Mastering effective laundry room decor can completely transform a hard-working utility space into an organized, beautiful, and functional area of your home. However, if you take time to decorate your laundry room with thought and care, you can turn a simple utility room into an organized, beautiful, comfortable and functional area.
Simple improvements such as changing colors, adding shelves, installing better lighting, finishing walls, creating more storage, using different types of textiles, and incorporating accessories can enhance your current living space without requiring major renovations or the need for a larger area.
The ideal design for a laundry room is one that balances aesthetics with functionality. While the space should be inviting, each of your design choices will ultimately help facilitate all of the many things you do in your laundry area: wash, dry, fold, iron, sort, and store.
This guide is designed for individuals who have either a large, separate laundry area; a small, thin utility area; a compact laundry closet; or a washing machine and dryer located in a different area of their home. This guide will provide tips on how to design a functional, balanced space.
What Is a Laundry Room Decor?
Laundry room decor is defined as the color schemes, material choices, furniture selection, organization options, wall coverings, light fixtures, decorative accessories, and design elements that are utilized to enhance both the visual appeal and functional use of a laundry space.
The design of a laundry room differs from that of a living area or bedroom in that it requires you to focus on the purpose of each design choice.
Without adequate storage space or a place to work on projects, an attractive room will rapidly become an annoyance.
For this reason, successful laundry spaces typically combine several priorities:
- Easy-to-reach storage
- Clear countertops
- Good lighting
- Durable surfaces
- Organized laundry supplies
- Comfortable movement
- Consistent colors and materials
- A visually calm atmosphere
The goal is not to decorate the room. A well-designed laundry room will assist in transforming a daily chore into an organized task.
Start With the Function of the Room
Before deciding on which colors and/or accessories to use in your laundry room, you should have a good idea of what goes on in the laundry room.
Ask yourself:
- Where are clothes sorted?
- Where are clean clothes folded?
- Where are detergents and cleaning supplies stored?
- Is there enough room for hampers?
- Is ironing done in this room?
- Are clothes air-dried here?
- Does the room also serve as a mudroom or storage area?
- Are pet supplies or household cleaning tools stored nearby?
Answering those questions can prevent you from adding too many decorative items to your work area and reducing the amount of functional space available.
Effective laundry room decor starts with addressing functional concerns first and then adding aesthetic touches.
For example, if laundry products are constantly collecting on top of your appliances, you might consider installing some additional shelving or cabinets rather than using decorative wall art.
Choose a Clear Decorating Style
A consistent visual direction makes decorating easier.
Popular styles for laundry room decor include:
- Modern
- Farmhouse
- Minimalist
- Rustic
- Coastal
- Traditional
- Contemporary
- Scandinavian-inspired
- Cottage
- Industrial
- Vintage-inspired
You do not need to follow a style perfectly.
Instead, choose two or three characteristics you like.
A contemporary laundry area might consist of basic cabinetry, neutral hues, simple styling, and very little accessorizing.
A farm-style room may feature warm woods, natural fibers, soft colors, and basic shelving.
The important point is consistency.
A large number of different colors, patterns, and style choices can make a small utility room look crowded.
Laundry Room Color Ideas
Color is one of the easiest ways to transform the atmosphere.
Selecting the correct color palette will help create a laundry room atmosphere that feels bright, clean, peaceful, fun-loving, or elegant.
White and Off-White
White creates a clean and bright appearance.
It is particularly helpful in small areas where there is a limited amount of sunlight.
Warm whites and off-whites often feel softer than very bright cool whites.
Soft Gray
Gray creates a neutral setting for other elements of your kitchen to stand out against, such as wood, white cabinets, black accents, and different types of floor coverings.
If you would like the area to appear to be homey and not look industrial then use warmer gray colors.
Green
The use of soft green colors (such as sage, olive, and eucalyptus) can help create a natural atmosphere in your home without creating too much visual noise.
Green works particularly well with wood and neutral finishes.
Blue
Soft blue can make a laundry area feel fresh and relaxing.
Deep navy can also work as an accent on cabinetry, walls, or built-in storage.
Beige and Warm Neutrals
Soft, warm neutral shades (such as beige, cream, taupe, and sand) will make your laundry area look cozy and relaxed.
The colors listed above are compatible with naturally made baskets, wooden shelving units, and stone-like surfaces.
Small Laundry Room Decor Ideas
A limited amount of floor space does not mean the room needs to feel crowded.
For compact areas, laundry room decor should focus heavily on vertical space.
Walls are extremely valuable.
Instead of placing everything on the floor, consider:
- Wall-mounted shelves
- Tall cabinets
- Peg rails
- Hooks
- Hanging organizers
- Folding wall-mounted surfaces
- Storage above appliances
Keeping the floor relatively clear creates a stronger feeling of space.
Light colors can also help visually open the room.
Another useful strategy is limiting decorative accessories.
A simple picture, a little plant or a chosen container can add character to an area, but it will not make the area seem cluttered.
Make Use of the Wall Above the Appliances
The wall above a washing machine or dryer often becomes wasted space.
This area can play a major role in laundry room decor.
Depending on the layout, it can include:
- Floating shelves
- Closed cabinets
- Hanging rails
- Small storage baskets
- Decorative containers
- Wall art
- A practical laundry guide
- Hooks
Open shelving is great for displaying things that you use often, while closed storage can hide away the messes of everyday life.
A combination of both can work especially well.
For instance, closed cabinets can contain larger quantities of supplies, while an open shelf can be utilized to store and display frequently-used items as well as a small number of decorative items.
Laundry Room Shelving Ideas
Shelving can be both practical and decorative.
Open shelves are a great option if you would like the overall feel of your laundry room to be bright and easy to reach.
Wood shelving can introduce warmth.
White shelves can blend into pale walls.
Dark shelves can create contrast in a modern room.
However, avoid filling every shelf completely.
Shelves with visual space between the items will make the shelf look as if it was intentionally designed.
A balanced shelf might contain:
- One or two storage baskets
- Folded towels
- Laundry essentials
- A small decorative object
- A plant suitable for the room’s lighting conditions
Function should still dominate.
Items that are used weekly should be more readily available to use than items that are primarily decorative.
Cabinet Ideas for a Clean Appearance
If you like a tidy space then cabinets will play a key role in designing that space.
Closed cabinetry keeps detergent containers, cleaning supplies, extra towels, household products, and other items hidden.
Cabinet color can also become a major laundry room decor feature.
Soft green, navy, warm gray, natural wood, cream and white can each create a unique visual appearance.
In small spaces, matching your cabinets to the wall color will create a smoother visual flow.
In larger rooms, contrasting cabinetry can add personality.
Create a Useful Folding Area
A dedicated folding surface can significantly improve functionality.
If your washer and dryer are positioned next to each other, you can use a countertop over top of them for a work surface.
In other layouts, a separate counter or table can serve the same purpose.
Keep this surface mostly clear.
Although accessories help create a decorative look for your laundry room, adding too many items to the primary work area will make it difficult to use.
When adding decorations, add them to the side of your counter. This will help make sure you don’t use up all of the space on the counter.
Add Baskets Without Creating Clutter
Baskets are popular because they combine storage with natural texture.
They can hold:
- Laundry supplies
- Cleaning cloths
- Extra towels
- Clothespins
- Dryer accessories
- Small household items
Woven materials can soften rooms dominated by hard appliances and cabinets.
When designing a cohesive laundry room, consider choosing baskets with similar color schemes or material compositions.
A variety of different styles could lead to open storage looking cluttered.
Labeling can be an effective way to help distinguish between baskets that look the same but contain varying products.
Laundry Room Wall Decor
Walls can be used to add some of your personal flair to your home while still having all the space on the floor that you need.
There are many ways to decorate the walls of your laundry room. Some popular methods of decorating these walls include hanging framed art on the walls, using plain paper prints on the walls, using mirrors on the walls, using decorative hooks on the walls, using wallpaper on the walls, using wall panels on the walls, using tiles on the walls, and painting an accent area on the wall.
The key is restraint.
A laundry room does not require multiple decorative signs on every wall.
One strong focal point often creates a more polished appearance.
Patterned wallpaper on an open shelf wall will provide visual interest and allow the other three walls to remain neutral.
Alternatively, a large framed piece can provide enough personality by itself.
Wallpaper in a Laundry Room
In many homes, the laundry room is generally quite small. Thus, it can provide an excellent opportunity for you to play around with different designs (patterns).
Wallpaper can introduce:
- Botanical patterns
- Geometric shapes
- Small florals
- Subtle textures
- Traditional motifs
- Abstract designs
If you are using patterned wallpaper as part of your laundry room’s decoration, you should let other elements be more restrained.
When you use detailed wallpaper on your walls, simple cabinets and accessories can help avoid a feeling of being too “busy” or overdone.
Additionally, consideration should be given to the level of humidity and air circulation within the room as well as to what type of wall covering will be used.
Use an Accent Wall
The addition of an accent wall is another option for adding some character into your space, but with less commitment than transforming the entire area.
It can be created with:
- Paint
- Wallpaper
- Wood paneling
- Tile
- Textured finishes
Choose the wall that naturally attracts attention when entering the room.
A well-decorated laundry room usually features a single dominant visual element, as opposed to multiple competing elements.
For instance, if the backsplash has a lot of patterns, you might not require to use a very bold wallpaper on an alternate wall.
Add a Backsplash
A backsplash is used for protection of walls located near a sink or counter top and for creating a visually appealing appearance.
Suitable looks include:
- Simple rectangular tile
- Square tile
- Small mosaic patterns
- Stone-inspired surfaces
- Handmade-look tiles
- Subtle geometric arrangements
For long-lasting laundry room decor, select finishes that match the general color scheme of the space, rather than selecting a finish based on its popularity at the moment.
A backsplash can become an attractive feature without dominating the room.
Improve the Lighting
Lighting is both functional and decorative.
Poor lighting makes laundry tasks (such as identifying stains, color matching, folding clothes and sorting items) even more frustrating.
Good laundry room decor should include sufficient general illumination.
Additional light could be helpful depending on how the space is laid out (e.g. if you have lights under shelves or cabinets).
Decorative fixtures will bring style, however, they will not take away from the practicality of being able to see.
If the room has a window, avoid blocking natural light with unnecessary objects.
Light colored walls and reflective surfaces may also aid in spreading natural light around the space.
Decorating With Plants
Plants can soften a room filled with appliances and hard surfaces.
Greenery can be a great way to complement the colors of a neutral or naturally-designed laundry room.
Before adding live plants, consider how much natural light the area receives.
Rooms without windows may not provide appropriate conditions for many plants.
Decorative branches and other natural plant elements will give your space a visually similar look to greenery if you find that greenery is not appropriate for the location. These types of plants do not require much maintenance either.
Plants should be placed in areas that won’t block the ability to fold clothes, and in areas that aren’t regularly used for storage.
Add a Rug for Warmth
A runner or small area rug can make the room feel more finished.
It can also introduce pattern and texture.
When choosing a rug for your laundry room design, make sure to consider how functional it will be in addition to how nice it looks.
Laundry rooms can experience moisture, dirt, lint, and frequent foot traffic.
The rug should therefore be easy to maintain and appropriately sized.
A narrow runner can work well in galley-style rooms.
In compact spaces, avoid rugs that make doors or cabinets difficult to open.
Create a Farmhouse-Inspired Laundry Room
Farmhouse design is typically identified by warm textures and simple comfort.
Farmhouse laundry room decor may include:
- Warm wood shelves
- White or cream cabinets
- Muted green accents
- Woven baskets
- Simple wall paneling
- Black or dark metal details
- Neutral flooring
Avoid adding too many themed decorative signs.
Using natural materials and clean, simple shapes can provide an authentic farmhouse feel, more so than filling each wall with decorative word art.
Modern Laundry Room Decor
Modern spaces rely on clean lines and controlled visual clutter.
The look of today’s modern laundry room is often characterized by simple or flat cabinet door styles, minimal decorative hardware, neutral colored walls, clean lines on shelves, and carefully selected accessories.
Muted colors, black, white, gray, warm beige and natural wood are all good choices.
Storage should ideally hide most everyday supplies.
This will enable the appliances, cabinetry, backsplash, and lighting to develop the overall look.
One big statement (like a dark cabinet color, or geometric patterned flooring) can create contrast in a room while keeping things simple.
Minimalist Laundry Room Ideas
Minimalism works great for laundry rooms since laundry rooms tend to collect a lot of stuff.
Minimalist laundry room decor focuses on reducing visible clutter.
Keep only frequently used items within easy reach.
Less commonly used products can be stored in cabinets or higher shelves.
Choose a limited color palette and repeat materials throughout the room.
For example:
Warm white + light wood + black accents.
Or:
Soft gray + white + natural woven texture.
The goal is not to make the room empty.
Instead, every visible item should have a clear purpose.
Rustic Laundry Room Ideas
Rustic design emphasizes texture and natural materials.
Wood shelves, baskets, stone look flooring, neutral color schemes and slightly aged finishes will make your laundry room feel like a home.
The most successful rustic rooms balance textured elements with clean surfaces.
If you have a lot of grain showing on your cabinets and/or shelves, then you should try to keep most of the walls and/or counters in that area fairly plain.
This prevents the space from feeling dark or visually heavy.
Laundry Closet Decor Ideas
Not everyone has a dedicated laundry room.
The location of a washer and dryer can vary depending on where you want it. It can be in a closet, in a hallway, in the kitchen, in the bathroom or in any other multi-purpose room.
Even in these situations, laundry room decor principles can still apply.
Use the wall above the appliances for storage.
Choose containers that visually coordinate.
Add a small shelf if clearance permits.
The inside of the laundry closet should be painted with a color that matches the surrounding area.
A more dramatic approach may be taken for the interiors if the doors to the appliances are hidden from view.
How to Hide Laundry Supplies
When numerous containers are kept outside, commercial packaging creates visual chaos.
Sometimes the most simple approach is not to move all of your items from one place to another.
Closed-door cabinets, baskets, drawers, and labeled storage containers are all great ways to organize your belongings and preserve important manufacturer instructions that may be printed on the packaging.
The design of an effective laundry room must always place an emphasis on organization and safety in addition to aesthetics.
Store all of your household cleaning items in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions, as well as keeping them away from children and pets.
The design of decorative organizing can enhance safety within your home, but it shouldn’t complicate how you live there.
Make the Laundry Room Feel Larger
Several design techniques can make a compact room appear more spacious.
Use:
- Light or medium wall colors
- Consistent cabinetry
- Vertical storage
- Clear floor space
- Limited patterns
- Good lighting
- Appropriately scaled accessories
Mirrors can also visually expand certain layouts.
However, the strongest improvement usually comes from reducing clutter.
When you fill up every available space with items, your beautifully decorated laundry room will start to look like a mess.
Leave some walls, shelves, and countertops partially empty.
Negative space helps the room feel calmer and larger.
Combine Beauty With Organization
The most attractive laundry room can quickly become less appealing if it does not offer a space for all of the daily items.
Organization should therefore be integrated directly into laundry room decor.
Create specific locations for:
- Dirty laundry
- Clean laundry
- Detergent
- Stain-care items
- Cleaning cloths
- Ironing supplies
- Hanging clothes
- Lost socks or small items
- Extra household supplies
Maintaining a clean space will be significantly simplified after each group of items has its own designated area.
Decorating should then support this system instead of competing with it.
Common Laundry Room Decorating Mistakes
A few mistakes can reduce both functionality and visual appeal.
Too Many Decorative Objects
Laundry rooms need usable surfaces.
Excessive accessories can turn valuable work areas into display areas.
Ignoring Vertical Space
In small rooms, unused wall space represents lost storage potential.
Poor Lighting
Even though a visually appealing room can still be hard to utilize because task areas are poorly lit.
Too Many Patterns
No matter how much you love bold patterns on your walls (wallpaper), floors (flooring), backsplashes, baskets, and other textiles, you don’t necessarily have to use them everywhere.
Select one dominant feature and allow the remaining elements to support it.
Open Storage Everywhere
The use of open shelving creates an appealing visual effect when items are placed on the shelf in a manner that is visually pleasing, however, daily use items typically do not stay in order visually.
A mix of both open and closed storage usually makes for more attractive laundry room design.
Choosing Appearance Over Function
The overall design should make it simple for the user to reach their appliances, door openings, utility lines, storage areas, and work surfaces.
How to Refresh a Laundry Room Without Major Remodeling
A complete renovation is not always necessary.
Small changes can significantly improve the room.
Consider updating:
- Wall color
- Shelf arrangement
- Storage baskets
- Cabinet organization
- Lighting
- Artwork
- Rug
- Hooks
- Hardware
- Counter organization
Before adding anything new, remove items that no longer belong in the room.
In many instances, the quickest way to improve your laundry room’s look and feel is to reduce the amount of clutter and reorganize what you currently have for storage.
After that, add decorative elements gradually.
This makes it easier to judge what the room actually needs.
How to Create a Cohesive Laundry Room
A cohesive space repeats a limited number of colors and materials.
Choose a simple palette of approximately three main tones.
For example:
White + natural wood + muted green.
Or:
Warm beige + charcoal + cream.
The next step would be to apply the same colors to other aspects of your space such as your cabinets, wall color, baskets, textile selections, flooring materials, and accessories.
Cohesive laundry room decor does not mean every object needs to match perfectly.
Slight variations add depth and prevent the space from appearing overly staged.
The goal is visual connection.
Should the Laundry Room Match the Rest of the House?
While it is not necessary to create an exact match between your room and those surrounding it, creating a connection between them will help you feel more connected to the rest of the house.
You might repeat:
- Similar wood tones
- The same metal finish
- Related wall colors
- Similar cabinet styles
- A recurring textile color
- Consistent flooring
The benefit of this method is that the decor in your laundry room can develop its own unique identity while still being part of the larger scheme of things (i.e. the rest of your home).
A small utility room may also provide an opportunity to try out a little bolder colors or patterns than those which would normally be found in larger spaces such as living rooms.
How to Keep Laundry Room Decor Looking Good
A well-decorated utility room still needs regular maintenance.
Return supplies to their designated locations after use.
Do not allow empty bottles, odd socks, mops/brooms/cleaning equipment, and other randomly selected items from around the house to accumulate on your counter tops.
Review open shelving occasionally and remove items that are no longer necessary.
If a space used for storing things is constantly unorganized, the cause could be the storage system itself and not the individuals who use it.
Good laundry room decor should make the desired behavior easy.
Items that you use often should be easy to get to, while items that you use only once in a while may be stored higher or in places that are not as easy to access.
Final Thoughts
The best laundry areas demonstrate that functional areas can be interesting.
The way you decorate your laundry room can take it from a plain utility area to a visually appealing and orderly section of your home.
Start with function.
To begin with, identify the path of laundry within the space. Next, ensure there are appropriate storage options available. Additionally, develop functional work areas. Lastly, verify that there is adequate lighting in the area.
Introduce color, textures, shelving, baskets, wall treatment, artwork, plants, or textiles in a controlled manner.
Remember that decorating does not require filling every available surface.
Some of the best looking laundry rooms are simply decorated because each item in the room serves a specific function.
The primary objective for each type of interior space, regardless of size, style (modern/farmhouse-inspired/rustic/minimalist), etc., should be to design a functional area which allows you to complete daily activities with ease, and is also enjoyable to work/live within.
By organizing the practical side of things in a consistent manner and creating a unified visual style for your laundry room, you can make this area of your house look and feel like it has been thought out, is comfortable, and looks finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to decorate a laundry room?
First, organize your laundry area, store items, provide adequate lighting, and keep clean work surfaces. Once you have met those requirements, create a color scheme that ties everything together. Then, incorporate shelving units, baskets, art pieces, wall decor, floor coverings (rugs), and/or plants into your design. The most effective laundry room designs support the task performed in the room without creating obstacles to doing so.
How can I decorate a very small laundry room?
Use vertical storage, wall mounted shelving, hooks, cabinets over your appliances, use light colors, and have a small number of accessories. Have the maximum amount of free space on the floors and countertops. Most small rooms will look better with a simple design scheme.
What colors are best for a laundry room?
There are many options for colors that will look great on your walls. These include white, cream, warm beige, soft gray, sage green, muted blue, and natural wood tones. If you use a darker color (such as navy or charcoal), you may want to balance it out with plenty of natural light.
What can I put on laundry room walls?
Wall treatment options include framed art, wallpaper, tile, panels, paint, floating shelves, hooks, hanging rails, and mirrors. Select the appropriate wall treatments for each area of the home depending upon what can fit in the given space, as well as the functionality required by the room.
How can I make my laundry room look expensive without major changes?
Instead of being concerned with the amount of items in your kitchen, focus on the visual consistency of those items. Clutter should be reduced, storage containers coordinated, the color palette simplified, lighting improved, open shelving organized, and counter tops kept clear. A well-organized space can have a much larger effect than having many decorative pieces.
Are open shelves good for laundry rooms?
Yes, especially for items you frequently use and small decorative displays. But, when using open shelves in conjunction with closed storage, you will generally achieve a more clean look since not all your laundry supplies need to be visible.
How do I decorate a laundry room on a simple layout?
First, you should start on the wall that is located above your appliances. It will provide additional storage and visual appeal to your kitchen. You should then create some functional shelves or cabinets for that area. Additionally, you need to develop a basic color scheme for the space, and limit yourself to introducing only a couple of decorative elements into the area. These elements should not be so large that they interfere with your ability to perform everyday functions within the space.
How do I make a laundry room cozy?
To create a comfortable atmosphere in your living space, use warm lighting, natural materials (wood, stone), wood accents, woven baskets, a durable rug, soft colored walls/furniture, art pieces on the walls and plants. Do not over-decorate with too many knick-knacks or other items as this will detract from the relaxing atmosphere you are trying to create.
Should I use wallpaper in a laundry room?
An efficient way to create a decorative element in a confined area such as a bathroom is to use wallpaper. While you should also consider the amount of ventilation available in your home, along with how much moisture exists within the room where you plan to install the wallpaper, you may wish to combine strong patterned wallpapers with simpler furniture and decorative items.
How do I organize laundry room decorations and supplies together?
The first step is to place the items you will use most often within easy access. Next, if you have some items that are not very appealing, you may want to put them into a basket or a cabinet so they are out of sight. Finally, try to keep your workspace free from clutter. When it comes to displaying decorative items, only use a small number of shelves so that your home does not look cluttered. By doing all three things above, you are able to achieve both function and beauty.
