You know those toilet seat covers that defy logic? The fuzzy ones, sometimes with a design, other times just a fun texture? I’ve been thinking about these bizarre decor pieces for years. Ever since I saw one at my great aunt’s house in the Summer of ‘97. It was powder blue with gold thread running through it. —heinous but very soft. I would pet it for a few seconds before deciding I preferred a bare toilet. Sterile, cold, and hospital-like. It’s just who I am.
It’s next to impossible to figure out the person who invented those fuzzy toilet seat covers that your nan had in her spare bathroom. Shockingly, you can still buy them online, but where did it all start? I tried to piece together some kind of timeline, but really this is all loose conjecture. Sorry, the history book on toilet seat covers hasn’t been written yet (I’ve been busy).
Vintage high-tank toilets with checkered wall tiles
Part 1: The Ornate Years
It took a while for toilets to come around (and they still haven’t made it to much of the world), but once people leveled up from a chamber pot, things got fancy. A toilet became a status symbol, a piece of decor, something to personalise. It would be fair to say that this is the root of all bathroom decor, but particularly that which adorns the literal toilet.
Pink monochromatic bathroom
Part 2: Matching Your Toilet and Bathroom
Here’s where we get into the idea of “sets.” I believe that the trend to match your toilet to your other bathroom fixtures is a clear precursor to the decorative seat cover. People give Millennials a lot of flack for avocado toast, but many people in the 1940s had an avocado sink, tub and toilet. Who’s obsessed now?
Part 3: Let’s Get Cozy
Finally, we arrived at the age of covering. This was a time when people knit cosies for literally everything. Kettles, jars, kitchen tables – everything was covered in yarn. Toilets? No exception. I like to think of this as when seat covers were still homey. They hadn’t gone corporate yet.
Part 4: Carpet it!
Listen, the 70’s were a great time to be in the carpet business. People loved carpets , particularly in the bathroom. Groovy! And kind of disgusting. Regardless, carpeted covers made their way onto toilet seats all around the world.
Blue carpet toilet seat and rug with different color options
Christmas-themed elf bathroom decor, including toilet seat cover, rug, and tank cover
Halloween pumpkin tank cover with orange toilet seat cover
Part 5: Festive Flair
We’ve finally reached a time where everyone knows that toilet seat covers are, at the very least, unnecessary. Still, that doesn’t stop people from celebrating their favourite times of the year from their favourite seat in the house. Foter, a home design site, suggests these are a great option for anyone who wants a “chuckle anytime you go to the washroom.” I’m not sure chuckling is what I want to do when I’m in the bathroom, but my bathroom houses over a dozen portraits of my pet cockapoo, so who am I to judge?
Conclusion: To Cover or Not Cover
So who invented the toilet seat cover? I have no idea. Really, I’d venture to say everyone born before 2011 is to blame. But especially Matt DiRoberto, who filed the patent for a patterned, padded toilet seat in the 90s. Oh, the 90’s…
From their ornate beginnings to today’s festive designs, toilet seat covers have evolved into quirky, often unnecessary, yet undeniably amusing additions to bathroom decor. They reflect a creative spirit and personal expression that transcend their utilitarian purpose.
Whether you chuckle at their whimsy or prefer a bare seat, these covers provoke curiosity and add a touch of personality to the most private of spaces. As home decor trends evolve, the humble toilet seat cover has carved its niche in design history, blending functionality with frivolity.