I feel like I’m always behind on trends compared to other people. As you know I’m a bit risk-averse when it comes to hard finishes (tile, flooring, etc). But the other day I was looking at World of Interiors (an awesome European magazine that always has fresh and cool trend ideas) and I saw a shot/idea of a beautiful bathroom with a pillow on the toilet. I was intrigued and wondered if this is the next big trend. Part of me felt like it was a bit silly, but then I realized that it could be a great affordable way to bring in texture and softness in an otherwise hard seat. But what makes a pillow right for a toilet? While there seems to be a big toilet-specific pillow hole in the market I went on the hunt. Today I’ll show you what “toilet pillows” I’m into with the rules around what really works as your official “toilet pillow” should you want to dabble in this trend.
Toilet Pillows: Things To Consider/Good To Knows
The shape and style are important of course, but also consider the size of the person’s behind, their bathroom habits (length of stay, specific back problems that might need a special foam firmness), and definitely get wipeable fabric – Sunbrella is great, but skip velvet, boucle or knits with a chunky open weave. Leather might have a nice patina as rogue liquids splash onto it over time but might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
The Simple Square Or Rectangle Pillow (In Durable Outdoor Fabric)
Here’s my case: The bowl is round and the shape of the toilet is more sculptural, so I thought that a square pillow would pop off it nicely and add dimension and contrast, but in a simple way. The shape of the toilet is more detailed, so a square balances it, with its clean lines. I love the subtle stripe against the floral wallpaper.
A smaller rectangle was maybe a better scale for our toilet – helping it feel more balanced. Bonus points for these two because they are Sunbrella, so again, should there be any toilet accidents near the fabric it could easily be wiped or washed. I like how these recede and don’t call attention away from the pretty wallpaper and tile.
Striped Lumbars
I actually really love these – the pattern pops and the longer lower shape of these lumbar pillows could in fact be really supportive to your guests (especially for older folks who need more back support). This feels more fun and eclectic but still something you could use in other rooms should you like to move your pillows around like I do (you also might want a dedicated toilet pillow if you have kids, specifically boys with their toilet habits that might be a bit unpredictable). A busy pattern could also be more forgiving over time.
Make It Playful And Round?
I wanted to lean into the roundness of the bowl and combine another big pillow trend (round or sphere pillows). I think this is actually super fun – the pom poms are so playful and pick up on the other round elements in the room (the toilet paper, the shape of the shower head, etc). If this white scares you (I get that) I’d go for a more earthy color and lean into the colors that might “go” better with toilet-related things.
I loved this one because it picked up on the gold in the vintage frame/painting above the toilet. I like how tailored this pillow is, with the piping and the single-button tuft in the middle. This just looks like a pillow you are supposed to sit on (of course you need to remove the pillows before you actually go) and the seriousness of it makes me smile.
The Perfect Sphere
I bought this pillow from Lulu and Georgia for our bedroom, but I think I like it up here just as much. The smaller scale lets the shape of the toilet shine, it helps your eye dance around while it moves over the curves. It also feels like a nice pillow to hold, should you need something to squeeze during the more intense morning routines.
A Bohemian Fringed Lady
While I love this pillow, it doesn’t feel right here as the toilet pillow. I think something about the longer fringed tassels feels gross to me, could pick up on germs, rogue splashes, etc. While some of these pillows really elevate the room, this feels like a big messy miss to me.
A Semi-Circle Rainbow
I LOVE the shape of this 1/2 circle on the toilet. It clearly rests easily, and the lines of the rainbow seem to really mimic the base of the toilet (the bowl shape almost finishes the circle). If this one came in a more muted color palette I could see it really selling the idea (and selling out, pillow designers please take note). Now that I think about it, I think a leather strapped back cushion, actually attached to the toilet could be a super chic way to explore this trend.
Make It Personal
As you know, I’m a memory hoarder so putting our wedding photo on a pillow was something I did years ago and makes me smile every time I see it. Admittedly, it’s been hard to work this pillow into many of our rooms because it’s rather specific (I think it might embarrass Brian TBH). But up here in the guest bath, on this toilet, it feels like the perfect way to celebrate our love and marriage with our guests. Hopefully, it will make Bob and Suz smile the next time they are up and adding that personal touch certainly makes this trend feel more sentimental and custom.
Like all decor, this trend isn’t for everyone, but to me, it just seemed like a big “why not” and now that we have this toilet pillow I’ll be bringing them into each of our bathroom designs, making sure that the pillow works with the style of the bathroom, the shape of the toilet, the scale of the bowl and considering daily habits. I’m very curious if this trend is going to take off (Europe is always first to these things) and if yes, then perhaps companies should start adding toilet-specific pillows into their inventory. I’m pretty into it.
So how do you feel about this toilet trend??? Are you into it???
xx Emily (…And Happy April Fools’ Day :))
*Photos by Kaitlin Green