Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Home
  3. Home Organization
  4. 16 Laundry Room Ideas We're Obsessed With

16 Laundry Room Ideas We're Obsessed With

Katherine Owen
By Katherine Owen Updated February 08, 2022
Skip gallery slides
FB
2021 Idea House Laundry Room
Credit: Photo: Marta Xochilt Perez; Design: Sarah Bartholomew; Styling: Page Mullins

If only there was a way to make laundry an enjoyable task. Just because it's a chore, the room itself shouldn't be a bore. What if we took a space that's all about function, and added whimsy, charm, and color to it? Enter, our best laundry room ideas. Some of us loathe laundry so much we end up putting it off, which results in complaints of 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. We think laundry rooms should be extra cheery, fun, and inspiring, just to make up for the dull task they require. Put a pin in these inspiring rooms after you start the next load to inspire your own laundry room ideas. Soon enough you'll be calling honey over to see what he can manage to DIY in your laundry room. 

Start Slideshow

1 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Drama Clean

Bold blue laundry room
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Page Mullins

In this Lowcountry laundry room, Benjamin Moore's Slate Teal (2058-20) draws you into the small space. Custom cabinetry in the same dramatic shade adds extra room for miscellaneous storage. 

1 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

No Laundry Room Required

Clutter Free Home the laundry
Credit: Photo: Laurey Glenn; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

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.

2 of 16

3 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Style and Function

Idea House 2020 Laundry Room with Farmhouse Sink
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.

3 of 16

Advertisement

4 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Let the Sunshine In

The Laundry Room
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.

4 of 16

5 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Double Duty

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

We added a space within the laundry room for budding gardeners in our Texas Escondido Idea House. Make the laundry room work as your 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.

5 of 16

6 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Wallpapered Wonder

Jacksonville, FL River House Striped Wall Laundry Room
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.

6 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Make Room for Fido

The Details: Painted Ceiling
Credit: Photo: Erica George Dines; Design: Suzanne Kasler; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

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.

7 of 16

8 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Cocktail Hour

Fran Keenan Birmingham Cottage Mudroom, Bar, Laundry Room
Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Design and Styling: Fran Keenan

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.

8 of 16

9 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Island Time

Sherwin-Williams Grecian Ivory (SW 7541)
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.

9 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Keep Things Pretty

Hydrangea Wallpapered Laundry Room
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.

10 of 16

11 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Have Fun with Pattern

Red Laundry Room with Stacked Washer and Dryer
Credit: Alison Gootee; Design: Meg Kelly; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Just because guests may never see the space doesn't mean your laundry room can't match your personal style. Meg Kelly used this whimsical wallpaper (Goa by Thibaut) as her design jumping point. An easy-going green-and-white check print fabric hides extra storage space under the work bench.

11 of 16

12 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Play with Appliances

2021 Idea House Laundry Room
Credit: Photo: Marta Xochilt Perez; Design: Sarah Bartholomew; Styling: Page Mullins

We all know how Southerners feel about a classic blue and white color combination. Have fun when choosing your appliances and use them as a statement in your laundry room. In our 2021 Idea House, Designer Sarah Bartholomew chose a large sink with hidden storage space so that any mess from outdoor play could easily be rinsed before being washed.

12 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Enjoy Eclectic Pieces

Alabama Cabin Laundry Room Painted Orange
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kiera Coffee

If you've been collecting a few pieces of art that don't quite fit into the rest of your home, hang them in your laundry room for a touch of your personal style in a private space. In their Florence, Alabama, cabin, EJ and Whit Brown hung pieces done by friends and family and some thrifted finds, in their laundry room. For a sophisticated look, have your artwork professionally framed, she says. 

13 of 16

14 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Create Space for Your Lifestyle

White Laundry Room
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Plenty of under and overhead storage makes the laundry room in this 2020 Showcase House practical and functional for a busy family. Hanging storage for shirts and dresses, plus a large sink, make this laundry room a dream for any homeowner.

14 of 16

15 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Indulge in Whimsy

No. 8 Indulge a Utilitarian Room with Whimsy
Credit: Photo: Eric Piasecki; Design: Ashley Whittaker; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Designer Ashley Whittaker wasn't afraid to play around with prints and fun wallpapers in this laundry room. "You spend a lot of time in there, so why not make it pretty and fun?" says Whittaker. The tropical print wallpaper (Bamboo & Birds Beige by Bob Collins and Sons) has a glossy vinyl coating to protect it from moisture and water damage.

15 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 16

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Go Big on Charm

Whitney McGregor Greenville, SC Laundry Room
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cox

This laundry room plays double time as a mud room. Whitney McGregor kept the original terracota floors on this enclosed porch turned laundry room space and painted the ceiling haint blue, making the room's atmosphere bright and airy without compromising practicality. Vintage prints, an easy-going house plant, and playful window shades ensure this laundry room is high in both function and design.

16 of 16

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Katherine Owen

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 16 Drama Clean
    2 of 16 No Laundry Room Required
    3 of 16 Style and Function
    4 of 16 Let the Sunshine In
    5 of 16 Double Duty
    6 of 16 Wallpapered Wonder
    7 of 16 Make Room for Fido
    8 of 16 Cocktail Hour
    9 of 16 Island Time
    10 of 16 Keep Things Pretty
    11 of 16 Have Fun with Pattern
    12 of 16 Play with Appliances
    13 of 16 Enjoy Eclectic Pieces
    14 of 16 Create Space for Your Lifestyle
    15 of 16 Indulge in Whimsy
    16 of 16 Go Big on Charm

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    16 Laundry Room Ideas We're Obsessed With
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.