If you’ve been with me for a long time, you know I like to fix up my laundry room spaces. Â Laundry spaces are necessary in our homes and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be pretty too. We all have to do laundry, but why not have an enjoyable space while we’re at it?
Our current laundry room is just a small box of a room, with only space enough for the washer and dryer and not much else, so I’m trying to think outside the box so to speak and decorate UP on the wall to make this space cute and functional at the same time.
Here’s what I have to work with.
A basic laundry room that’s not very big, but hey, I’m so happy it’s on the top floor where our master bedroom is located. That makes for a very convenient laundry room space! Â The beige tile floor will go with anything, but I may add some tile decals to the floor to liven things up.
Have you seen these tile floor decals? Â This is from Etsy shop Snazzy Decal. Â You can order them to size and then peel and stick them right over your old tile? Â I love this idea and just may do something like this on my laundry floors. Â This room is small, so it would be affordable for a small space. I still need to research them all and find the right color and pattern, but what a fun way to add some pizazz to a small space. I’m not sure I want to go this bold a pattern, but something besides the plain tile I have would be nice.
I like this check one too in black and white.
This pretty wallpaper by Caitlin Wilson design is currently my favorite, but it’s pretty pricey. Â I’m going to look around at peel and stick wallpaper too and may opt for that version, which this isn’t. Â I am thinking about doing a wainscot treatment on 2 walls and doing a colorful wallpaper above that. Â Still to be determined what I’ll end up with, but I think 2 walls of wallpaper above a high chair rail would look pretty. Â The right wall and end wall would be the feature walls.
This is a peel and stick version from Spoonflower Etsy shop, but I need to look at the price of this compared to the other which is not peel and stick. These peel and sticks aren’t cheap either, but I know I could handle peel and stick and sure wouldn’t want to mess up the pricey version. Â I’m still looking at colors and patterns though, to be determined!
I also love this Raphael paper by Scalamandre. I’m sure it’s expensive too, haven’t priced it out, but I’ve seen it used around blogland and it’s so pretty. I’d be scared of messing this up too, but I love it. I think I want to keep the background white though to mix with a white wainscot treatment.
The door is painted, but the rest of the space is very small, but I love color and want a colorful laundry room, so more color will definitely be added. You can see just how little room there is in here, the space is a door width wide with the washer and dryer in a little alcove. Â Not big at all.
I may just paint the wall behind the washer dryer to have it blend and flow with the wallpaper. Â I’m definitely adding some shelving and cabinets above the washer/dryer. Still trying to figure out the configuration I want to go with. Â There are some great examples out there for small laundry spaces which I’ll share with you below. Â Decisions, decisions! Â I want it to be pretty and stand out, but yet be functional and organized as much as this small space allows. Â If I did wallpaper on this wall, it would be all covered up with cabinets, so seems pointless.
I definitely need a spot to hang clothes and I’ll show you what I have in mind for that. Â My washer and dryer is basic, but that’s what I chose when I bought these just about 4 years ago. Â I didn’t want those fancy washer and dryers and I didn’t want front loaders either, so I went with the most basic machines I could find at the time. I’m still very happy with these and just need to make the room pretty.
I love this tall wainscoting used in this laundry room. Â And she used a colorful wallpaper above. Â I still need to figure it all out, but I’m thinking of using my beadboard wallpaper in here, so I can just keep the current baseboards in the room. She did the entire wainscot treatment all around the room with the same wallpaper, I’m thinking if I do two cabinets above my washer dryer that I might not need to do the same thing on that wall too, the wallpaper would be completely hidden and I don’t want to waste it.
Remember this laundry space from my old house in Birmingham? Â It was a very cute space and I was so proud of it back then. This goes back to my early days of blogging! Â I still love color, but want it to be a bit more elegant this time around. So many people wrote me and told me they copied my laundry room ideas and colors back then and it was such a happy spot! Â My sister even copied me and here’s her version.
See her hanging rack on the left? Â That’s garden hooks and a metal curtain rod with finials. This is what I’m going to do in my laundry space too. Â I’ve already bought the metal garden hooks and had a left over curtain rod too. Here’s the post I did about her laundry space. She has kept hers like this for years and it’s still cute.
So, here are a few small laundry spaces that are inspiring me for my makeover. Â I still don’t have it all figured out yet and this won’t happen until sometime after Christmas, but this laundry room WILL get a makeover next year! Â I can’t wait to spruce it up!
I’ve always loved what Kelly did in this small laundry space. Â She painted stripes on the vinyl floor and did a pretty stencil on the back wall. What a difference just doing this and adding cabinets to hide the clutter. I like this combo of cabinet and shelves and can’t decide how I want to do mine. Â One or two cabinets, there are many ways to do them.
This pretty space has two cabinets with shelves in the middle. Â I love the painted gray beadboard and how clean and fresh it looks. Of course a new light fixture will be in order for my space too. Â I want it to be pretty!
This space that Kim did is a fave too. It has a beachy coastal feel and I love that she had room on the side for her laundry baskets. That’s another thing I wish I had more room for. My laundry baskets just sit on the floor and I’m not sure I have room to get them up on the wall. I love the fresh aqua color on the walls and she has a window, big plus!
This laundry closet is very elegant and organized too. That backsplash tile is shiny and pretty, looks to be some sort of metal. The cabinet configuration is nice with a small cabinet in the middle with glass shelves and a hanging rod underneath. I just think I would need more hanging space than this little bit.
Now this is a gorgeous laundry room space, isn’t it? Â If I had my dream laundry room, it would look something like this. Color, light and plenty of organization, plus a sink. Â Be still my heart!
I also love this little laundry room makeover, done with peel and stick vinyl tiles. Â Doesn’t that look great behind the washer and dryer? Â Cabinets and shelves round it all out for maximum organization. Â I’m sort of leaning towards two cabinets like this with a shelf in the middle. And I definitely want to add a shelf like this right above the washer dryer which hides the ugly plugins.
Here’s another gorgeous laundry closest with bifold doors and subway tile behind. Â Very pretty and organized! That colorful plank ceiling adds a lot of character too.
So, that’s the current state of my laundry room and some ideas on what I want to do to make mine better. I’ll probably be on my own with this one, so I need to be creative. Â Mark will probably help me hanging the cabinets and all, but the rest will be up to me to finish, so that’s why I want to keep it as simple as possible. Â I may even attempt to hang the wallpaper myself. Â If I spend a lot on the wallpaper, it’s really going to blow the budget if I hire someone to hang it. Â I figure I can do a small area since I’m not going to do an entire wall, right? Â I’ve tried hanging wallpaper before with some success. Â It wasn’t perfect, but that’s OK too.
What does your laundry room look like? Â Are you into pretty and functional laundry rooms, or is your space strictly utilitarian? Â I just can’t help it. Â I like a pretty laundry space, no matter what I have to work with.
You may remember in my last house, the laundry space I had?
It was the ugliest pit of a room you’ve ever seen! Â The ceilings were all open, the floor was concrete, the walls were made out of some kind of paper paneling and it was just plain ugly. But it was my laundry space and I had to deal with it. Â So deal with it, I did and with the power of paint, turned it into this very manageable and livable space…..
The ceiling, floor, and walls all were painted and it became a wonderful laundry room/mudroom space. Â It truly is amazing what paint can do! Â I really didn’t mind at all doing laundry in this room after it was finished. Â The floors felt great to walk on.
So, that goes to show you that any space can be made pretty with a little paint and effort. Â I’m determined to make our plain ole’ laundry room something special and pretty. Stay tuned for that sometime early next year. I’m scheming my plans now!
Molly says
I can’t wait to see what you decide! Our former house had the same type laundry room. I loved it. I framed different sizes of Mary Engelbreit prints framed in black frames and hung on the accent wall. I had a cute vintage pin up lamp and bins painted black. I am pretty sure your Birmingham laundry room inspired me to decorate mine. Our home now is a 1959s build which means it is in my kitchen. Boo hoo… oh well, at least it is in my house and not in my detached garage!
Karen says
There’s no hope for my laundry space. It’s just in our unfinished basement. Kinda like a dungeon. 😟
Rhoda says
Oh, but Karen, did you see the ugly space I had to work with in my last house? See that pic below? Just like a dingy basement space and I made it so much better with paint.
Mary says
Can’t wait to see what you come up with, Rhoda!
Andrea Corley says
Rhoda,
No pictures are showing up on your blog…..
Rhoda says
Hey, Andrea, they are there, so I’m not sure why you aren’t seeing pics lately. I think everyone else is seeing them. I wonder if it’s something with your computer.
Kelly Davis says
I see them:-) Great examples!
Christy C says
I know your laundry room will look amazing when you complete it. You might have more room to work with if you replace the door with a bifold door. It will leave the wall on the right because the door will not open in. Just a thought. I can’t wait to see what you transform your laundry.
Debra H says
In addition to a bifold door, is a pocket door a possibility? I know you just painted this one and added new hardware,but just thought I’d throw out the suggestion; then you can leave it in the pocket much of the time because it is upstairs and your room is going to be very cute 🙂 and will make you smile every time you walk by :). You can close it when you need to moderate the noise 🙂
Rhoda says
Hi, Debra, a pocket door isn’t possible, since there is Mark’s man cave door on the right and a hall closet on the left. I don’t mind the door and it really wouldn’t add that much usable space to get rid of the door. I’ll make it all work!
Dana McCurdy says
Love all these ideas. My home is in a construction period at the moment and I think the laundry needs revamping also. My issue is I have a laundry sink in my laundry room and have been debating on removing it to built a folding table in the area. Do you prefer a laundry sink or not? I use a laundry tower to hold my baskets now but have thought of making them go under the folding table. Your home looks amazing and I can’t wait to see the progress.
Rhoda says
HI, Dana, oh I love having a sink near the laundry room, so I’d keep that. I have never folded my laundry in the laundry room. It always seems to end up on the bed and I fold from there. I’d keep that sink if it were mine!
Elizabeth Day says
My laundry room is also very small as we live in a Garden Home, but I love it. These inspiration pictures have me thinking what I might be able to do to add a spark to my space. I can’t wait to see what you end up doing with your little room. It will be spectacular, I have no doubt.
Jane says
Those are some good and bright ideas. I need to get my laundry room up to speed. Such a small room it is, and the “bones” are already good…you’d think I would have already gotten it together. Feeling inspired now, and can’t wait to see how you do yours, Rhoda!
Elizabeth Logan says
Thanks Rhoda for the great ideas for a “laundry closet”. That’s the small space I have to work with. It’s attached to my kitchen which I’m about to redo, so I guess the laundry area will get a facelift at some point to coordinate.
Becky in 'Bama says
I know it will be inviting whatever you do… and we all need INVITING laundry spaces – the most unfavorite place of everyone in the household! I do wonder about those front loaders with the folding shelf built/counter directly on top of them. How in the world do these people reach the water lines and drainage area if they are covered with the counter top? especially in the photo where the opening is narrow – with the folding door ? One would have to move something out (after removing the doors) to even get to the back of the machines. That spells future troubles to me. Just saying.
But these are all beautiful spaces for sure and quite creative.
Maureen says
What a timely post. My daughter just bought her first house, which has a blank slate for a laundry room/mud room! I will be sharing this with her!
Roxanne says
I really need to do something with my tiny laundry room, thanks for the inspiration! Pinning!
margaret says
Love your ideas. my laundry room is the width of a double garage and 10 feet deep. Unfortunately, it is also the pantry, the storage room for tools and home to a freezer but it beats the closet that the builder had originally planned for the house. I just close the door when company comes!
Rene' Marie/ Lilburn, Ga says
Your laundry room is an absolute mansion compared to my hall closet that also holds my
hot water heater. When we moved in 24 years ago I removed our folding doors so I could have more
access to the washer and dryer. I have decided to install a farm door but am having a difficult time finding the right hardware. Your situation is an absolute dream to work with, but I was just wondering if you have
thought about adding a pocket door or sliding barn door so that you could have the entire length of the wall opposite your washer and dryer to work with.
Rhoda says
HI, Rene, removing the door wouldn’t really add much in there as far as space, so probably won’t do that. We like having a door that closes it off and I can close it when the dryer is running. A sliding door wouldn’t work there anyway, there’s a hall closet on the left and Mark’s man cave door on the right. I’ll be looking at storage above and up the walls, so that will be my main focus, the area over the washer/dryer and the opposite walls. I’m sure I’ll get it figured out and looking pretty!
Sue says
Hi Rhoda, I remember your laundry room reveal in you last house,it was jaw dropping. I couldn’t believe how you turned a black hole into a pretty,functional and inviting space. Looking forward to your next update.
Julie Briones says
I love the idea of the peel and stick vinyl flooring. I plan on doing that in My Wee Abode at some point. Lovely ideas, Rhoda, and great inspiration! Thanks! (pinned)
Liz says
My laundry room has the washer/dryer/sink and three cabinets along one wall and the room is big enough that this part cannot be seen from other rooms. It used to have a door that blocked off any use of the other side of the room. I took the door off since there is a bifold wood door between the living area and the utility area (which has the pantry, a half-bath, the laundry room and door to the outside & the garage).
Now, the room is big enough for me to add a bookcase, chair, a floor lamp and my shredder. From the living area, the room looks like a small reading room. The bookcase holds my garden books. The shredder is between the chair and the bookcase, so it is not that noticeable. There is still some work to do – fresh paint, new flooring & lights, add some more pictures, and some decluttering of the bookshelf.
The nice thing about having a chair in the area is that I can go in there with a handful of stuff to be shredded, sit down, and be able to wait for the laundry to finish since I always seem to walk in there with a few minutes left on the clock.
By the way, I agree that a sink is essential since I always need to rinse some things out or let them soak before washing. The bad thing about the efficient washers is that an overnight soak is not possible.
Ardith says
Sounds like a dream area to me, Liz. Wish you could share a photo or two of it.
To answer Rhoda’s question, thus far my laundry closet in the dining room (of our 1200 saw ft, nonetheless awesome and 4-month new to us home), it very utilitarian. It works very well but could really use some styling. Hmmm, what to choose to suit the modern boho vibe of the rest of the house?
I also remember Rhoda’s renovation of the last laundry area. It turned out so very well, aka pretty and functional.
Cheers to all, Ardith
Rhoda says
Hi, Liz, sounds like a great space!
Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says
I think cabinets above the washer and dryer are essential to hold tons of laundry and DIY supplies. Then add some wallpaper to one wall and some pretty accessories. A drying rack could be hung on the wall across from the washer and dryer too. Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Vel Smith says
Love all these pictures. We’ve recently moved and I’m adjusting from a large, cute utility room to one that’s even smaller than yours. What is saving the day for me is organizers on the back of the door. They don’t show at all when the door is open. I have an over-the-door hook thing that holds several items. I also use a wicker tray basket to hold my soap, etc. items and I can just move it back and forth so I can fold on top of the dryer. I see several good ideas in your post that I think I can use too. Thanks.
Edie says
This is so inspiring! We have a townhouse, so my laundry “space” (not a room) is in the garage! I really enjoyed seeing what everyone has done with their laundry rooms, and may even be able to spruce my space up a bit. On another note, where did you get that cool blue-and-white striped ironing board cover? It’s the nicest one I have seen.
Lori Jo says
Great ideas! Mine is a tiny space, cabinets would be great, and I never thought of wallpapering one wall in there. I have to get cooking on this soon, thanks! 😀
Lori Jo – 50 With Flair
http://www.50withflair.com