6 Over The Toilet Decorating Ideas


Don’t let the space over your toilet go to waste. Use it to either further your bathroom’s aesthetic or keep it functional.
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Bathrooms are particularly challenging to decorate because you have to work with the fixtures of the space. Rather than being able to move items where you would like them to go, toilets, showers, and sink fixtures are permanently located and give you little wiggle room.

Thankfully, there’s a simple solution that gives you plenty of space to showcase your favorite bathroom decor. Over the toilet decor has come a long way since the pastel plastic and metal monstrosities you might remember from your grandparent’s bathroom. 

If you’ve been feeling limited by your bathroom’s space, give some of these over the toilet decorating ideas a try. They can help you add the personal, decorative touches you’ve been dreaming about. 

6 Over the Toilet Ideas You’ll Want to Try in Your Bathroom

The key to pulling off any type of bathroom decor is to stay simple and lean towards minimal design. When you overcrowd the area over your toilet, you’ll make the space feel smaller. Stick to any of these bathroom decor tips, and you’ll feel like your bathroom has new life.

1. Install Floating Shelves

Reminiscent of sleek, Scandinavian design, floating shelves are perfect for the area about your toilet. Available in any size and easy to install yourself, they’re ideal for displaying personal touches or storing toiletries. 

With the addition of a few baskets or containers, floating shelves in the bathroom can help keep you organized.

A simple but classic white comfort room with mirror.

2. Choose Contrasting Tile Or Paint

Having a window over your toilet doesn’t have to put a damper on your bathroom design ideas. Adding an accent wall behind your toilet can have a powerful impact and add a focal point. 

Whether you choose to use paint or colorful tile, changing the wall behind and over your toilet can change the entire look of your bathroom. 

A narrow toilet space with an accent wall using green subway tiles.

3. Add a Towel Rack

Working with a small bathroom doesn’t have to limit your imagination. Instead, you can make the space above your toilet work to your advantage. Try installing a decorative towel rack and a piece of your favorite art. 

Not only will you make the most of your available space, but you’ll also have a practical solution that keeps your towels within easy reach. 

A white toilet and bathroom with mirror and towel rack.

4. Hang a Medicine Cabinet

Medicine cabinets are traditionally found above the sink, but there aren’t any rules forbidding you from moving in. When you move a small storage cabinet or a medicine cabinet to the space over your toilet, you’ll also free up the space behind your sink. 

Swapping out the medicine cabinet over the toilet and placing a mirror above the sink is a great way to switch up your bathroom decor. 

A compact white toilet space with chess tiles flooring.

5. Place a Floor Shelving Unit

Larger shelving units designed to go over the toilet have changed over the years. These days, natural woods and sustainable materials have elevated the look. Adding a shelf behind your toilet that starts on the floor is a stable way to give you extra bathroom storage. 

Streamlined and space-saving, these shelving units can add a touch of nature to any bathroom decor theme. 

A comfort room with wooden furniture and shelves.

6. Create Space With a Mirror

Placing a mirror above your toilet might not be your first thought, but it can do a lot for a small bathroom. Mirrors reflect light, and they automatically make your bathroom feel bigger. 

For the ultimate effect, try hanging the biggest mirror that will fit into the space above your toilet. You’ll be happy about how much larger your bathroom feels. 

A compact toil and bath with glass enclosure and large mirror.

Utilizing the space over your toilet can change how your bathroom looks and how it functions. Adding shelves, mirrors, or extra storage can keep you organized while making the most out of your bathroom’s space. No matter what direction you go with your bathroom decor, these over the toilet ideas will get you the look you’ve been trying to achieve.

Teresa Burns
Teresa Burns is a design specialist who has been in the business for over 20 years. She has seen design trends change from traditional designs to more simplistic modern designs. She not only has seen it all, she understands it all. She has a large collection of articles to help spread her love for design.
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