A Small Laundry Room with Style
Designing a small Laundry Room with Style can be challenging especially with the current trend of supersized washers & dryers.
When my longtime client contacted me to take on her laundry room, my mind began to spin…and not in a good way. Over the years I had worked with her on literally dozens of projects including a full exterior facelift! However, this one scared me. I had walked by this room many, many times and turned a blind eye, never wanting to bring attention to a project I was frightened of tackling.
As you can see in this before photo, the room is narrow and packed with more laundry than my daughter brought home from college in 4 years!
After pondering this room and plotting out a variety of layouts my clients dream of a small laundry room with style started to morph into a very special space.
Once we agreed on the layout the ideas started to flow…..
First up was the Cabinetry! The color of Blueberries, why not? Painted cabinetry is a great way to add style to any room. The limited space required a thoughtful cabinetry design for accommodating laundry soap, cleaning products & light bulbs. A rod was also included over the laundry tub for hanging her delicate tops to drip dry.
My client needed folding space…. who doesn’t? By moving the washer & dryer under the window we were able to create a counter long enough to allow her ample space for folding.
We found a small but deep laundry tub just large enough to wash Rosie, her Boston Terrier. With the addition of a sleek goose-neck faucet by Giagni, we added extra style. I love this line of faucets! My son introduced me to Giagni when he worked at Lowe’s in their plumbing department. Great style for the price.
Wallpaper was a must to create a small laundry room with style! This one is called Midland Blue & Green from Thiabaut Design. It has all the right colors and a bold fun pattern. Thiabaut Design has been my go-to line of wallpapers for many years. Founded in 1886 it is Americas oldest wallpaper company. They have great textural wallcoverings such as grasscloth as well as their bold & beautiful patterns.
While selecting the countertop material I came across an adorable glass & marble daisy tile that I couldn’t resist. A quick snapshot sent to my client & it was love at first site! The tile is by Glazzio named Bouquette. Just Sweet & Lovely! Back to the countertop, I settled on Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo. It’s a great product for those of us that want the look of marble but something more stain resistant.
Laundry storage had to be practical… but fun as well for creating a small laundry room with style. Steele Canvas Rolling Carts were the perfect fit. This company has been manufacturing their products since 1921. There’s something so appealing about these classic carts.
As each element was installed my client became ecstatic about how it was coming together. Her dream of a small laundry room with style was now a reality. Doing laundry is no longer a chore but a delight!
No matter what your budget is, there are a myriad of ways you can create a small laundry room with style…..Here are some of my suggestions.
Storage Ideas:
If it’s not in your budget to replace your cabinetry consider painting your outdated or time worn cabinetry yourself. A fresh, fun color that pops will have them looking just like new! I recommend a Satin Finish to give them a subtle sheen but still easy to clean.
If you don’t have the space for cabinets consider floating wall shelves. Pottery Barn has a nice selection…my favorite are the Holman Shelves with sizes ranging from 24”-60” wide, 11.5” deep ( plenty large enough to hold an average size jug of laundry soap) and a weight capacity ranging from 40-80 pounds depending on the width.
If you don’t have a tall cabinet for brooms & mops consider a tall plastic hamper such as The Infinity Laundry Hamper from The Container Store. Place it in a corner to keep it from tipping over.
Folding Space:
If you have an average height, (which is 38”) front loading washer & dryer you can have a counter installed across the top. Whether the material is quartz, granite or laminate their are brackets that can be installed to support the counter on the wall behind the washer & dryer. This will give you a nice clean folding space without having socks fall into oblivion. It’s a great way to add some personalty as well.
Dressing it Up:
New cabinet hardware is an easy way to add style. Consider polished nickel or satin brass!
If you have a standard laundry tub that’s open below, consider having a skirt made for it. It can be easily applied with Velcro. A simple tailored style skirt made out of a ticking stripe or a shirred style skirt in a fun floral print. I know fabrics can get expensive so consider checking out online vendors such as Fabric.com for some great values. This concept helps conceal your laundry bucket, bleach & other cleaning products.
A new faucet will dress it up too! Consider one with a pullout for keeping your laundry tub clean & for washing your pets.
A fun wall-color is a simple way to add pizzazz to your laundry room. Consider Sherwin Williams SW6751 Refresh or Benjamin Moore 2012-40 Summer Sun Pink.
If you want more personality, think wallpaper! Have you checked out the Anthropologie wallpaper collection? You’ll be finding excuses to do laundry! I like to go with a geometric pattern for the laundry room to give it an organized feeling, Block Party Wallpaper from Anthropologie would be perfect!
Another easy way to add style is with a colorful accent rug. Dash & Albert by Annie Selke is one of my favorite lines of accent rugs. Check out their indoor/outdoor collection.
Of course, artwork is another easy way to add interest & color. Art.com is my go too for affordable & fun artwork with great options for finding the right size. It’s any easy way to create a small laundry room with style.