I need some input from you guys out there about my bathroom makeover

Cathi
by Cathi
We have a "water closet" or "toilet room" on our second floor which we haven't used in the 2 years we've been here. My husband has always dreamed of having a urinal in the house and I've decided to surprise him with a "urinal room" for his birthday in June. I've been thinking up designs (keeping it simple) since the entire room will need to be gutted from the floor up. My question for you guys is...what would you need in a room like this? I've added a BEFORE picture so you can see what I'm starting with. I'm thinking of doing black/white/grey colors with a black urinal. Do I need towels? Toilet paper? Suggestions, please!
  23 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 12, 2017

    Are you planning to put a sink in? Personally I would not choose a black toilet,I would accessorize with black and put a white toilet in. You have a very narrow room and using black for fixtures will draw the room in even more. You should still accessorize it just as any other bathroom.

    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 12, 2017

      No, no sink. There's a room beside it with a sink and tub/shower. There's no room for anything but this toilet or a urinal.

  • William William on Feb 12, 2017

    If you plan to remove the toilet to just replace it with a urinal, DON"T! You would decrease your property value by about 20%. If you plan to add a urinal, it may be a plus. Value increase by about 5%. Not many people look for urinals in bathrooms except in commercial applications. Colors are a personal choice. What are your and your husbands favorite colors.

    • See 1 previous
    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 19, 2017

      How would this decrease the property value??? It's a single family home with 5 toilets! We have never used this one, so it's on the way OUT.

  • Roz Morse Edelberg Roz Morse Edelberg on Feb 12, 2017

    Keep the toilet for sure. that way it can be his personal "reading " room also. The colors you choose will make it "his". Make sure to add music and reading material. Candles perhaps.

    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 12, 2017

      He uses the bathroom on the first floor as his "reading" room. There's a magazine rack in there just for his Sports Illustrated. I was wondering if I put up a small shelf, what would make sense to put on it? Of course, I like the candle idea!



  • Rita Rita on Feb 12, 2017

    I agree with keeping the toilet....but to make it special, you could make it his 'throne' room. You could do a white and black penny tile on the floor, white subway tile on the walls and paint above with black chalkboard paint. Then you could leave him special messages! Make sure he has a place to put his iPad so he won't ever miss a play or tv show. Fill the walls with black and white photos of some of his favorite things. Don't forget to add a bit of metallic to play up his 'royalty'!

    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 19, 2017

      Nope. The toilet is going. That's the intent of this whole project. Thanks for the other suggestions, though.


  • Cathi Cathi on Feb 12, 2017

    Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm replacing the toilet with a urinal - that's what he's been wanting. There's another toilet on the same floor, so that isn't a problem. I want to make this HIS room. I just don't know what men need as far as a urinal goes. I like the idea of the pictures on the walls!


  • Rosy Rosy on Feb 12, 2017

    Since it is going to be a urinal room i see no reason for much in the room. Maybe a shelf to put a phone or tablet/book on maybe a few pictures, I would also check with a plumber about the plumbing and if there are different types of urinals. They make custom made urinals out of all types of things..

    Think of a beer keg urinal. Look them up on line. You could make it a real man cave type room. Several cool options out there. Good luck sure your hubby will love what ever you choose.

    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 13, 2017

      Thanks Ttoille. I've already chosen the urinal. I'm just at a loss as to what accessories men would need in such a room.

  • Cheryl Markus Reynolds Cheryl Markus Reynolds on Feb 13, 2017

    Sorry, I'm not a guy but I would definitely say a shelf with tissues, hand sanitizer and personal or baby wipes. I see no real reason for toilet tissue or anything else. As far as decor, I like your color ideas. If you're going to go with a black urinal I would also go with black woodwork. Do the bottom half of the wall in light gray paneling and paint the upper half white with a black chair rail. For the floor, medium or dark gray commercial grade carpet. Since he's probably going to be the only one using it, and not spend much time in there, a few black and white pictures on the wall of his favorite sports team.

    • See 1 previous
    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 13, 2017

      I was thinking white tile on the bottom and grey paint above with black stripes around the room - maybe a row of black tile near the top of the white tile. I wanted to go with a vintage floor tile like the one pictured below. He loves the Steelers and the Beatles, so I'll be on the lookout for b/w posters of those. Thanks for the ideas!

  • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Feb 13, 2017

    I have the same size bathroom!!! I painted stripes, and it seriously feels like the room is wider

  • Cathi Cathi on Feb 13, 2017

    Wow! Your room looks so similar to mine! Thanks for the photo. I just finished my downstairs bathroom and I like the way the grey and white look, so I'm going to make use of some of my leftovers. Here's a before and after of one corner.

  • Sheila Crighton Sheila Crighton on Feb 13, 2017

    I think you have all the ideas you need. Love the idea of vintage tile. I would do a white urinal. Dark walls would enlarge the room. Have you considered chalkboard paint black on walls so people can write on walls. It would be neat if you could get older urinal. Putting framed saying about standing yr ground lol. Have fun.

  • Jane Row Jane Row on Feb 13, 2017

    No one will spend much time in here. Walls and floors should be light. Definitely a mirrored shelf with hand sanitizer or hand wipes. Hangable small trash can. Keep everything off the floor.

  • Catherine Bridges Catherine Bridges on Feb 13, 2017

    Since there are four additional bathrooms I would opt to just have the urinal in this one. Not sure I would go black if there are any other pieces in the room I would just match with those. If it is only going to be the urinal then black would be fine and very masculine. if not I would use black in some of the decore. love the idea of the sign on the door. some type of piping painted black for any towels would be cool and solid wood for any with shelves with industrial brackets. You will not need toilet paper but will need hand towel or wipes. Can not wait to see the end results-please share once you have completed-best of luck.

  • Rosy Rosy on Feb 13, 2017

    Think black, white and gray will be very masculine and nice. The only accessories that i could possibly think of maybe a shelf for phone and a box of tissues a mirrior might be nice to. Being a woman i dont have a lot of experience about urinal rooms. Lol. Hope you post a pic of the finished project.

  • Rosy Rosy on Feb 13, 2017

    Just looked online and it said men want a drink holder in their urinal rooms.

    • Cathi Cathi on Feb 18, 2017

      That's funny! I doubt my husband will be carrying his drinks upstairs with him. Thanks for the suggestion, though! LOL

  • Patty Patty on Feb 13, 2017

    You will need a place for cleaning supplies, if you don't want to carry them in every time you want to clean. With a black urinal you will have to wipe it down almost daily. With a urinal he won't be sitting so I don't think magazines are a must, but if you are not going to have sink in there then a shelf for hand sanitizer is a must. I really think you will regret a black urinal, white is classic and never gets old, easier to clean and keep clean.

  • Gal8593216 Gal8593216 on Feb 14, 2017

    Oh boy would I swap, I have the same size toilet with a little window higher that looks into the attick space. Like the barhroos it has hideous tiles. It is all together ugh.

    Right now I am torn between painting a white world with a seal popping up from a hole, or an underwater world with fish. No shortage of ideas it is just we have to sell the place, and I know whatever I do someone with lots of money will just rip everything out :(

    • See 1 previous
    • Gal8593216 Gal8593216 on Feb 15, 2017

      Oh reply to Cathi below.

  • Gal8593216 Gal8593216 on Feb 15, 2017

    I cannot carry on living here much longer. It could be a dream of a place. Alas I get little help from my husband who will throw nothing out be it from the fridge or pants and socks however holy !!! Also he spends hours and hours in front of the computer.

    :( Bless him he is doing all the animal work though. I am feeling sorry for myself with all but 2 ribs broken, so am going back to animal pastils, in the hope of selling a few :) when I get to the point that I can bend I will get to the acrylics they are a bit quicker.


    I do not think I can give this young person any help, I am not a black person, and a black urinal for me sounds awful. At least my husband is house trained :) I is a shame, apart from the floor it seems so light. A different toilet could go in one corner , and the urinal in the other! I did like the toilets they had in Qatar, there was a sort of hose. You could clean yourself and the toilet. Like an in between bidet. I would miss a bidet though. Even though I am still not 100% sure which way to sit! It is great for washing feet ,clothes, the cat (placing a towel in it first) amongst other things. I am living I France…...

    I come from Scotland, the far North west Highlands. When I lived there I did many more crafts. It is just getting old, there is not the same energy in doing up a 7 bedroom huge farm house built before 1800. Complete with 5 hectares.

    I can think of many ideas, that is my problem, I would need to live several lifetimes to manage but a few of what I could do, as half my life would be with wildlife :)

    Have a good day Cathi. take care, Fran.

  • Cathi Cathi on Feb 18, 2017

    I would like to thank the few of you who actually helped me with my question without denigrating me. I have a unique situation and I have a design in mind. I will move forward with it as I have planned. For those of you who understood and answered my question, I sincerely thank you.

  • Phaedra Phaedra on Feb 18, 2017

    JMO. I would go with a classic men's room look . White subway tile for the walls with black edge band. Men will lean forward and place hand on wall . Place tile 3/4 way up wall to make cleaning handprints easier. Small black and white penny tiles for the floor.


    White or light color chalkboard paint on walls. Keeping everything white will make the room look bigger. You can add color with what you put on the walls.

    With a small room people are close to the wall. I like to add lots of fun stuff to look at and read. Think of it as "wallpaper".


    Shelf over urinal for phone etc and a container of chalk for wall graffiti. Lots of sports pictures , some fun signs and interesting stuff on the walls. Health Department sign. Employees must wash hands. Vintage condom dispenser. Think men's room at the local bar.


    And trust me you don't want black walls etc. White is much easier to clean. There will be "over spray" for want of a better word.





  • Jimmy Hardy Jimmy Hardy on Feb 18, 2017

    Remove the toilet, buIld a false wall up high enough To hang the urinal and plumb It back into the The toilets set up, the wall could go all the way up, I would make a closet at the top for Storage, save a lot $$s

  • It's your house. put the urinal in. Black is fine with brighter walls. Have a shelf for bathroom accessories (small box of tissue, hand sanitizer, man candle, small mirror, etc). Hang smaller "art" on the walls.

    • Cathi Cathi on Jan 23, 2020

      Thank you, Brenda. You've mentioned everything I was going to do. Unfortunately, since I posted this, my husband has had 3 strokes and can no longer stand long enough to use a urinal. I still redid the toilet room (room with ONLY a toilet) and I'm happy with the results.

  • Awww, I'm so sorry to be reading that. I hope he recovers well.

  • Cathi Cathi on Jan 23, 2020

    Thanks, Brenda.