So… you have a laundry you’d like to remodel and aren’t sure where to start.
Laundry rooms are very function-based rooms and they often store a lot of the not so fabulous things in our home. Making this space stylish can often be a challenge when the primary purpose is function. But can the two coexist?!
Aesthetics don’t always mean lack of function if the space is thoughtfully designed.
When designing a laundry room, start by thinking of what the space will need to store and imagine yourself working in that space. Where will you fold or hang your laundry? Where will the ironing board go? This will determine the amount of cabinets needed and their purpose.
Let’s take a look at my laundry room…
To give you perspective on how far it has come, here is the terrible before. A big YIKES. This space needed to be completely gutted from head to toe.
And here is the AFTER:
A night and day difference, right?!
Let’s first chat about what I did with my laundry room to get the best function I could out of it while also making it aesthetically much better.
What you can’t see is that I have two closet spaces in my laundry hall, which means a lot of storage was not a must for me. Since my detergent and cleaning supplies are housed in the closet areas, I utilized my laundry space to store the items my closets couldn’t. I swapped out our old side by side washer and dryer and opted for a stackable washer and dryer which allowed for me to have the folding countertop. I chose an oversized sink base that would be used for the folding countertop. The open space it houses below was the perfect spot for a “hamper” type basket for my wet towels and the other side I use for my beach and rag towels.
A key trick to making your laundry room look higher end is to frame in your washer and dryer with an end panel and crown. I ended up having extra space to the right of my washer and dryer, so I used a skinny, tall cabinet there that houses my iron in the upper cabinet and the ironing board in the tall section. It is the perfect spot for it!
On the wall opposite of the washer and dryer, I have a nook in between the two closets that was ideal for my hamper baskets.
I chose these jute hamper baskets from H&M. They added some texture and a boho flare to the room.
Alright, so we now have a functional laundry room! But what will give it some flare to make it truly unique?! If you are timid to be bold anywhere else in your house… be bold in in the laundry room.
Add open cubbies or floating shelving. This will make the space feel lighter and not so “utility” centered. A wood shelf added warmth and a statement to my laundry room and allowed me to incorporate color with plants. If you do need the extra storage, put fun baskets on the shelf and/or add cabinets above the shelving.
Although I kept my laundry room neutral, I highly recommend a bold cabinet color. Dark shades of green and navy look stunning in laundry spaces. These colors make a statement yet are classic. Sherwin Williams Rock Bottom or Cyberspace are two of my favorites!
Photo source: Durasupreme.com
Add texture or backsplash. We moved the wall to the left of the laundry in several inches to reveal the brick chimney the closet enclosed. This added texture to the space but I still wanted to mix that with something bold. I purchased a stencil on Etsy that I used to hand paint the backsplash design in black. I loved how it turned out! Find the link here:
LORTIE Modern Geometric Wall Stencil Hexagon Wall Stencil | Etsy
Finally, mix and match finishes. I wanted to add some charm and vibrance next to offset the stencil wall, and the Delta Trinsic champagne bronze faucet did that for me. I have always loved the way gold pops so nicely against a black background. For high contrast, I went with a black sink and black knobs.
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