Wallpaper in the toilet is an interesting design solution that allows you to effectively decorate a room without much financial or physical effort. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of models with high technical characteristics, which makes it possible to use them in the design of areas with a high humidity coefficient.
Advantages and disadvantages of decorating toilet walls with wallpaper
The finishing material has a lot of advantages, which determines the demand for wallpaper in toilet design:
- competitive cost. The price range for these finishing products varies within an affordable range. A separate category of canvases is presented in a relatively expensive segment, but the “risk” is justified by the high technical and decorative potential of the material;
- ease of installation. Even an amateur, who has step-by-step instructions and the necessary tools at hand, can handle such a job as repairing a toilet with wallpaper;
- affordable prices for the service. If it is not possible to wallpaper the walls of the room yourself, call a professional without fear that decorating the toilet with wallpaper will cost a pretty penny;
- easy dismantling. Unlike other types of coatings, this finish is easy to dismantle without much labor and time;
- high maintainability. If the coating on a separate area of the surface is worn or torn, it is easy to correct the flaw by replacing the selected piece of canvas with a new one. If you don’t have a material of a similar design at hand, you can choose a canvas of a harmonious range and combine the finish.
Another big plus in the treasury of advantages of decorating a toilet with wallpaper is the extremely wide range of products. None of the other types of coatings can compete with it in terms of variety of textures, colors, and patterns.
Disadvantages of using wallpaper in the toilet:
- not all types of paintings are suitable for finishing a bathroom. It is worth choosing especially carefully among special categories whose technical properties allow operation in high humidity environments;
- Improper wallpapering in the toilet can lead to peeling of the coating from the surface.
It is worth following the manufacturer’s recommendations exactly so as not to be disappointed in your choice.
Color solutions
Black
A bold color is more suitable as an additional color, for example, for partial wall decoration or as a pattern on wallpaper. A finish with abundant use of black will look impressive, but there is a chance that such an interior will quickly become boring.
White
The white tone is beautiful alone and in company with other colors. The main advantage of white is that it visually increases the space, a great way to decorate a small room. The finish can be combined with other, brighter colors. For example, decorate the wall behind the tank with white wallpaper with a pattern, and the rest with plain structural wallpaper.
Gray
Gray color is multifaceted, it can start from a light shade of white and end with a graphite tone. The finish with photo wallpaper, combination with other shades and different textures will look impressive.
Beige
A calm, classic shade is a good choice for both large rooms and a compact toilet. A beige wallpaper with a noticeable texture and a beautiful plain or colored pattern will look good. Beige is suitable for classic and modern design.
Greens
A pleasant green shade is combined with white and beige, the interior will be calm and not provocative. Another finishing option could be walls covered with photo wallpaper with green vegetation or a beautiful landscape.
Wallpaper for the toilet in the apartment: types, features
Deciding what wallpaper to put in the toilet? Decorative fabrics for decorating a hygiene room are presented in the following categories:
- washable - perhaps the most common type of finish, has a water-repellent film, sold in the budget segment;
- vinyl - an improved version of the previous copy, the protective layer is made of polyvinyl chloride in a smooth or foamed design;
- on a synthetic basis - the material is a textile fabric on a thin foam rubber backing;
- fiberglass wallpaper - the finishing is made on the basis of thin glass threads;
- liquid wallpaper is a high-tech type of cladding, sold in powder form, which is diluted with water before use;
- Photo wallpaper is a current option for decorative finishing, with the help of which it is easy to improve the visual perception of the space of a small hygiene room.
Each of the presented samples is distinguished by the peculiarities of its manufacture and application in the design of the sanitary facility.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the decision to wallpaper the toilet are:
- The speed of changing the interior. Against the background of lengthy and rather labor-intensive tile laying, wallpapering is much faster and requires fewer tools and additional materials.
- The ability to cope on your own. Experienced professionals are often hired for tiling, but no special skills are required for wallpapering.
- Cheap material. Both the wallpaper itself and the cost of gluing it (even if hired workers do this) will cost much less than laying tiles.
- A wide range of textures and color options. It’s very easy to diversify your toilet design with wallpaper thanks to a really large selection.
However, if you choose wallpaper for your toilet, you may encounter the following disadvantages:
- Due to the high level of humidity in the room, some types of wallpaper are not suitable for finishing it. These types include cork, paper and bamboo, as well as metal wallpaper.
- If you stick paper wallpaper on the toilet walls, over time the top layer will begin to peel off.
- There are often places in the toilet that are difficult to wallpaper, for example, behind the toilet or water pipes.
- Mold and mildew often appear on wallpaper. In addition, they can absorb odors, and glue may appear on thin wallpaper over time.
Washable wallpaper for the toilet: a practical finishing option
The material is a paper base with a protective film against moisture. The surface is easily cleaned from dirt and dust and can withstand repeated cleaning with a damp cloth. Prices for washable wallpaper are presented in the budget range. If handled with care, this category of product can last much longer than paper wallpaper, even in the decoration of a toilet, only if the bathroom is not combined with a bathtub.
What is especially attractive about washable linens is that, if desired, you can easily and inexpensively update the design of the room.
Features of wallpapering
Before proceeding directly to wallpapering, it is necessary to prepare the room for this, namely, complete all repair work, hide the pipes, and it is advisable to remove the plumbing, including the sink, bidet and toilet, during the wallpapering, as it will complicate the process.
- Before hanging wallpaper in the toilet, you need to prepare the walls, namely, level them and prime them. This procedure is especially important for toilets with a sink.
- The work is performed on a dry wall surface,
- For finishing you should choose moisture-resistant washable wallpaper,
- The niche can be decorated with another type of wallpaper or decorated with doors,
- When gluing wallpaper, you should use glue for heavy materials.
- For greater reliability, the wall behind the sink can be covered with protective transparent glass,
- Before using self-adhesive wallpaper, it is necessary to clean and level the wall as much as possible.
Vinyl wallpaper in the toilet: spectacular interior decor
Finishing modifications are made on a paper or non-woven basis; there are also examples on a fabric backing. The protective layer of polyvinyl chloride has high hydrophobic properties and can withstand even direct contact with water. Particularly popular are non-woven wallpapers with embossing, which attract a variety of visual effects.
Pros and cons of using vinyl sheets in the hygiene room:
- If the installation technology is followed, this finish will last at least 10 years;
- the surface does not deform under the influence of high humidity and temperature changes, does not react to dirt, and does not lose its visual appeal under the influence of UV rays;
- the coating is sold in the expensive segment. Although you can choose inexpensive vinyl options from manufacturers’ collections.
Another significant disadvantage of cladding in this category is the relative complexity of installation. If funds allow, it is worth buying canvases with the back surface treated with adhesive. In this case, it is enough to apply glue to the wall and attach a cut vinyl trellis.
Combination methods
Of course, the simplest solution to renovating a toilet is to have the same finish on all walls. However, this conservative option is somewhat outdated. An original design technique - a combination of several types of wallpaper - will make the interior unique.
In a room of calm pastel shades, one wall can be highlighted with a bright canvas (plain or with an ornament). Monochrome option - in a pale blue room there is one wall with dark blue wallpaper, giving the room a special depth. Bright contrasts will bring freshness and brightness to the room (light gray walls and several wallpapers with flowers in muted red shades).
Fans of traditional solutions can implement a two-color toilet design: dark bottom (up to 1 m high) - light top. This type of renovation combines contrasting fabrics (brown bottom and light beige top). If you have difficulties choosing combinations, you can use the manufacturers' proposals. Companion wallpapers are available in different colors and patterns. To beautifully design the joints, special borders or decorative polyurethane moldings are glued on. The combination of wallpaper of different quality looks original: the bottom is vinyl with imitation plaster, the top is textile or non-woven.
Wallpaper on a synthetic basis: properties and capabilities
The material includes a duo of textile fabric and foam backing. The finish has a pronounced sound and heat insulation effect and is easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner. The surface is not exposed to sunlight. To eliminate the risk of harmful microorganisms arising inside the coating in high humidity environments, it is worthwhile to provide a high-quality ventilation system in the hygiene room.
How to glue behind pipes
Taping behind the pipes in the toilet is one of the difficult moments. Marking the cuts in advance before gluing is not very convenient, and there is a risk of making mistakes in the sizes. Craftsmen make slits when gluing the canvases. The glued part should be positioned evenly around the obstacle. A stationery knife is used to cut holes - it is sharp and easy to handle. It is necessary to ensure that the cuts are neat and accurately follow the contour of the pipes. You can glue it in parts, but then the scraps of the canvas will be noticeable - you will have to match the pattern very precisely.
First, you need to remove the old coating, paint, and level the walls: any imperfections or bumps will be noticeable. The walls are treated with primer.
Gluing begins from the top of the wall, where nothing interferes. The position of the sheet is precisely measured. It is tightly attached to the wall and smoothed out. Cuts are made in the right place, a pipe and other obstacles are inserted into them. Excess scraps are carefully trimmed with a sharp knife.
Liquid wallpaper in the toilet
The relevance of the coating in interior fashion is due to its high resistance to external factors and spectacular appearance. Liquid wallpaper is a powder base with fillers that are designed to provide a special surface texture. Before work, the dry mixture is diluted with water and the plaster is applied using a spatula. To stabilize the finish, it is coated with varnish, which also provides a moisture-proof effect. Facing a toilet with liquid wallpaper is economically advantageous when compared with tiles, and at the same time it has competitive technical characteristics.
What to consider when choosing
When choosing wallpaper, be sure to take into account the features of the toilet room. Due to daily wet cleaning, mold or mildew may develop in the room. Therefore, preference should be given to materials that are resistant to high humidity: washable, with a smooth vinyl or non-woven coating.
For rooms with many protrusions, the best choice would be liquid wallpaper, which can easily create the effect of a solid, uniform layer.
Be sure to take into account the size of the room. For small toilets, it is better to choose a finish that will visually add space or correct the geometry of the room. If there is no clear vision for the design of the room, then professionals advise starting from the style of the apartment. Today it is easy to choose wallpaper for the toilet that will complement any interior design of the home.
Using fiberglass sheets to decorate a toilet
Glass threads in the finishing fabric determine a number of advantages of using this material in the design of toilets and bathrooms:
- the material retains its performance and aesthetic qualities, despite the level of complexity of local conditions;
- withstands direct contact with water, fire, chemical components, does not react to the aggressive influence of detergents;
- can be used in the design of public toilets with high intensity of use.
After gluing, the trellises can be painted in the chosen color, since fiberglass sheets are supplied in white with a structured surface.
The correct choice of wallpaper shades for the toilet room
When choosing shades of wallpaper for the toilet room, you should think about what the future perception of the new interior design will be. For example, dark wallpaper colors help to further reduce the space.
If you have limited bathroom space, try to use dark accents as little as possible.
When combining a toilet with a bathroom, there is enough space to implement the intended decor, so you can choose dark shades of blue, brown, and lilac. They can have one tone or be combined with bright, light patterns.
The most successful options for decorating toilet walls are silver, beige, gray and snow-white tones of the color palette. A great combination would be those with bright accents such as blue, yellow, pink, light green or lavender. There are options where photo wallpapers will replace paintings or landscapes.
Please note that in the toilet it is necessary to maintain a balance between light and dark colors. If the walls are decorated with rich colors, then purchase light-colored accessories and furniture.
In order for the toilet room to be perceived as modern and stylish, you must think about the correct choice of wallpaper patterns, which will determine a lot in the overall interior.
A room that is too cramped should not be decorated with wallpaper with a large image, even if you only want to cover one of the walls. Striped wallpaper will help you visually expand your boundaries.
Decorating toilet walls with photo wallpapers
In the design of a hygiene room with a compact area, compositions with images are very successful, with the help of which the effect of visually expanding the space is created. This could be a view from the window of the city landscape, a marine theme, or a panoramic view of a flowering meadow from a high cliff. Fashionable abstract sketches, geographical maps, or even photo wallpaper for the toilet in the form of reproductions of paintings by famous artists are also successful.
A few important nuances
In order for wallpaper to last longer and not lose its external luster, you need to pay attention not only to its quality, but also to the characteristics of the bathroom, which can enhance the disadvantages of this material.
- An abundance of moisture and steam is detrimental to many types of wallpaper. By wiping away splashes and stains that get on them, there is a risk of damaging the appearance of the canvas. Therefore, for rooms with a high degree of humidity, it is better to opt for tiles.
- Wallpaper may peel off. This will not happen with properly laid tiles.
- The pasting process is quite simple, but it should also be approached responsibly. Otherwise, by saving on professional help, you can ruin the result with glue stains or crookedly applied canvases.
How to choose wallpaper for a small toilet
In the design of a room with a small footage, light wallpaper is relevant. Beige and silver shades are trending; compositions combined with monochromatic stripes and abstract patterns are popular. To visually improve the perception of a small space, interior stylists recommend decorating the surface of one wall with trellises with a large pattern, and covering the rest with a monochromatic canvas of a similar color scheme.
Decorative fabrics can be perfectly combined with other types of decoration for the toilet. The duo with tiles, which are used to decorate the lower surface of the walls near the plumbing fixtures, is especially in demand. Visually improves the feeling of space in a compact hygiene room if you choose light wallpaper with a subtle floral design and tiles a tone or two darker for the entire lower part of the toilet walls.
Interesting design ideas
Under tiles
An interesting way to decorate walls. Wallpaper with tile imitation “wins” in price and ease of use. The pattern can be like an antique cracked tile or with a beautiful and unusual stylized pattern. This finishing method allows you to quickly finish it in an unusual style and just as quickly, if desired, change it.
Under the brick
Decorating walls with wallpaper imitating brick significantly saves space, time and money than natural material. With “brick” walls you will get a wonderful design in the loft or Provence style. The interior will be complemented by stylized plumbing fixtures and decorative items.
With flowers
Flowers will complement almost any style and can look completely different. For example, photo wallpaper with large flowers on the back wall can be combined with plain coverings, or a small floral pattern will decorate the room around the entire perimeter.
Geometric designs
For a small toilet, it is better to use wallpaper with small geometric patterns, such as a small checkered pattern. They will not be obvious and hide the space. The proven technique of horizontal and vertical stripes, which, depending on the direction, “stretch” or “lengthen” the wall, also remains relevant.
Combining wallpaper and tiles
The combination of two types of finishes allows you to create a comfortable interior and protect the most humid areas.
The wall above the bathtub, near the shower stall and sink, as well as the decorative screen can be laid with ceramic or glass tiles, and the floor can be tiled with porcelain stoneware or ceramics with a relief texture. Surfaces near the toilet, washing machine, toilet cabinet and heating appliances are covered with moisture-resistant wallpaper.
When combining materials, it is recommended to select single-color tiles. Wallpaper can be a uniform color or have a small pattern.
When combining wallpaper and tiles, you need to pay attention to the following recommendations:
- For the walls of a small bathroom, medium-sized rectangular tiles (30 cm) are suitable;
- It is advisable to select wall and floor tiles from the same collection;
- the combination of samples should be evaluated under the same lighting as in the future bathroom (warm or cold light);
- vertical or horizontal joints must be smooth.
An example of finishing a bathroom with washable wallpaper and tiles.
The junction of tiles and paper strips can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal. Tiles can also be laid with the elements offset relative to each other.
Choosing an interior style
The most common mistakes when creating the design of a small toilet are the lack of overall balance, an abundance of decor, a very bright palette of colors.
Below we will consider style directions that harmoniously fit into a small room area.
Minimalism style in a small toilet
For a small toilet, the ideal combination is comfort and functional simplicity. Minimalism welcomes light contrasts of dark and light shades, natural finishing materials (stone, wood, glass), and the absence of bulky decorations.
They can be replaced by panels on the ceiling and decorative compact lamps.
Classic style in a small toilet
If the overall interior of the house is made in a classic style, then the toilet should be decorated in this luxurious direction. Metal mosaics, ancient statues, large chandeliers will be out of place in a small room.
Here you need to give preference to marble floors, antique mirrors, and antique sink shapes.
Provence style in a small toilet
Light colors combined with the elegance of each individual detail can add additional space and lightness to a small toilet. Attention should definitely be paid to decor and textiles.
It is worth giving preference to linen rugs and towels, mosaics and paintings, which include discreet ornaments, as well as floral elements.
Eco-style in a small toilet
The name of this style speaks for itself. The uniqueness of the room will be emphasized by eco-friendly finishing materials and textiles, and the atmosphere here will be made more stylish by ceramic tiles and small stone souvenirs.
Colors should be in harmony with each other and be as restrained as possible.
Loft style in a small toilet
Industrial notes are becoming more and more popular in design. For a modern person, not only practical, but also aesthetic aspects are important. The loft style in a small toilet is a wall-mounted toilet, wooden elements, flat facades.
One of the walls is made accent and decorated like a brick. Taken together, it will look comfortable, original and simple.
Lighting and decor
Some people think that the smaller the area of the room, the fewer light sources need to be installed here. But in fact, this is not so, because one single lamp cannot cope with all the corners of the room.
You can install mini spotlights along an elongated row or in the center of the ceiling. Additional lighting can be an LED strip glued to a mirror or floor lighting. With sufficient lighting, a small room will look cozy, rather than gloomy and narrow.
For a small toilet, practical and original decorative elements will include organizers for towels of unusual shapes, lamps of non-standard shapes, soap dishes, mirrors, as well as indoor plants that do not require a lot of light (ficus, cactus, cyperus).
