A dreamy laundry room is possible for spaces of all sizes, and small laundry areas are no exception. With designer tips and tricks, you can create the compact laundry room you've always wanted that's as beautiful as it is functional. Small laundry room ideas range from DIYs that make your space user friendly to creative placement of appliances to save space. A small laundry room that perfectly fits your home is just a few thoughtful design tips away.
Focus on Details to Give Your Small Laundry Room Big Personality
Small laundry rooms, like most home elements, can be elevated with attention to detail. Take your small laundry room from basic to stylish with details that are functional and offer plenty of personality.
Create Visual Details on Your Walls
Walls are one of the first places your eyes will rest upon entering the room, so be sure you don't overlook them in your laundry area. There are endless possibilities, but even adding just a few designer details can change the entire atmosphere of your laundry room.
- Bold wallpaper in bright colors or fun prints can make your small laundry room feel like an exciting escape.
- Neutral paint colors can create a timeless look while giving a beautiful canvas for sleek appliances and stylish storage.
- Light paint colors like dusty blue or soft blush create a calm atmosphere while keeping your laundry room light and airy.
- Vertical wall paneling draws the eye up and gives rich textural detail.
- A slab backsplash behind cabinets and counters creates a luxurious vibe and makes the room feel larger.
- Tiny tile backsplash gives the illusion of more space while providing designer detail and plenty of texture.
- Wall stencils are a great alternative to wallpaper and allow you to choose which areas you want to draw attention to.
- Bright white walls create an open appearance and leave plenty of room for more colorful details.
- Rectangular or square panel molding elevates your laundry room while drawing the eye up and out for the illusion of a larger space.
Add Designer Details to Cabinets
Cabinets might take up a large percentage of the space in your laundry room. Take the opportunity to elevate them for a designer look.
- Two-toned cabinets, with a lighter color on top, draw the eye up.
- All-white cabinets create a spacious look that is clean and sharp.
- Cabinets with bold or fun colors bring the focus to the designer details.
- Cabinets painted the same colors as the walls will create an elongated look.
- Glass cabinet doors make the space feel more open and give you the opportunity to display beautiful linens or decor.
- Wicker or rattan cabinet doors are a great alternative to glass. Still creating an airy feel, they help you hide less-than-stylish laundry products.
- Dark toned cabinets against light walls can give the illusion of more cabinet space and draw the eye to architecture rather than room size.
- Cabinets with light wood stains like blonde and honey tones create an effortless, airy vibe.
Try Tools & Accessories That Save Space
Practical laundry items that save space are a must for small laundry areas. Use as many space-saving items as you can to maximize every inch of your laundry room.
- A fold-down drying rack is perfect for a compact laundry area.
- A ceiling-mounted drying rack will give you all the practicality without sacrificing wall space.
- A mini ironing board that can easily be stored in a cabinet or drawer will save on floor space.
- A pull-out ironing board that tucks neatly away as a drawer is a clever way to keep storage stylish.
- A drawer that pulls out for a flat drying surface will save on space while ensuring your clothes are laundered correctly.
- Laundry baskets that fold down or flatten are perfect for tucking away when not in use.
Maximize Your Laundry Space With Strategy & Storage
Strategic design and smart storage solutions can take your small laundry space from cramped and crowded to custom and curated. Apply a few designer tips to your small laundry room and watch as the space transforms.
Stack Your Washer & Dryer
An instant way to save horizontal space is to stack your front-load washer and dryer vertically. This is perfect for placing appliances in a narrow closet, alongside built ins, or into a small utility room.
Try an L-shaped Counter
If your laundry area really needs counter space but square footage is proving to be a challenge, try an L-shaped counter in a narrow room. This lets you use the maximum amount of space while still maintaining an open traffic pattern.
Place a Wood Slab Over Front Loading Appliances
If your washer and dryer are front load appliances, try a beautifully stained wood slab over the top to create counter space in a small area. This is a great place to pre-treat clothing, allow items to lay flat to dry, and quickly fold laundry fresh from the dryer.
Place Appliances on Risers
If you're looking to maximize vertical space and create easy access to your appliances, place them on a riser. This lifts them up for easier reach and instantly creates a designer vibe in your small laundry room.
Try Under-Appliance Drawers
If your appliances are lifted on a riser, that allows plenty of creativity for additional storage. Large lower drawers are perfect for storing linens or commonly used laundry products.
Designate Space for Baskets & Hampers
Unused baskets and hampers can take up precious floor space. Make sure they have a home in your laundry area. Use built-in shelving, spaces next to appliances, or wall hooks to store unused hampers and tuck baskets into overhead storage or designated floor areas.
Try a Narrow Shelf Over Top Load Appliances
If your washer is a top load appliance but you still need shelving within reach, try a thin shelf that doesn't extend past the opening of your washer to store laundry products.
Maximize Vertical Space With Cabinets
Custom cabinets or built ins can be taken all the way to the edge of the ceiling to maximize the vertical space. This makes ceilings look higher while also giving you the maximum amount of storage space.
Hang an Industrial Pipe or Tension Rod
For open spaces over appliances or between cabinets, try hanging an industrial pipe or tension rod for space to hang delicates or pre-treated clothing.
Utilize the Back of the Door
Use every inch of your small laundry room. The backs of doors are perfect opportunities for hanging storage. Try hooks or hanging pockets for storage options that are multipurpose and easily hidden.
Try an Over-the-Door Laundry Basket
Laundry baskets don't have to take up any amount of floor or wall space. Try a specially designed basket that stretches around the back of your door to toss dirty laundry or tuck away clean items until you have time to fold them.
Mount Your Dryer Upside Down
Did you know you can mount your dryer upside down? This allows you to stack appliances vertically while still having surface space on top of your washer. It might be a surprising look at first, but it will save so much space!
Try Laundry Hamper Drawers
Not a fan of the typical laundry baskets or hampers? Try built in drawers that double as dirty laundry storage. This is a great way to use cabinet space under precious counter space while keeping clutter off your laundry room floors.
Install Floating Shelves at the Longest Length Possible
Don't waste a centimeter of precious wall space. Install floating shelves in your laundry room that stretch the entire span of the wall.
Add Plenty of Wall Hooks
Wall hooks provide endless storage options. Install stylish hooks for hanging laundry bags, pre-treated items, or product storage containers.
Try a Wall-Mounted Sink
If your laundry room really needs a utility sink, try a small wall-mounted version so there is plenty of floor space left for other necessities. As a bonus, these sinks are sleek and modern and give your laundry room a designer feel.
Try Shelving & Hook Combos
Some storage shelves have additional hooks below for hanging small items. Use these to maximize storage and create versatility in your storage options. You can also try a collection of wall hooks with matching storage products that fit the hooks perfectly.
Use Every Inch of Storage
Let nothing go to waste in your small laundry room and use what you have. Take a look at the type of space you have - counter, floor, wall, cabinets, drawers - whatever you have in abundance, use it to your advantage.
Create the Illusion of Space
Designer tips and tricks that give the illusion of a larger room might be the key to helping your laundry room feel more welcoming. Use these simple or DIY ideas to make your laundry room look bigger.
Use Paint to Create the Illusion of Height or Width
Strategic color placement with regard to paint can change the appearance of a room's size. Highlight the largest portion of wall with an accent color, add length by painting the narrowest wall in an accent color, or add width by adding chair rail in the same color as the walls.
Be Strategic With Lighting
Accent lighting that is strategically placed can highlight the areas you most want to focus on while giving the illusion of more space in dimmer areas. Use pendants to draw attention to vertical space and try flush mounts to keep the focus on horizontal space.
Cover the Room in Color
Try carrying your primary paint color onto the trim or even the ceiling to create a large, expansive look in your small laundry room. Light, neutral, or muted colors work well with this technique.
Select Open Shelving for a Spacious Look
Open shelving in place of cabinets can add width or height to the room. Open shelving also leaves walls with more blank space, so the room doesn't feel crowded.
Make Wise Wallpaper Decisions
Wallpaper with a linear or vertical print can give the impression of wider walls or higher ceilings. A small to medium sized print will create the illusion of more space, while a larger print will draw attention to the size of smaller rooms.
Choose Laundry Baskets That Are Open
Wicker or wire laundry baskets feel light and open, so your laundry room doesn't feel cluttered. This adds to an atmosphere that is airy rather than weighing it down with heavy materials.
Mount Window Treatments High
If there is a window in your small laundry area, try mounting drapery rods as close to the ceiling as you can, and make sure the drapes just barely touch the floor. This gives the illusion of high ceilings.
Hide Appliances Behind Doors
Clever custom cabinetry designs can give you the choice of hiding your washer and dryer when not in use. This will help the room to feel less cluttered and allow the eye to rest on other details rather than noticing the laundry area.
Make Multipurpose Laundry Room Spaces
One of the most common and easily adaptable laundry rooms is one that exists in a multipurpose room or shared space. Working with small, multipurpose laundry areas might mean you include elements that are easily tucked away, storage that is hidden in a beautiful way, or just a clear designation of spaces.
Create a Laundry Area in Your Basement
For a small laundry area that still feels roomy and separate from the rest of your home, a basement laundry room might be the perfect fit. Add a rug, shelving, and accent lighting to clearly designate the space and keep things light and airy.
Make Your Mudroom Multipurpose
A laundry area can be tucked into your mudroom seamlessly. This creates the perfect space to instantly throw soiled laundry into the washer before you enter the main part of the house. Include plenty of additional storage for laundry products as well as mudroom necessities like umbrellas and jackets.
Build a Laundry Area in the Bathroom
A roomy master bath or a half bath that isn't used often might be the perfect place for your small laundry area. Try tucking your washer and dryer in unused spaces or replacing an unnecessary double sink or seated vanity with a stacked washer and dryer. This makes laundering and folding towels a breeze!
Try a Utility Room That Covers All the Bases
If you have a utility area that houses cleaning products or a water heater, why not add in a laundry area? This is the perfect place that's tucked away from the view of guests to use as your laundry area. Make it feel inviting with fun paint colors or wallpaper.
Add a Laundry Area to Your Walk-in Pantry
Gather dinner ingredients and start a load of laundry all in the same place. A laundry area tucked into a large walk-in pantry may be a better use of the square footage if you are looking for a small laundry room that's placed in a practical area.
Do Laundry in Your Walk-in Closet
If you're struggling to fill your walk-in closet with enough clothing to justify the square-footage, perhaps a laundry area right in the closet would be a solution. This is a space and time saver as you can easily launder and put away all your closet's contents.
Turn an Unused Closet Into a Laundry Room
If you have an unused hall closet, linen closet, or spare closet in your home, you might consider making that your hidden laundry space. Tuck your appliances away behind bifold doors or a sliding barn door. When guests are around, they will never know that your laundry area is right there in the old linen closet!
Make Unused Spaces Work for You
Look around your home and you might find an unused space that is perfect for your laundry area. Spare rooms, sunrooms, breakfast nooks, and hallway alcoves can be converted into the ideal laundry room.
Save Space & Curate a Room You Love
Small laundry rooms can be functional, beautiful, and provide a beautiful space to reunite all those lost socks. Focus on the small details that make the space work for you and choose decorative elements that help the room feel spacious and calm. Use these designer tips and you can have a laundry area you will actually be excited to walk into.
