5 Epic Before & After Laundry Room Transformations
Pretty wallpaper, pullout baskets and a bed for the pup help these laundry rooms work for their owners
Erin Carlyle
8 September 2020
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
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 favourite?
1. Basic to blue in Los Angeles
Size: 5.2 square metres (56 square feet)
Designer: Leslie Landis (window treatments)
Before
The residents of this Los Angeles apartment are renters and got their landlord’s permission to make improvements.
Size: 5.2 square metres (56 square feet)
Designer: Leslie Landis (window treatments)
Before
The residents of this Los Angeles apartment are renters and got their landlord’s permission to make improvements.
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 moulding to elevate the look.
The ceiling fixture came from another room in the apartment.
Confused between paint and wallpaper?
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 moulding to elevate the look.
The ceiling fixture came from another room in the apartment.
Confused between paint and wallpaper?
2. Catchall to contained in Cincinnati
Size: 6.5 square metres (about 70 square feet)
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: 6.5 square metres (about 70 square feet)
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 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.
3. Vintage to current in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Size: 28 square metres (about 300 square feet)
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: 28 square metres (about 300 square feet)
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 remodelling 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.
See these popular patterns for flooring
The homeowners were also remodelling 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.
See these popular patterns for flooring
Here’s a look inside the expanded bathroom, which now has enough room for a small wall-mounted sink.
4. All-white to colourful in Prospect, Kentucky
Size: 8.9 square metres (96 square feet)
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 colourful rug, pictured here, as a starting point for a makeover.
Take a look at these top laundry rooms on Houzz
Size: 8.9 square metres (96 square feet)
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 colourful rug, pictured here, as a starting point for a makeover.
Take a look at these top laundry rooms on Houzz
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 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.
5. Bland to function-packed in Pasadena, California
Size: 5.9 square metres (63 square feet)
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.
Size: 5.9 square metres (63 square feet)
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.
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.
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.
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:
10 Most Popular Laundry Rooms on Houzz
Tell us:
Did you recently re-do your laundry room? Share images and your ideas in the Comments below.
Read more:
10 Most Popular Laundry Rooms on Houzz
Tell us:
Did you recently re-do your laundry room? Share images and your ideas in the Comments below.
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@aquelinda - great example of how small can be both beautiful and functional. You must be very happy with the result.
How to make laundry more enjoyable? Put up beautiful wallpaper.
@bubblyjock We've had that paper up for 2 years now, and there's nary a speck of dryer lint on it. Our dryer vents to the outside via the window.