Any ideas for "hiding" this plumbing eye sore in basement bathroom?

Anyone have ideas for "hiding" this plumbing eye sore in the basement bathroom?

  13 answers
  • I think you need a better plumber. But maybe you can box in the pipes with a fake cupboard.

    • Barbara Reeves Brown Barbara Reeves Brown on Oct 28, 2018

      it was a licensed plumber that installed the basement toilet recently. Guess it's left up to us to decide what we want to do from there. I like the "fake Cupboard" idea.

  • Joan Joan on Oct 27, 2018

    Sometimes it works to emphasize instead of hide! I know it looks, well, kind of ugly but if you painted or wrapped the pipes in a bright red or green or orange and then repeat the colour in "splashes" or a geometric pattern on the wall you might just like it!

  • Cathy Dillon Cathy Dillon on Oct 27, 2018

    i have some rather ugly base board in a similar location.


    HIde / it by covering it or hide it with color camaflauge.


    Here's a possibility for you. Look around for a very wide "over the toilet shelf unit".. You might be abe to position it so you could add a sort of a curtain on either side of the toilet and hide the pipes.


    On the hide it idea you might extend your cabinetry!! just build around the pipes or cut out enough space for the pipes.


    Another idea is to try to camaflauge the pipes by matching the color aroud them. I don't know what might stick to PVC, but you could paint or even tile the wall up to "chair rail"height and then the contrast would not be so much, the pipes would blend in wth white behind them. For camaflauge onthe floor maybe a bath mat or something, again, to lessen the contrast, between the whiteness of your pipes and the background.

    • See 1 previous
    • Cathy Dillon Cathy Dillon on Oct 29, 2018

      So glad to "spark" you with some alternatives. I was thinking of the curtain idea partly because you could remove it to be washed as needed, Others who suggested a spring loaded curtain rod might be thinking along the same lines. I always need/ want much more out of sight storage than is available in my main bathroom.

      good luck.

  • Shannon Stordock Hecht Shannon Stordock Hecht on Oct 27, 2018

    OMG!! Is that an electric outlet right next to a pipe? That looks very dangerous. You might want to check with an electrician and then a plumber!!

  • Joniann Anderson Joniann Anderson on Oct 27, 2018

    interesting light coming in at floor level of "basement" bathroom... LOL!

  • Sherry Sherry on Oct 27, 2018

    Scuff the pvc with sandpaper and paint them. Get a small shelf unit and place beside vanity and toliet and do a tension rod with cafe curtains on rod to hide pipes. If you can and it will work put a tension rod and cafe curtain between the toliet tank and vanity with no shelf do the same on other side between toliet tank and wall.

  • Deb Deb on Oct 28, 2018

    I would build a shelf up against the wall and cut out around the pipes and put doors on.. but don't make too wide to interfere with toilet .

    • Barbara Reeves Brown Barbara Reeves Brown on Oct 30, 2018

      Thanks a bunch! This is also my idea Deb. I've cut out some pieces of cardboard to get the "feel" and I think that's the way we'll go---by building an enclosure, but not so "permanent" that we wouldn't be able to have access to the plumbing or electric if need be. Will keep you posted.

  • Shanna Shanna on Oct 30, 2018

    Washi tape!!!! You can get all kinds of fun patterns and colors.

  • Jennifer | CrazyDiyMom Jennifer | CrazyDiyMom on Oct 30, 2018

    Maybe even a tall vase/planter with some tall plants will be enough to hide/disguise it a bit.

  • Starr Durrant Starr Durrant on Oct 30, 2018

    I agree with Jennifer - plants might be the answer - even fake plants would help. Paint the pipes green then place a plant on each side. For natural plants, try a ZZ plant or snake plant - they can grow in a bathroom without a window. Another option is to add a small table between the toilet and the vanity and you could even put a little table cloth on it that goes down to the floor. On the other side, maybe a little floating shelf with books?

  • AlexW AlexW on Jul 27, 2020

    I'm sorry but your plumber didn't put a little more effort into this. This looks really unprofessional and not well-made at all. There are a lot of methods to hide everything easily and make it look nice and neat. I always work with the guys from 24H Plumbing Pros for such projects and I have never been disappointed by them. First of all, get another plumber, and second of all, you can try to cover this with some cupboard I think. It won't look amazing, but for what you have here, it's the best option.

  • Joseph Joseph on Apr 08, 2022

    Late to the party, as usual. Add a couple more pipes, make some 'hands' and turn it into Kali, Ganesha or another multi-limbed deity...

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Aug 03, 2022

    My idea is probably not the best, just an opinion. I would remove the toilet from the basement bathroom since it needs electricity to flush up. This makes me wonder where does the water in the sink go to? Is there a shower in another angle of the bathroom?

    If you choose to keep this as is, and want to inexpensively cove the pvc pipes, you could use Sisal rope wrapped around them. Maybe a mural behind the toilet wall to help the rope bend into the background.