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11 Laundry Room Ideas We’re Obsessed With

11 Laundry Room Ideas We’re Obsessed With

By Katherine Owen

Updated January 26, 2021

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Just because it’s a chore, the room itself shouldn’t be a bore. One of the most commonly bemoaned, widely relatable chores that one must face week after week, is none other than the laundry. Some of us loathe it so much we end up putting it off, which results in complaining—with a sigh—of having “no clean clothes to wear.” Of course, the obvious solution is just to simply do the laundry, but it is also a tedious task that takes hours. (Maybe a single hour if you have a fancy quick wash/quick dry setting on your machines.) But the room itself shouldn’t suffer, just because it exists for a purpose everyone dreads. In fact, we think laundry rooms should be extra cheery, fun, or inspiring, just to make up for it. Maybe you can pin some of these inspiring rooms after you go start the next load?

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Drama Clean

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Page Mullins

In this Lowcountry laundry room, Benjamin Moore's Slate Teal (2088-20) draws you into the small space. Custom cabinetry in the same dramatic shade adds extra room for miscellaneous storage.

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Make the Design Work for You

Credit: Jeff Herr

In this laundry room, designer Monica Stewart of The Misfit House in Athens, GA, added a low-mounted sink from Signature Hardware to not only use for soaking but also a kids’ mess station. She also suggests forgoing the washer and dryer pedestals to create more space for an accessible folding counter, and to keep the cabinets within arm’s reach.

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Style and Function

Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Kendra Surface

In our 2020 Idea House, the Buchanan Construction team added custom touches like cabinetry paneled in warm faux leather and a built-in wooden bench. This functional nook is an ideal place to keep pet food, bowls, and leashes.

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No Laundry Room Required

This former coat closet now houses a front-loading washer and dryer. The painted louvered doors can close at any time to conceal the dirty work. A deep-set hanging rack and white cubed shelves take advantage of the vertical space. White subway tiles along the back wall imitate the look of a separate room.

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Let the Sunshine In

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Chores are always more pleasant when you can look out a beautiful window. In this light-filled laundry room, designer Phoebe Howard chose green tile for the walls and stone countertops for the work surface. A coordinating fabric skirt underneath the sink provides extra storage.

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Double Duty

Credit: Photo by: Tria Giovan, Styling by: Matthew Gleason

Budding gardeners can make the laundry room work as their very own flower shop. With a farmhouse sink and plenty of counter space, you can style and arrange while the washer runs. A built-in bench provides a convenient place to set groceries and vases as you enter the home.

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Wallpapered Wonder

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Barbara Schmidt

Who said the laundry room had to be boring? To keep this space from feeling cold, designer Stephanie Jarvis hung striped wallpaper that looks like it’s been hand painted. Thin, clay bricks in a traditional basketweave pattern make the floor feel like an old southern brick floor.

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Make Room for Fido

Credit: Photo: Erica George Dines

In this Atlanta home, designer Suzanne Kasler created a built-in nook bed for a comfortable dog bed. A spacious sink and quality counter space leave plenty of room for folding laundry and other chores. High-gloss lilac paint adds interest to the ceiling and draws the eyes above.

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Cocktail Hour

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Designer Fran Keenan needed a multipurpose area that was part laundry room, part mudroom, and part bar. The solution? She added a wall of cabinetry in the side hall off the kitchen. In that sliver of space, she hid a washer and dryer behind skirts made from Ikea fabric, set up a bar in the cabinets above them, and placed a prep sink to the side.

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Island Time

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong

When you're in a home by the sea, sheets and towels pile up. For our 2019 Idea House in Crane Island, Florida, the design team chose stackable washer and dryer units. A handsome integrated farmhouse sink and slate counter hide dirt well, while coordinating with the tile floor.

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Keep Things Pretty

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

If you'll be spending plenty of time in the laundry room, why not decorate the space to suit your taste? In her Nashville home, Sarah Bartholomew papered the walls with Quadrille's Climbing Hydrangea and she keeps the room filled with plants.

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