Very few of us would consider our laundry rooms the crown jewel of our homes. In fact, we might suggest the exact opposite: our laundry rooms might've been one of the last rooms we decorated when we moved in (if we got around to decorating them at all.)
But, laundry rooms don't have to be cold or sterile. With just a little effort, your laundry room can look as lovely—and feel as cozy—as any other room in your home. And while a design refresh might not make folding your linens any easier, it can certainly make your time spent in your laundry room more pleasant.
With a fresh coat of paint, some wallpaper, and a seriously cozy rug, you can transform even the coldest of basem*nt corners into a space worth spending Sunday afternoon in. And if your laundry room is already in pretty good shape, little tune-ups—like brand new storage essentials, streamlined hangers, or fresh hardware—can make it even lovelier.
To help you make your laundry room feel like a true destination in your home, we've rounded up 51 laundry room design ideas worth taking cues from. So scroll on, take notes, and bookmark your favorites. enjoy the excuse to put off your weekend chores for just a few minutes longer.
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Set the Scene With a Fun Cabinet Color
Looking for an easy way to spruce up your laundry room? Paint your cabinets a fun color. Since laundry rooms don’t need much furniture or décor, you can take a risk with your palette without disharmonizing your space.
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Get Playful With Your Wallpaper
Small spaces, like laundry rooms, are perfect for playful wallpaper. Why? Even the boldest prints on offer look great in small doses. So, take a risk on a pattern that you love looking at, and line your laundry room walls with it.
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Cozy Things Up With a Rug
Laundry room floors are often covered with tiles, and while those tiles can be incredibly pretty, they can also get really cold. So make laundry day a little cozier by softening your floors with a rug. Take advantage of the opportunity to add a pop of color or print to your space.
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Line Your Wall With Laundry Bags
Navigating a narrow laundry room? Save space by swapping traditional hampers for laundry bags. By mounting the low-profile bags on wall hooks, you can keep your laundry room organized without losing precious space. Plus, the bags will make it easy to carry your freshly washed clothes from room to room.
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Line Your Floors With Fun Tiles
Statement-making décor abounds at eye level, but the space beneath your feet deserves some love, too. Since your laundry room floors don’t have to match anything else in your home, why not take advantage of the opportunity to get playful?
Snag tiles in a bright color or an eye-catching print, or give the room a vintage feel with some retro diner flooring.
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Turn Your Dryer Balls Into Décor
Dryer balls can add efficiency to your dry cycle—and texture to your décor scheme. So put yours on display. By storing your dryer balls in a sleek glass jar or some other pretty vessel, you can decorate your space in a way that’s both pretty and practical.
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Take a Risk on a Bold Backsplash
Kitchen and bathroom backsplashes get a lot of love. But, laundry room backsplashes can be just as fun. If the wall behind your laundry room sink could use a quick tune-up, invest in some striking tiles and paint your cabinets to complement them.
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Make the Most of an Awkward Space
Laundry rooms don’t really need high ceilings. If your home boasts an oddly shaped room that you just don’t know what to do with, consider transforming it into a laundry room. All you really need is enough space to store a couple of appliances (though you may want to make sure those appliances are front-loading, depending on the height of your ceilings).
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Mix and Match Your Countertops
Your laundry room countertops don’t have to match. By lining some of your counters with sleek marble and the rest with warm wood, you can create a space that feels textured and dynamic.
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Spring for a Really Fun Sink
Your laundry room only needs a few core fixtures—like a washer, a dryer, and a sink. And while your washer and dryer can’t get that strange or stylish, your sink definitely can. So spring for a sink that’s unusually bold, and make it the focal point of the room.
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Dress Up Your Space With Art
Art may not be the first thing you think to put in a laundry room. But the surprising addition can brighten up your space, making it feel as thoughtfully decorated as the rest of your home.
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Keep It Clean With a Streamlined Palette
Laundry day can get overwhelming, so consider using your décor scheme to create a sense of calm. By keeping your palette simple and streamlined, you can visually declutter your space—inviting peace of mind, even when your hamper is full of dirty laundry.
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Invest in a Bold Light Fixture
You wouldn’t think twice about hanging bold lighting in your dining room, your kitchen, or even your bathroom. So why leave your laundry room uncreatively lit? The simple addition of a striking pendant light can transform your laundry room without you having to do anything else.
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Line Your Floor With Textured Bricks
Tired of slick tiles and hardwoods? Line your laundry room floor with bricks, instead. The robust material should hold up to the wear and tear of laundry day. And since bricks tend to come in rich, earthy colors, they should add a welcome dose of warmth to your space.
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Cluster Your Must-Haves on a Tray
Keep your countertops neat and tidy by storing your laundry room must-haves on a tray. This approach is particularly helpful if you’re low on counter space. But even if you aren’t, it can be nice to have all your supplies organized and at the ready in a designated spot.
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Trade Classic Drawers for Wire Ones
Classic drawers and cabinets abound in laundry rooms, but it can be useful to have some open storage on-hand too. So consider investing in a set of wire drawers and use them to keep track of folded clothing, laundry supplies, or even extra linens. (After all, many homes don’t come equipped with full-blown linen closets.)
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Turn Heads With an Ultra-Dark Color Scheme
Laundry rooms are often bright, light-filled places. But that doesn’t mean yours has to be. If you tend to prefer a moodier palette, let your laundry room in on the fun. Paint your cabinets a deep color, snag a set of black appliances, and line your backsplash with dark tiles.
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Fill Your Space With Plants
Plants make an easy addition to any space, so treat your laundry room to a few. The pops of greenery are sure to brighten up your space, whether you line your shelves with them, hang them from your ceiling, or place a couple by your sink.
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Snag a Storage Tin Just for Lint
No one should start a dryer cycle without first cleaning out their lint screen. But all that built-up lint needs somewhere to go. Sure, you could simply keep a trash can nearby. Or you could make this tedious chore a lot more charming by snagging a jar dedicated to holding all that lint.
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Tuck Your Laundry Room Behind Barn Doors
If your laundry room shares space with another room in your home, consider building in a boundary. By mounting a barn door, you can conceal your laundry room without adding bulk to your space.
You can achieve a similar effect—minus the reno—with a portable room divider.
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Streamline Your Hangers
One of the easiest ways to upgrade your laundry room? Snag a set of matching hangers. This home project may sound a little dull. But streamlining your hangers will make it easier to keep your laundry room organized. Plus, if you score a pretty set, your hangers can effectively double as décor.
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DIY a Backsplash Print You Love
If you haven’t been able to find printed backsplash tiles you love, consider making a backsplash pattern of your own. Snag tiles in a couple of different colors, then lay them out in a striking design. Stripes, chevrons, and plaids are all on offer—so is any other pattern you can piece together using tiny squares.
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Turn Your Faucet Into a Statement-Maker
No sink is complete without a faucet, and since your laundry room fixtures are pretty limited, you might as well have fun with the few you do have. If you’re not in love with the standard faucet that came with your sink, swap it out in favor of a bolder option. When space is tight and decorative accents are limited, little upgrades like these can make a big difference.
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Stock Up on Woven Baskets
Your laundry room may be lined with cabinets and shelves. But there’s no shame in stocking up on other storage solutions. So snag a few woven baskets fit for storing smaller wares, and watch as they leave your space both tidier and more textured.
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Paint Your Cabinets Two Different Colors
Two-tone cabinets are a popular option in many kitchens. So why not introduce them to your laundry room, too? Paint your wall cabinets one color and your base cabinets another. Or leave half your cabinets naturally stained, and paint the other half a fun shade.
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Hang a Striking Set of Blinds
Your laundry room window is an obvious place to add some decor. Sure, floor-length curtains might be impractical for such a cabinet-packed space. But a set of striking blinds can tie the room together—especially if you snag some in a color, pattern, or texture that’ll complement the other accents in the room.
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Add Flexibility With Towel Hooks
Many laundry rooms come equipped with clothing rods and hangers. And while these storage solutions can handle most of the clothes in your closet, they’re not suitable for hanging other essentials—like sheets, towels, and more. For these items, you may want to invest in a few sleek towel hooks, which can add flexibility to your laundry room without demanding much space.
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Snag Appliances You Love Looking At
Your washing machine and your dryer may not qualify as decor. But they’ll certainly become focal points in your space. So once you’ve narrowed down your appliance options based on function, use form to make the final choice. If two washer/dryer sets are equivalent—but one’s a little sleeker—invest in the set you’d rather see in your space.
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Color-Coordinate Your Hardware
Most laundry rooms are packed with hardware—like doorknobs, drawer pulls, faucets, and more. There’s no rule that says these items have to match. But color-coordinating them can make a big impact, especially in a small space, like a laundry room.
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Give Yourself a Place to Sit
Make laundry day more comfortable by adding a seat to your décor scheme. This chair doesn’t have to be anything fancy. (In fact, you can save space with a stool that slides right under your countertops.) Just make sure it’s cozy enough to keep you comfortable during afternoons spent folding laundry.
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Craft a Subtle Statement Ceiling
Once you’ve lined your walls with wallpaper and covered your floor with tiles, you may think your decorative work is done. But take a moment to look up. Your ceiling is part of your décor scheme, whether you’ve decided to decorate it or leave it blank. And it offers a great opportunity to make a subtle statement—either with a soft coat of paint, a simple pattern, or a sleek pop of texture.
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Add Drama With Recessed Lighting
Ceiling lighting may be a must. But other forms of lighting are worth considering, too. For a particularly moody look, install a set of recessed lights underneath your cabinets. In addition to making your countertops a whole lot easier to see, the bold choice will add a surprising dose of drama to your laundry room.
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Paint Your Trim to Match Your Cabinets
When it comes to our trim, many of us keep things simple: we paint our trim the same color as we’ve painted our walls. But by painting your trim to match a different accent—like your cabinets—you can make a striking statement while adding cohesion to your space.
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Hang a Couple Pretty Pendant Lights
If your laundry room is particularly long or large, one overhead fixture may not be enough. So instead of setting your sights on a single chandelier, consider hanging a pair of striking pendant lights. The fixtures will make a practical addition to your space. (The bigger the room, the more light you need.) And they’ll also make your décor scheme look more complete.
Here Are the Best Pendant Lights to Add Personality to Any Space
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Resist the Urge to Put Cabinets Everywhere
When it comes to cabinets, more is often merrier. But that’s not always the case in a laundry room. While cabinets can be a useful place to store detergents and folded items, they’re not great for air-dry-only clothing. So consider ditching some of your wall cabinets, and invest in a built-in clothing rod, instead.
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Mix and Match Your Tile Choices
Struggling to choose between two different tile sets? Snag one set for your backsplash—and the other for your floors. Though it can be tempting to streamline all the tiles in your space, mixing and matching them can look just as great, especially if both sets boast a similar palette.
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Turn Your Hampers Into Decor
Laundry hampers may be a practical purchase. But that doesn’t mean they can’t look great in your space. There are tons of laundry hampers that are roomy, easy to carry, and absolutely delightful to look at. So snag a couple that tick all the boxes, and put them on full display in your laundry room.
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Add Contrast With a Few Black Accents
When you dream up an ideal laundry room palette, black may not be the first color that comes to mind. But the bold neutral can add a welcome dose of contrast to your space, complementing some of the brighter and warmer shades in the room.
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Get Creative With Your Cabinetry
Remember that you don’t have to paint your cabinets just one color. You can dress them up with a striking border, top them off with contrast trim, or highlight their texture with a little accent paint.
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Add Texture With Shiny Tiles
There are plenty of ways to craft a striking backsplash—and they don’t have to involve vibrant colors or bold prints. By pairing your crisp white laundry room with a shiny white backsplash, you can add a pop of contrasting texture to your space without disrupting your carefully curated palette.
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Invest in Unusual Drawer Pulls
Drawer pulls are one of the best places to take a risk. Why? Drawer pulls are low-commitment, compared to tile installs and built-in cabinetry. But since there are so many of them, they can change the way your space looks. So spring for a set that’s unusually eye-catching. And rest assured knowing that even in the worst-case scenario, you can simply return and replace them.
Adding New Hardware Is the One Thing I Always Do to Cheaply Upgrade My Rentals
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Choose a Paint Color You Wouldn’t Put Anywhere Else
It’s natural to want the rooms of your home to go together. After all, if houseguests are moving from space to space, you want their journey to feel cohesive—and a consistent palette is an easy way to ensure that. But since your laundry room is a closed-off, more private space, it’s a great place to experiment with bolder, more unusual colors. So take a risk on that striking shade of pink you’ve always loved. (And remember that you can always paint over it if something goes awry.)
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Store Your Detergent in Glass Jars
A store-bought box, bag, or bottle of detergent may not be the statement-making accent you’re looking for. So consider storing your detergent in a glass jar or bottle, instead. The switch will make your detergent pretty enough to display on your countertop, which will leave your space looking more decorated and your detergent easier to reach.
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Match Your Cabinets to Your Backsplash
Your backsplash doesn’t have to match anything else in the room. But by color-coordinating it with your laundry room cabinets, you can create a striking wall of color that’s sure to turn heads.
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Fill a Spacious Room With Massive Pendant Lights
When it comes to your laundry room light fixtures, don’t be afraid to go big. Sure, you don’t want a chandelier so massive it fills every inch of the room. But if your laundry room is big enough to accommodate a spacious island, you definitely have the ceiling space for a couple large pendant lights.
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Leave Some of Your Shelves Bare
Shelves are designed to be lined with stuff. But that doesn’t mean yours have to be full at all times. By leaving some of your shelves bare, you can visually declutter your space while adding flexibility to it. After all, don’t you want the ability to temporarily store stuff on your shelves as you wash and fold your laundry?
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Spruce Up Your Space With an Air Plant
Plants make a lovely addition to any space. But if your laundry room doesn’t get tons of light, you may want to stick with a low-maintenance option—like an air plant. Air plants are plants that don’t need to be potted, so they can thrive in the open air. Small, striking, and incredibly easy to take care of, air plants make delightful accent pieces. So toss a couple on your countertop, and let them brighten up your space.
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Design With the Rest of Your Home in Mind
Your laundry room doesn’t have to look like anything else in your home. But if you’re struggling to come up with fresh design ideas, the rest of your space can be a great source of inspiration. So think about the rooms, hallways, and spaces that lie just beyond your laundry room. Could these adjacent areas inspire your color, material, and pattern choices?
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Mix and Match Your Storage Setup
Most laundry rooms are filled with shelves and cabinets. But your storage set-up doesn’t have to stop there. By layering in clothing rods, woven baskets, storage trays, and more, you can give yourself all the options you need to keep your laundry tidy and your laundry supplies organized.
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Top Things Off With a Few Fun Details
Your laundry room may not be the most fun place in your home, but the right finishing touches can make it much more charming. So look for accents that’ll put a smile on your face every time you see them. Hang a playful sign, fill a vase with fresh flowers, or do whatever else you need to do to make laundry day feel fun—or at the very least, pleasant.
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Make the Space Your Own
Whenever you’re renovating or redecorating a space, you want to absolutely love your end result. So don’t be afraid to take a few risks. If you find yourself drawn to kitschy wallpaper, bold floor tiles, and striking marble countertops, treat yourself to all three. After all, you don’t want to end up with someone else’s version of a perfect laundry room—you want to end up with yours.