Cloakroom Design Ideas

A cloakroom is the smallest room we fit and often the one that needs the most thought, because every millimetre is contested and there is nowhere to hide a mistake. It is also a room guests use, so it is worth finishing well. Here is how we approach the design.

Space you actually need

Building regulations guidance suggests around 700mm of clear space in front of the pan and 200mm either side of its centre line. In practice we plan for a minimum internal width of 800mm and a length of 1400mm. Below that the door becomes the problem long before the fittings do, which is why outward opening or sliding doors are so common in cloakrooms. If the door must open inwards, plan the swing on the drawing before anything is ordered.

Three layouts that work

Toilet and basin in line

The classic narrow cloakroom. Pan on the end wall over the soil connection, small basin or vanity beside it. Simple plumbing, and a continuous run of vanity worktop over both gives you a place to put things down.

Opposing walls

Pan on one side, basin on the other. Needs at least 1.1 metres of width but feels much less cramped and lets you use a full size basin.

Corner arrangement under the stairs

Pan positioned where headroom is greatest, cistern concealed within the slope, and a corner or small wall hung basin tucked into the low end. Lighting matters enormously here since there is rarely a window.

Choosing the fittings

• Short projection pan. Around 600mm rather than 700mm, and it makes a genuine difference to how the room feels.
• Concealed cistern in a slim unit. Gives a shelf above the pan and hides the pipework, at the cost of about 200mm of depth.
• Compact basin. 350mm to 450mm wide cloakroom basins are widely available. Check the tap will not send water over the front edge, which is the classic small basin complaint.
• Wall hung everything. Keeping the floor clear makes the room look larger and makes cleaning far easier.

Waste and drainage

Always try for a gravity connection to the existing soil stack. It is silent, needs no power and will still be working in twenty years. Where the cloakroom is a long way from the stack, or below the invert level, a macerator is the answer, but choose a quality unit, allow access for servicing, and know that it cannot take anything other than paper. In many Stoke terraces the stack runs on the rear elevation, which conveniently suits a cloakroom formed at the back of the hallway.

Ventilation and lighting

An internal cloakroom must have mechanical extraction, ducted properly to outside, with a 15 minute overrun. Do not vent it into the void under the stairs or into a loft. For lighting, a single warm downlight plus a mirror light gives a much better result than one central fitting. A motion sensor is a nice touch in a room where people are often carrying something.

Making it feel deliberate

Because a cloakroom is small, you can afford to be bolder than in a main bathroom. A patterned floor tile, a deep colour on the walls, a striking mirror or a feature basin all cost little across such a small area but make the room memorable. Half tiling with a moisture resistant paint above is the usual approach and keeps costs sensible.

Storage in a room with none

1. A shallow vanity of 300mm depth conceals the trap and holds cleaning products.
2. A recessed niche between studs is free space you already own.
3. A shelf above the cistern unit holds a plant and a hand wash.
4. A slim mirrored cabinet does two jobs on one plane.

What it costs

Refitting an existing cloakroom typically runs £2,200 to £4,000 including a new suite, flooring, tiling, decoration and extraction. Creating a new one from scratch, with a stud wall, door, drainage, electrics and ventilation, is generally £4,500 to £7,000 depending on how far the drainage has to travel.

Get your cloakroom priced

We survey free, tell you honestly whether gravity drainage is achievable, and give you a fixed written price within 24 hours. All plumbing, tiling, joinery and electrics carried out in house by our own insured fitters.

Common questions