10 Ways to Organize the Laundry Room

By Article: Sloan Schmidtke
Photo: Van Chaplin

The laundry room works overtime, so organization takes precedence. Here are our tips on how to make the most of your multipurpose space.

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Work With the Space You're Given

Photo: Laurey Glenn
Whether your washer and dryer are tucked away in a tiny nook or are settled in a spacious basement, utilize every square inch of the area. With limited shelving, keep your workspace as simplistic as possible to avoid clutter. A built-in shelf over the washer and dryer allows a convenient storage surface without blocking the windows. In a smaller space, such as the one pictured here, be sure that the room is well lit with task lighting or accent lighting.
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Hide the Necessary Supplies

Photo: Laurey Glenn
Conceal unsightly laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, and any other products that look like messy clutter in fronted cabinets. A hanging rod was added here to keep drying clothes neat. Baskets create additional storage to keep what’s left out sorted and contained. Treat the laundry room as you would any other space by adding cheerful curtains.

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Use a Serene Color Palette

Photo: Charles Walton

A serene color palette creates a sense of organization in your laundry room. Here, the cabinets and table legs are painted a soothing moss green while a light-colored stone countertop completes the overall calming effect and provides a durable surface for folding.

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Designate Spaces

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

This well-organized multipurpose laundry room designates separate areas for gift wrapping, odds and ends storage, and laundry. The canvas cubes all in the same shade of blue keep the room looking spick-and-span.

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Camouflage the Room

Photo: Laurey Glenn

This laundry room is merely an extension of a bathroom. Double-louvered doors keep the washer and dryer neatly tucked away in a separate tiny room when they are not in use. Keeping the bathroom and laundry spaces the same color creates cohesiveness and allows them to function as one room.

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Conceal with Curtains

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
A pretty plaid curtain hides the washer and dryer in this upstairs laundry room. The homeowner hung a standard spring rod just below the counter and picked a fabric that coordinated with the adjoining spaces. Family photographs or children’s artwork also instantly add personality to a workspace.
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Utilize Kitchen Cabinet Space

Photo: Charles Walton IV
Disguised behind what looks like a kitchen pantry, this compact washer and dryer fits snugly into a nook in the kitchen. Cabinets above the washer and dryer can be used to organize detergent, dryer sheets, and other laundry essentials.

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Add a Storage Island

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

To keep large and unattractive laundry baskets off the floor, this homeowner custom-designed shelving inside the island in the laundry room. The functional baskets are used to separate laundry loads. The storage island also doubles as a folding area for clothes coming right out of the dryer.

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Create an Ironing Station

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Keep all of your ironing supplies convenient and in one place. Many big box stores carry stow-away ironing board systems that can be easily hidden behind a cabinet door or over-the-door iron and board hangers that are designed to hold any style of ironing board. Look for units that have a shelf to store spray starch and other supplies.

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Decorate Your Space

Photo: Van Chaplin
If you have the luxury of having a spacious laundry room, use it as a place to show off favorite items. This room’s combination of closed cabinets and open shelving gives the homeowner plenty of storage and display options. Recessed lighting within the shelves further highlights the display.
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