for bold, imaginative design choices. Rather than attempting to make it look larger, embrace the room’s intimate dimensions and turn it into a statement feature of your home – a space that delights and surprises guests with style, drama, and a touch of creativity.
1. Bold Colours and Rich Tones
In a small cloakroom, colour can be your greatest ally. Bold hues like deep sapphire blue, rich emerald green, or even a striking charcoal grey add a sense of sophistication and drama to the space, creating a cocooning effect that feels intentional and chic. When painted in a darker tone, the small space feels less like something to “expand” and more like a gem hidden within your home.
For rooms with low ceilings, try a two-tone paint effect to embrace the room’s dimensions rather than fighting them. By using darker shades on the lower half and a lighter tone above, you can create a cosy, enveloping atmosphere that feels deliberate and stylish. Less about making it bigger – more about making it better by playing up the room’s features.
For a contemporary look, paint the walls and ceiling in the same shade – this adds depth, blurs the edges, and creates a seamless, enveloping effect. This is also very true in rooms with sloping ceilings or any other odd shapes.
When there’s no natural light, people often go for bright, light finishes. I say: do the opposite. Use the lack of a window as an opportunity to create a moody, dramatic space with deep colours, bold wallpaper, and ambient lighting.
2. Add a Statement Wallpaper
If you’re looking to create a truly memorable cloakroom, wallpaper is a wonderful choice. With a small space, you can afford to go bold without overwhelming the room. A wallpaper with a vibrant or intricate design – such as botanical prints, bold geometrics, or luxurious metallics – can bring texture, interest, and personality to the room. Choose patterns that speak to you, whether it’s tropical foliage, abstract motifs, or a classic chinoiserie design, they don’t have to match with the house necessarily.
For a layered effect, consider painting the woodwork to match or complement your wallpaper’s tones. Eye-catching wallpapers with metallic finishes or lustrous textures add depth and dimension, making even the smallest cloakroom feel luxurious. For ceilings, a bold wallpaper creates a boutique-like touch and brings continuity that makes the space feel more expansive.
3. Play with Creative Lighting
Lighting is essential in a small cloakroom to enhance the room’s mood and style. Unlike bathrooms, where task lighting is critical, cloakrooms allow you to explore moody, ambient lighting. A statement pendant or sculptural wall sconce can add an unexpected sense of luxury and make the space feel far grander. Since mirrors amplify light, try positioning one near a light source for maximum impact. Consider an elegant chandelier – or if height is an issue make sure to wire for wall lights. Backlit mirrors offer a soft, modern glow and coffered ceilings add hotel chic.
Since lighting also affects colour, explore different kelvin levels, check the bulbs to experiment and find the right ambience for you. Also consider light an art form – last week I wrote about art and interiors. I love using artworks and their illumination as a source of lighting. It’s subtle and intricate such as we did in this little red-and-black room.
4. Add Luxurious Finishes and Fixtures
In a small cloakroom, every detail counts. Use high-quality finishes and fixtures to add elegance to the space, from sleek taps and drawer handles to beautifully crafted towel holders and tissue dispensers. For an added touch of refinement, consider using brass, gold, or matte black hardware, which complements bold colours and wallpaper beautifully. Even small touches – such as an artful soap dispenser or a beautifully designed mirror – make a significant difference in a compact space.
Companies like London Basin Company specialize in creating unique basins that combine both functional and aesthetic appeal, providing a luxurious addition to any cloakroom design.
Small cloakrooms are often starved for storage space, extra effort has to be made to conceive solutions that blend seamlessly into your design. Wall-mounted shelves, floating cabinets, or recessed niches can offer storage without crowding the floor space. A small shelf above the sink, for instance, can provide just enough room for hand towels or decorative accessories, while built-in shelving can display art or stylish toiletries. In keeping with the cloakroom’s design, opt for storage that complements the chosen palette or wallpaper. Minimalist glass shelves, metallic accents, or a sleek cabinet with bold hardware can elevate storage from practical to stylish.
In this project above we fitted the loo at an angle as it was the only way to operate, and the vanity was very slim and fitted with little sliding doors.
6. Add Personality with Art and Accessories
Accessories can turn your cloakroom into a space with personality and warmth. A quirky piece of art, a vintage mirror, or a beautifully framed print adds character. If the wallpaper or paint is bold, keep accessories minimal to maintain balance. Small touches like a fragrant candle, a vase of dried flowers, or a sculptural soap dispenser make the space feel complete. This Moroccan inspired room was a white box but the bright silk fabric, vintage pictures, a mirror and lights add plenty of luxurious ambience.
One of the most sophisticated design tricks for a small cloakroom is to “wrap” it in a single colour or pattern. By painting all walls, ceilings, and even the door in the same colour or applying wallpaper across every surface, you create an immersive, cohesive environment. This technique is particularly effective with darker shades, where the lack of contrast adds a sense of depth and expansiveness, making the cloakroom feel carefully crafted rather than restricted by its size. If you’re using wallpaper, consider extending it to cover the ceiling. This approach brings a boutique-like quality to the room and eliminates the visual breaks that typically make a room feel confined. In the small cloakroom above the sloped ceiling was impossible to paper so we opted for glossy paint matching the fishes on the design.
If you have the opportunity to use tiles or even better marble – then invest a little time and money – creating a really special tile pattern, or using shaped tiles, or quite special expensive tiles or a beautiful piece of stone will not break the bank in a small space – you could look for deals of left over pieces – they will add interest, texture and luxury to the room.
8. Elevate with Luxury Materials
A small space provides an opportunity to splurge on luxury materials without breaking the bank. Marble countertops, polished plaster, textured wood panelling, or even metallic tiles can make the room feel opulent and refined. These luxurious touches give the cloakroom a high-end look, transforming a simple space into an experience. Natural stone, textured tiles, or even a high-gloss lacquer finish bring both durability and a touch of glamour, ensuring that your cloakroom is as functional as it is beautiful.
Likely your guests will spend only a short time in your beautifully designed cloakroom, but you can make it the place they’ll remember the most!
Stay inspired, stay sophisticated !