Before and After: 5 Laundry Rooms That Make Washday More Fun
Pretty wallpaper, pullout baskets and a bed for the pup help these laundry rooms work for their owners
Whether you enjoy doing the wash or would rather never see a bottle of detergent again, having an attractive place to clean your dirty laundry can make the task more pleasant. These five laundry spaces reflect how homeowners and designers changed these rooms for function as well as style. Which one is your favorite?
After: Pretty Cole & Son’s wallpaper brings personality to the room. This wallpaper is covered in tiny crystals for subtle shimmer. The renters worked with designer Leslie Landis to select fabric and trim for the custom Roman shades from the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. They installed crown molding to elevate the look.
The ceiling fixture came from another room in the apartment.
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The ceiling fixture came from another room in the apartment.
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2. Catchall to Contained in Cincinnati
Size: About 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Designer: Candice Mayhall of Sunday Home Interiors
Before: This laundry room entrance is right off the driveway, and the family that lives here uses it as the main entrance to the house. It’s also right off the kitchen and the family used it to stash items not needed every day, like serving platters and extra bottles of wine. And obviously, this is where the family does laundry. Given all these uses, the space often became cluttered.
Size: About 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Designer: Candice Mayhall of Sunday Home Interiors
Before: This laundry room entrance is right off the driveway, and the family that lives here uses it as the main entrance to the house. It’s also right off the kitchen and the family used it to stash items not needed every day, like serving platters and extra bottles of wine. And obviously, this is where the family does laundry. Given all these uses, the space often became cluttered.
After: The homeowners wanted this room to be both functional and fun. Custom off-white cabinets added storage while pendant lights brightened the space and added style. The doors below the folding counter are actually pullout laundry baskets. Adjustable shelving inside the cabinets holds serving, cooking and decorating tools. Cheery wallpaper in a fun feather pattern completes the look.
The side opposite the cabinets serves as a family closet, housing shoes, coats, scarves and backpacks.
Read more about this makeover
Read more about this makeover
3. Vintage to Current in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: About 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn
Before: This 1950s laundry room had maple cabinets, Formica counters and a toilet not quite hidden behind a door that didn’t reach the ground.
Size: About 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn
Before: This 1950s laundry room had maple cabinets, Formica counters and a toilet not quite hidden behind a door that didn’t reach the ground.
After: The homeowners were also remodeling their kitchen and decided to repurpose its white Shaker cabinets by using them here. To bring in more natural light, the designer opened up the previously walled-over window above the sink. She also removed the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving for a lighter, airier feel.
The floors are 12-by-24-inch slate tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.
The designer reconfigured and enlarged the bathroom, shown on the right side of this photo.
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The floors are 12-by-24-inch slate tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.
The designer reconfigured and enlarged the bathroom, shown on the right side of this photo.
Find slate floor tiles on Houzz
Here’s a look inside the expanded bathroom, which now has enough room for a small wall-mounted sink.
Read more about this makeover
Read more about this makeover
4. All-White to Colorful in Prospect, Kentucky
Size: 96 square feet (8.9 square meters)
Total cost: $1,370
Before: This laundry room was too much white for the homeowners, and they found that the upper cabinetry blocked natural light from the window from filling the room. The homeowners used the colorful rug, pictured here, as a starting point for a makeover.
Size: 96 square feet (8.9 square meters)
Total cost: $1,370
Before: This laundry room was too much white for the homeowners, and they found that the upper cabinetry blocked natural light from the window from filling the room. The homeowners used the colorful rug, pictured here, as a starting point for a makeover.
After: The homeowners did most of the work themselves, starting with removing the upper cabinets to let in the light. They added wood planks to the lower two-thirds of the walls and painted the planks a pale aqua (Barely Teal, Benjamin Moore). They also replaced the countertop with a laminate that mimics the look of marble.
The homeowners painted the cabinets themselves with Annie Sloan chalk paint followed by a coat of wax to seal the paint. They hired a professional installer to hang the cheery Amy Butler wallpaper.
Read more about this makeover
Read more about this makeover
5. Bland to Function-Packed in Pasadena, California
Size: 63 square feet (5.9 square meters)
Designer: Stefani Stein
Before: After many years of living with a basic laundry room, the homeowners decided to invest in one with all the functionality they wanted.
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Size: 63 square feet (5.9 square meters)
Designer: Stefani Stein
Before: After many years of living with a basic laundry room, the homeowners decided to invest in one with all the functionality they wanted.
Find an interior designer near you
After: Their wish list included a folding area, storage, pullout laundry baskets, a stackable washer and dryer, a pet water station and a dog bed.
Stein gave the homeowners storage next to and above their stackable units. She added pullout baskets and a pull-down drying rack on the back wall.
Stein gave the homeowners storage next to and above their stackable units. She added pullout baskets and a pull-down drying rack on the back wall.
Beneath the folding area is a dog bed, and at the end of the cabinets is the dog’s water station. The lower cabinet pulls out and contains bowls for the dog’s food.
Read more about this makeover
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Get inspired by more laundry room photos on Houzz
Read more about this makeover
More
Key Measurements for a Dream Laundry Room
It’s a Dog’s World in These Hardworking Laundry Rooms
Get inspired by more laundry room photos on Houzz
Size: 56 square feet (5.2 square meters)
Total cost: $2,320
Designer: Leslie Landis (window treatments)
Before: The residents of this Los Angeles apartment are renters and got their landlord’s permission to make improvements.