The 10 Best Design Alternatives To Painting Behind A Toilet That Work For Any Budget

Bathroom spaces often present their own unique challenges, including how to paint and decorate around immoveable fixtures like sinks, tubs, and showers. Toilets can be especially ungainly, with many providing impediments to get a good coat of paint on the wall behind them, leading to unfinished jobs and messy technique. There are, however, some great solutions that allow you to skip painting behind the toilet and to decorate the walls using everything from fluted wood slats and ceramic tiles to wallpaper and faux brickwork.

Even better, most of these projects are DIY-friendly and budget conscious, with easy installation and materials available from home and garden stores like Lowes and Home Depot. Many can be painted or stained beforehand, which means all you have to do is attach them to the wall. Others help you make the most of the space above your toilet with added shelves. All of these ideas can successfully add texture and architectural interest to an otherwise boring bathroom fixture.

Wainscotting and beadboard are a great way to finish the space behind a toilet, especially since their portability allows them to be easily slipped behind the bowl and tank (just cut around any pipes or valves.) You can pre-paint or stain it beforehand in any shade you like. Create a section of wainscotting with a narrow shelf or ledge of molding where it ends, or use higher panels that go ⅔ of the way up the wall and paint or wallpaper above.

Reeded or fluted panels are a fun way to add an accent wall behind your toilet without having to paint in this awkward space. They come in sheets or slats and can slip behind the toilet and be attached to the wall with nails. Even better, you can paint or stain them before installation. They can add texture and slight Balinese flair if left in natural wood. 

Wallpaper is one of the most common ways to liven up the space behind a toilet without having to paint. You can paper the entire surround of a toilet or just the immediate wall behind it. To make it look a bit more finished, you can also add some trim at the corners of the covered area. This is a beautiful chance to use a textured paper like woven or linen or to install bold florals that add drama to a small area.

Carrying marble up the wall or adding a contrasting marble slab behind your toilet is an easy way to make your bathroom look like a luxe hotel suite. While it can be more expensive than other approaches in this list, using cuts from the same slab used elsewhere can help make it slightly more budget-friendly than picking out new marble. Marble is also durable and easy to keep clean.

This popular sleek design alternative to painting has many variations, from luxurious floor-to-ceiling wood wall paneling to covering the wall with repurposed and reclaimed pallet wood, DIY-style. A wood wall adds a grounded and textured look to your bathroom that has a very spa-like feel. Boards can be attached with a braid nail gun into the wall studs. Since it is the bathroom, it can often help to seal the wood with a moisture coat to prevent damage or warping.

Since tiles are a common sight in bathrooms, why not install them behind the toilet in addition to other spaces like the tub and backsplash? Not only can this sometimes save money, but installing individual tiles makes it easier to maneuver around the plumbing. Ceramic or stone tiles are also easier to clean and won't get damaged from moisture. Continue your tile throughout the bathroom, or just use a stylish wall accent with decorative tiles.. Peel-and-stick tiles make this a rental-friendly project.

Shiplap boards are meant to lock together for installation, making them easy to install above and behind a toilet. You can even get water resistant ones in materials like PVC and vinyl if moisture may be a potential problem. Shiplap looks especially stylish in cottage, coastal, or farmhouse style bathrooms. Cover the whole wall or use it half way up and fill the rest of the space with wallpaper.

A brick wall can add a cool industrial style accent to your bathroom. Use actual bricks (you can buy brick tiles to install individually) or purchase panels of faux bricks that you can just fasten to the wall in segments for a similar look and much less labor. Carry the brick all the way to the ceiling or do a partial wall with a ledge and paint above. Leave the bricks in their natural state or paint them white.

A mural is a great way to add a large piece of art in your bathroom surrounding or behind the toilet. There are many great peel-and-stick wall murals available in imagery like landscapes and lush florals. Cover the entire wall or add some trim molding around the piece to give it a finished look. If you have a toilet enclosure, continue the mural around the entire area onto the adjacent walls.

These slatted walls are a popular and trendy addition to bathrooms. They look especially cool and stylish when placed around a toilet. While this one may require some painting if your slats are placed further apart, you can do a denser version that does not. The slats add interest and texture to the space immediately. They are often combined with mounted shelves above to store things like toiletries and extra toilet paper.