16 Laundry Room Ideas We're Obsessed With
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.
Drama Clean
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.
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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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Style and Function
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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Let the Sunshine In
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
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.
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Wallpapered Wonder
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
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
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
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
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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Have Fun with Pattern
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.
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Play with Appliances
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.
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Enjoy Eclectic Pieces
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.
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Create Space for Your Lifestyle
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.
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Indulge in Whimsy
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.
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Go Big on Charm
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.