How to Hide the Toilet
Article by: Royston Wilson, Houzz
What is the one item that no one wants to be the star attraction in the bathroom? Yes, you guessed it — the toilet! Camouflaging a toilet in a bathroom is surprisingly easy. If you have the space for the toilet to be separate, then it is very easy; however, most of us do not have the luxury of an abundance of space. This is when the trick of distraction comes in handy.
But just how do we employ the art of distraction to our advantage? Put simply, it’s all about clever design. Installing an interesting bath, vanity, feature wall or shower, or championing an outside view, can help make the toilet practically disappear from the foreground. It will still be there — but won’t be what you remember when you depart from the space. Let’s take a closer look.
Create a Separation
Low wall. This bathroom has been designed to maximize the view (not the toilet!). A sense of calm and contentment is present as you soak in the bath, with shelves and a seat conveniently close by for magazines and maybe a bottle of bubbly. The low wall, while seemingly insignificant, underpins the experience and ensures that at no point in your bathing experience will you notice the toilet.
Angled wall. With a tiled angled wall creating a dramatic backdrop, the toilet was never going to be the first thing you notice here. Not only is the angled wall a shield for the toilet and shower at the other end, but it also creates the feeling of more space. A stepped vanity (one that has different levels) and a beautiful freestanding back-to-wall bath keep your attention as you continue your journey through the bathroom.
Nib wall. A nib wall is a very handy addition to a bathroom. In this case it has created a logical place for the vanity to run into and has partially blocked the toilet from view. Two birds with one stone! Interesting light fixtures, handles and wallpaper combine with the various textures of the stone and timber to ensure that a feast for the senses is the primary experience.
Wow factor. This is a real case of stating the obvious. Toilet paper is used to create a divider and storage point between toilet and basin here. This is one powder room that will never be short of a roll or two!
Layout
T-shape. By planning a T-shaped bathroom, you allow the vanity to be the hero. Here, the toilet sits neatly behind one wing and the shower behind the other. Function is taken care of, while form is delivered in full.
Defined areas. Depending on your entry point in this two-door bathroom, the toilet can be seen or not seen at all. Within the layout it is essentially treated as a room within a room. The cabinet that divides the space creates extra storage and is a great alternative to a wall, cleverly giving privacy to the toilet area.
Distraction
Central focus. This bathroom is a perfect example of distraction. It instantly draws your eye to another place — the pool. Originally there was a brick wall here, but with the pool in view, a new focus was delivered. Both the vanity and the toilet have become secondary in importance, so that while walking into this bathroom, you find yourself thinking, “What toilet?”
Eyes up. Generally, a built-in bath will not take center stage in a bathroom. In its place, the vanity can be highlighted. The designer of this bathroom has made the wall-hung toilet part of the vanity, with the striking green feature tile drawing the eye to the harmonious pairing with the timber.
Feature walls. A feature shower with mosaic wall in this bathroom is enough to draw your attention past the toilet. With the toilet kept off the floor, a feeling of light and space has been created. What’s more, the timber flooring gives the room lineal interest.
Art is a wonderful medium that evokes such varied emotional responses. This natural stone is beautiful to behold — it fills the room and is framed artfully by the doorway. The whiteness in the stone also allows the toilet to become almost obscure.
Feature cabinetry. In this tight space, everything is on display. However, as the toilet is white on a white wall, it recedes into the background, while the framed cabinets catch your attention.
Decorative items. Sometimes the toilet must be on view. When this happens, embrace it! Again, decorative items like screens and lights can work wonders to redirect attention. The white floor and accessories here also mean that the white toilet does not stand out, but rather forms a part of the overall composition.
Tricks of the Eye
Floating features. It is hard not to want to touch the floor and wall here. They are so textural and inviting. Your eye is drawn to the slim sink that complements the line of the timber perfectly. Everything appears to float. The soft mirror shape follows the internal curve of the sink as though it has been lifted out of its niche. Finally, there is the toilet — last and definitely least!
Unique. Now this is different. The toilet is bench mounted. This unusual setup might lead most people to think a toilet is missing from this bathroom altogether — but they’d be wrong. A very high sink allows the single stone bench to be at a suitable seating height for the toilet, which is discreetly mounted on top. The bonus is that the bench extends into the shower, doubling as a built-in shower seat.
Dark color. The dark, moody colors of this bathroom make the toilet stand out. A brave move, but one that works with enough detail elsewhere to draw the eye.
Light color. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the toilet that almost disappears. With the whites of the wall and floor, this wall-hung toilet can barely be seen.
