A laundry room is a wonderful space to have, but it can easily become cluttered. While there are a multitude of benefits to having a separate area to do your laundry, no matter how big or small, getting creative with the space will make it much more inviting. Let’s be honest, we need motivation to work through the laundry and a well-designed space can do just that.
Whether you’re transforming an existing room or reconfiguring the layout of your home, crafting a laundry room into somewhere you actually want to be requires some thinking. By following our design ideas, not only will your laundry room become a more welcoming space, but, with the right design, it’ll also boost functionality that’ll speed up the process of the jobs you need to get done.
While there’s tips on how to make towels soft and fluffy without a dryer, how not to damage clothes in your washing machine, and mistakes to avoid when washing bedding, how to actually design your laundry room may leave you feeling stumped. In our guide full of 7 design ideas, we’re going to help you give this common space a serious makeover.
1. Bring in the light
Laundry rooms, big and small, are often crowded with appliances. It’s easy to feel enclosed and cramped, especially when you add in all the washing that you’re trying to get done. This is where utilizing light can really brighten up the room and your busy mind. If you’re planning on positioning your laundry room in your home or remodeling an existing space, big windows or well-situated ones can bring in a lot of light.
If you’re struggling with natural light, another way around this is to paint the walls and/or floors in a soft white color to make the room feel airy. You can also brighten up the room whilst also creating ambience with pendant lights and overhead lighting fixtures. In smaller spaces, ensure that hanging lights won’t get in your way when moving around the laundry room.
2. Get smart with cabinetry
Whether your laundry room is spacious or not, there will also be limited space from the amount of appliances, hanging laundry, and items you need. For this, you should utilize the wall space by installing well-placed cabinetry on the lower and upper parts of the room. Mixing it up with open and closed cabinets, as well as shelving and hanging rails, will maximize the space and provide you with plenty of storage.
Storage is essential in a laundry room for the items such as your cleaning products and ironing board, as well as storage for linens to be kept away from dust and dirt once they’ve been suitably washed and dried. You can also have a lot of fun with your cabinets by applying bold or neutral patterns, depending on your style aesthetic, to the exterior doors.
3. Be bold
A laundry room may not feel like an opportunity to get too creative, but incorporating some bold design into this space can really brighten it up, along with your mood. Flooring like patterned or bright tiles can distract from the appliances and abundance of clothes in need of a wash. The boldness of the design can steer the eyes away to enjoy something more visually aesthetic while carrying out somewhat mundane tasks.
Even bold wallpaper or bold design accessories are great additions to creating a more vibrant and, dare we say, fun laundry room. Whether it’s artwork that’s caught your eye or a potted plant with bright flowers to add a touch of color to the space. It doesn’t always have to be color though, an impactful palette of black and white can also add contrast and brightness to your laundry room. Consider the color theory design hack when selecting your palette though to ensure you get the tone you’re after.
4. Make the most of the space
We’re always keen to save space, whether that’s organizing our pots and pans to storing our shoes. While we touched on this design point with the use of cabinetry, cabinets aren’t the only way you can create more space in your laundry room. You may want to consider stacking appliances, such as the washer and dryer to free up more space. You could install an open air hanging rack or wall-mounted clothes airer to free up floor space.
There’s also the concept of doubling up the function of the space. You may already have your laundry room in an area of your garage or another occupied space, but if your laundry room is a separate room, you may want to consider using it for another purpose too. We’ll get into that in our next point.
5. Create a seating area
Multifunctionality in the laundry room is possible, even in the tightest of spaces. If you fancy doubling up the space, you can install seated cabinets that create a mudroom. Mudrooms are a great space-saving solution as it designates a specific area in your home for removing outdoor clothing, muddy shoes, storing outdoors equipment, and much more. For homes with little ones and/or pets, it’s a godsend.
Where better to have your mudroom then than in a room you already use for tidying and cleaning. Your outdoor wear will have a place to air dry, you’ll have your washer and dryer ready for cleaning items up, and it’s a perfect storage solution for outdoor shoes.
6. Lean into your personal aesthetic
Yes, it’s possible to bring personality even into a room such as one that tackles laundry. If there’s a certain design aesthetic you like, whether that’s farmhouse, traditional, modern, or vintage, you can purchase accessories and/or cabinets, wallpapers, tiles to suit your style.
Much like the KonMari cleaning method, consider what items spark joy in your life and find a home for them in your laundry room. What better place to spark joy than an area in your home where you may be lacking it. Consider creating a moodboard to incorporate the vibe you want for your laundry room before executing your design plan.
7. Add a sliding door
Finally, a sliding door is a game changer for space-saving in a laundry room. It’s easy to lose out on essential space when you have a door that swings upon entry and exit. A sliding door allows space to take center stage while still allowing you to hide away from the room when you’re not using it.
There are a few things to consider when selecting your sliding door. While glass doors create a great aesthetic look, they may add more cleaning to your routine as you’ll need to keep them wiped down and clear of dust. Plus, if you’re hoping to keep the noise of your washer and dryer out from the rest of your home, you may want to consider a door that shuts tightly.
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