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Before & After: This tiny landing loo is a joyful lesson in decorating small spaces

Statement wallpaper and pink paint turned this once plain space into the happiest room in the home

By Rachel EdwardsPublished: 25 June 2026

before after laura stephens pink loo makeover

Boz Gagovski

A tiny loo perched on a landing is not the likeliest spot for flights of decorative fancy. But from the moment she moved in, Minna Sharpe knew it deserved a colourful, characterful touch.

She asked interior designer Laura Stephens to help reimagine four small rooms in her south London home and, much to Laura's delight, the landing loo was on the list.

‘Minna’s brief was about turning a purely functional space into something with charm,’ recalls Laura. That might seem straightforward, but eliciting any sense of personality from a space the size of a bathtub is no mean feat.

‘Small rooms can sometimes feel limiting,’ admits Laura, ‘but I think they’re an invitation to be bold. Often, they’re the perfect place to experiment with colours or finishes that you might hesitate to use elsewhere.’

The result is nothing short of magical: a cheery mix of patterns and colours that drench the space and honour Minna’s conviction that the most unassuming of rooms deserve as much love as any other.

Boz Gagovski

The before

‘The loo was tiny and cold, and the hallway, stairs and landing around it hadn’t been touched for about 20 years’

Laura Stephens

The bathroom before

The plan

Colour, warmth and wallpaper were at the top of Minna’s WC wish list, and Laura managed to tick off all three in one when she landed on the vibrant Improvisation wallpaper from Ottoline, with its off-white base and hypnotic mix of waves, dots and dashes.

Improvisation Number 1 Wallpaper

£185 at ottoline.co.uk

Credit: Ottoline

With the walls providing the decorative weight, the pair turned to a more practical must-have: a durable surface that could withstand wear and tear from little ones. ‘Panelling felt like a natural solution – it’s durable, easy to maintain and adds a sense of structure to the room,’ says Laura.

It also afforded them the opportunity to add more colour – they chose Jaipur Pink by Paint & Paper Library – and, in a stroke of design brilliance, decided to extend it to the outside wall, so that it greets you as you go up or down the stairs. ‘Committing to a bold colour palette really paid off,’ says Minna.

Boz Gagovski

The process

Out went the bulky fixtures, chilly tiles and decades-old paintwork, as the WC was stripped back to the bare bones. ‘We timed the builder’s arrival with a family holiday,’ explains Minna, ‘so we were able to keep out of their way during the messiest bit.’

To disguise the pipes and plumbing that would otherwise dominate two walls, everything was boxed in and cleverly camouflaged with the bespoke tongue-and-groove panelling. ‘In a small space, these details become even more important as everything is seen so close up,’ says Laura.

Miniaturised pieces were sourced to suit the scale of the room, including a wall-mounted Burlington corner sink – just 60cm in width – and an antique pine cabinet. ‘It came from a friend of my parents,’ says Minna. ‘I love the mix of old and new.’