4 Stylish New Laundry Rooms
Pros share ideas for color, pattern and features that raise the drying bar on how a laundry space can look and feel
These days it’s common knowledge that spiffing up a laundry room can make the chore more enjoyable. But where to start? Here, designers share ideas for cabinet colors, wallpaper patterns, sink styles, flooring materials and other fashionable features that can elevate the look and feel of a laundry room.
2. Dapper and Durable
Designer: Abbi Williams of Red Door Design Studio
Location: Atlanta
Size: 242 square feet (22 square meters); 11 by 22 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This busy young family with dogs needed a central hub for everything from washing baseball jerseys to feeding dogs to drying pool towels,” designer Abbi Williams says.
Special features. Rattan panels on the tall cabinet doors disguise a drying rack. “Dog kennels are built in the base cabinets flanking the washer and dryer so they’re out of the way,” Williams says. “We continued the brick flooring into the kennels for easy cleaning. The homeowners simply added dog beds to complete the space. We used the same brick flooring that was installed in the adjacent mudroom to help unify the back of the house visually.”
The trim and baseboards are painted in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball.
Designer tip. “Always add a pullout trash to the built-in cabinetry,” Williams says. “You can see there is a small door on the lower right side of the full-height cabinet. That’s the pullout trash.”
Browse laundry room appliances in the Houzz Shop
Designer: Abbi Williams of Red Door Design Studio
Location: Atlanta
Size: 242 square feet (22 square meters); 11 by 22 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This busy young family with dogs needed a central hub for everything from washing baseball jerseys to feeding dogs to drying pool towels,” designer Abbi Williams says.
Special features. Rattan panels on the tall cabinet doors disguise a drying rack. “Dog kennels are built in the base cabinets flanking the washer and dryer so they’re out of the way,” Williams says. “We continued the brick flooring into the kennels for easy cleaning. The homeowners simply added dog beds to complete the space. We used the same brick flooring that was installed in the adjacent mudroom to help unify the back of the house visually.”
The trim and baseboards are painted in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball.
Designer tip. “Always add a pullout trash to the built-in cabinetry,” Williams says. “You can see there is a small door on the lower right side of the full-height cabinet. That’s the pullout trash.”
Browse laundry room appliances in the Houzz Shop
3. Pretty and Patterned
Designer: Samantha Bailey of The Design Shop
Builder: New Leaf Custom Homes
Location: Dallas
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters); 7 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. “For this newly built home, the client asked for a fun and colorful space that added some vibrance to their overall neutral home,” designer Samantha Bailey says.
Special features. “The client wanted a floor tile with an encaustic look to it but without the maintenance of cement tile,” Bailey says. “Once we found the tile we liked, we coordinated the cabinet color to the tile.
“Also, the floor plan of the home is designed on an angle and this laundry room ended up in a triangular corner of the home. We squared off one of the corners and built a dog shower into the narrow angle for the clients’ rescue greyhound pups.”
Designer tip. “A laundry room is an opportunity to make a fun space for a not-so-fun chore,” Bailey says.
Floor tile: Mercado porcelain in blue, Adessi, Floor & Decor
The 10 Most Popular Laundry Rooms of Spring 2023
Designer: Samantha Bailey of The Design Shop
Builder: New Leaf Custom Homes
Location: Dallas
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters); 7 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. “For this newly built home, the client asked for a fun and colorful space that added some vibrance to their overall neutral home,” designer Samantha Bailey says.
Special features. “The client wanted a floor tile with an encaustic look to it but without the maintenance of cement tile,” Bailey says. “Once we found the tile we liked, we coordinated the cabinet color to the tile.
“Also, the floor plan of the home is designed on an angle and this laundry room ended up in a triangular corner of the home. We squared off one of the corners and built a dog shower into the narrow angle for the clients’ rescue greyhound pups.”
Designer tip. “A laundry room is an opportunity to make a fun space for a not-so-fun chore,” Bailey says.
Floor tile: Mercado porcelain in blue, Adessi, Floor & Decor
The 10 Most Popular Laundry Rooms of Spring 2023
4. Soft and Serene
Designer: Darci Tee of TKS Design Group
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 78 square feet (7.3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The laundry room is located right off the kitchen and guests can easily see inside,” designer Darci Tee says. “We wanted it to feel like an extension of the kitchen, so aesthetic was top priority. She also needed some space to fold.”
Special features. “We opted for a Native Trails handmade concrete sink,” Tee says. “They are eco-friendly and stain-, scratch- and crack-resistant. They also look amazing. The cabinet that houses the sink was custom-built and on legs so the homeowner can access the floor drain below. The cabinets above the sink house a laundry chute inside too. Replacing the cabinets with a lighter and simple style made the room appear bigger, brighter and cleaner. We also included a linen and broom closet with electrical inside so she could store and charge her vacuum.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “After we started to construct the panels around the laundry unit, we realized that the dryer was vented from the bottom and through the floor, not through the back how most are vented,” Tee says. “This made it impossible to move once the countertop was in place. After a bit of hesitation, we decided to make an access panel from inside the sink cabinet that would unhook the vent. We had to put many heads together, including our plumber and HVAC contractor, to decide on the best way to fix this issue.”
Sink: Farmhouse in Slate, 30 inches, Native Trails; faucet: Neera in matte black; Pfister; cabinets: Slimline maple in Silver Bay, Artizen; countertops and backsplash: quartz; wall paint: London Fog, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
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Browse newly featured laundry rooms
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Shop for laundry room products on Houzz
Designer: Darci Tee of TKS Design Group
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 78 square feet (7.3 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The laundry room is located right off the kitchen and guests can easily see inside,” designer Darci Tee says. “We wanted it to feel like an extension of the kitchen, so aesthetic was top priority. She also needed some space to fold.”
Special features. “We opted for a Native Trails handmade concrete sink,” Tee says. “They are eco-friendly and stain-, scratch- and crack-resistant. They also look amazing. The cabinet that houses the sink was custom-built and on legs so the homeowner can access the floor drain below. The cabinets above the sink house a laundry chute inside too. Replacing the cabinets with a lighter and simple style made the room appear bigger, brighter and cleaner. We also included a linen and broom closet with electrical inside so she could store and charge her vacuum.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “After we started to construct the panels around the laundry unit, we realized that the dryer was vented from the bottom and through the floor, not through the back how most are vented,” Tee says. “This made it impossible to move once the countertop was in place. After a bit of hesitation, we decided to make an access panel from inside the sink cabinet that would unhook the vent. We had to put many heads together, including our plumber and HVAC contractor, to decide on the best way to fix this issue.”
Sink: Farmhouse in Slate, 30 inches, Native Trails; faucet: Neera in matte black; Pfister; cabinets: Slimline maple in Silver Bay, Artizen; countertops and backsplash: quartz; wall paint: London Fog, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
Read more laundry room stories
Browse newly featured laundry rooms
Hire a cabinet pro
Shop for laundry room products on Houzz
Designer: Melissa McLay Interiors
Builder: Mueller Homes
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 9 by 12 feet
Homeowners’ request. Open and expand the laundry room to create an airy space for doing laundry as well as wrapping gifts. This was part of a major home renovation by a retired couple with five grown kids and lots of grandchildren.
Special features. Blue cabinets (Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore). Blue patterned wallpaper and shade fabric. Folding counters. Hanging rod. Window seat. White oak flooring. Utility sink with quartz backsplash.
Designer tip. “We wanted this space to be fun and inviting so chores would be more pleasurable,” designer Melissa McLay says. “The bench is a fun and welcoming focal point as you walk down the hallway before entering the space.”
Wallpaper: Trilby in Blue Navy Dots, Quadrille Wallpapers and Fabrics; artwork: 2021 “Fetch!”, Nancy Hammond
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