Got a tiny laundry room in need of some love? Here are fifteen small laundry room makeover ideas to take it from blah to beautiful – sustainably. And make it more functional too!
I’ve never had a large laundry room. Except maybe when I was a kid and our laundry area was in the middle of an unfinished basement… does that count?
Either way, a vast area where you have tons of room to spread out and wash laundry, dry laundry, sort laundry, fold laundry – who has that kind of space? Not I.
Even in the home I custom-designed myself, I still couldn’t get behind the idea of giving over so much space to dirty clothing. Because it’s not necessary!
All you really need is a well-organized, simple laundry room, that feels nice, looks nice and is earth-conscious.
So here are fifteen small laundry room renovation ideas, tips and tricks. Some are practical and some are more decor-focused. Plus, for each of the following ideas there’s also a “Make It Green” tip.
You know I can’t let a whole post go buy without talking about all the sustainable ways to create a beautiful home. Laundry rooms deserve to be eco-conscious too!
And if you just can’t get enough of the whole beautiful-meets-sustainable vibe, check out my post on how to incorporate coastal interior design into your home. I mean, a coastal-inspired laundry room… yes please!
- Easy Small Laundry Room Makeover Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Bigger
- Laundry Closet Ideas to Maximize Your Tiny Space
- Small Laundry Room Cabinet Ideas for Tons of Storage
- Ideas for a Small Laundry Room with Top Loading Washer
- Small Laundry Room Ideas with Sink Space
- Small Laundry Room Accent Wall Ideas
- Laundry Room Decor Ideas to Make Your Space Look Pretty
A big thank you to Earth Breeze for sponsoring this post. Please know that I strive to only feature companies and brands that value sustainability as much as I do. Note that Of Houses and Trees also contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase a small percentage of the sale goes to yours truly. Thank you for your support!
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Easy Small Laundry Room Makeover Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Bigger
Before you go knocking out walls or installing floor to ceiling cabinets, there are a few things you can do that take very little work and yet give you maximum results. Here are three simple things you can do to make your small laundry room feel just a little bit bigger.
Minimize your laundry supplies
Liquid detergent, fabric softener, stain remover – all in big plastic jugs. No wonder it feels like you have no space! Ditch the unsustainable laundry supplies and replace them with items in much smaller packaging. You’ll be amazed how uncluttered your laundry room feels.
Make it Green: Check out Earth Breeze! I recently started using their liquid-free laundry sheets and the packaging is so compact it’s literally the size of a small notepad. Plus, the paper packaging is easy to recycle and even better – the detergent itself is mess-free, fully biodegradable and smells really, really good.
Install an outdoor clothesline
What better way to maximize your laundry space than to extend it outside? Drying your clothes outside when the weather is warm is so lovely and means you’re not taking up indoor space to line dry. Plus, it makes your clothes smell so, so good.
Make it Green: It’s already super green! Drying your clothes using the power of the sun and the breeze saves on electricity. Which is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for you bank account.
Keep it tidy
So, maybe this is just me… but I am definitely guilty of just plopping random things on top of my washer and dryer (and on the floor) of my laundry room thinking I’ll “deal with it later.” I’m going to start trying to be more mindful about keeping my laundry room cleaner so it doesn’t feel so cramped.
Make it Green: Make sure if you decide to declutter you donate usable items to your local thrift store. Even things you may think are destined for the trash – like torn clothing – can sometimes be donated to organizations that recycle fabric.
Laundry Closet Ideas to Maximize Your Tiny Space
Oh, the laundry closet – it doesn’t get any tinier than that! You may feel like your options are extremely limited in such a small space. But never fear! Here are a couple of solutions to make a space feel bigger and brighter.
Go light
Colour is fun, but in a teeny, tiny laundry closet, white cabinets and a white countertop can really help open the space up. And if you don’t want to go 100% white, you can still add some intrigue with a cool backsplash.
Make it Green: Don’t rip out your existing cabinets just because they’re too dark. Paint them a bright white and keep them out of the landfill.
Install a barn door
No one likes a closet door that swings or folds out and gets in the way. This is the reason why barn doors are so popular, in my opinion. They still hide what’s behind them, but they’re so sleek they never feel like they’re in the way. Plus, you can paint them your favourite colour for an added design element.
Make it Green: We have three barn doors in our home, two of them were made from reclaimed pallets and the third was thrifted. It’s barn door heaven – with minimal environmental impact.
Small Laundry Room Cabinet Ideas for Tons of Storage
A clean and organized laundry room just doesn’t exist without cabinets to stash away your stuff. But in a small space, you’ve got to be smart about your layout – so check out these brilliant ideas!
Put cabinets everywhere – even in front of your washer and dryer
Want to make your laundry room look like it isn’t even a laundry room? Turn it into a storage space with cabinets everywhere and hide your washer and dryer behind vented doors.
Make it Green: Instead of buying new, head to a salvage shop to look for reclaimed cabinets that will fit your space.
Install cabinets with varying depths
Nobody likes leaning over a counter and bonking their head on an overhead cabinet. But that doesn’t mean that just because you have a small space you should forgo cabinets altogether. Instead, install uppers with an extra narrow depth so they don’t stick out as far. There are still all kinds of things you can tuck inside – even with the reduced space.
Make it Green: Sometimes when we need something custom it makes more sense to buy new. Just make sure to source out a local, eco-responsible cabinet maker.
Need help choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? That’s what I’m here for!
Ideas for a Small Laundry Room with Top Loading Washer
Not everyone has – or wants – a front loading washing machine. We had a top loading washer at our old house and had be to smart about how we used our teeny laundry space. Because when your washing machine lid flip ups – you have to maximize the space above without creating a crash zone.
Install a narrow floating shelf above the washer
Just because you have a top loading washer doesn’t mean you can’t have shelves above it. Measure how much space you need above the lid to flip it open a decent amount, then install a shelf that’s narrow enough to fit in that space.
Make it Green: Order a custom reclaimed wood floating shelf from a small business on Etsy.
Add a fold down drying rack above the washer
Got to love a fold down clothes hanger. Not only are they super handy for drying delicates on, but they fold up so neatly when not in use it’s like they’re not even there.
Make it Green: DIY you very own fold down drying rack out of reclaimed materials. Even if you can’t find the materials secondhand, buying your own pieces from your local home store and building it yourself is better than ordering a mass-produced one.
Small Laundry Room Ideas with Sink Space
Anyone else go to sleep dreaming of the day you have a gorgeous vintage farmhouse sink in your laundry room… or is that just me? Whether your dream sink is ceramic, stainless steel or any other material – you gotta agree a sink in the laundry room is a huge plus.
Install as big of a sink as you can get away with
Some laundry sink models can be super tiny, which is great if that’s all you have room for. But don’t install a small sink just because that’s typical. Measure your space and put as wide and as deep of a sink as you can. Your future self will thank you.
Make it Green: Scour your local buy and sells for all kinds of sinks – not just laundry room specific. I found both our bathroom sinks online, still in their boxes. Not exactly secondhand, but not brand new either.
Use the space above the sink to hang clothes
There are all kinds of things you can install above a sink to maximize the space. But my favourite idea is to use it to hang clothes to dry.
Make it Green: Hanging clothes to dry instead of putting them in the dryer is already pretty green, but if you need new hangers – these wooden hangers are made from sustainable Hevea wood.
Small Laundry Room Accent Wall Ideas
Hopefully the above small laundry room remodel ideas and tweaks were helpful, because now it’s time to move onto the fun stuff. The finishes and decor! One way to add a bit of personality to a very small space is to install an accent wall. And the great thing about a wall feature in a small space is it doesn’t have to be expensive to have maximum impact.
Grey vertical shiplap wall
Vertical shiplap! Sorry I just get really excited when I see shiplap done in a way other than horizontal and white. Don’t get me wrong, a classic horizontal white shiplap wall is pretty. But it’s also overdone, am I right? By simply installing it in another direction and painting it a bolder colour – now instead of being kinda “meh” it’s kinda “wow.”
Make it Green: This shiplap by MURdesign is made from recycled wood and comes primed and ready to paint any colour. Plus you can totally install it vertically! (We have MURdesign’s recycled ceiling tile in our basement and we love it.)
Subtle patterned subway wall
White subway tile is kind of like horizontal white shiplap. It’s nice. It’s classic. But it’s a bit boring. There are so many other tile patterns, shapes and sizes you can do, but if you really love a subway tile and just want to mix it up – find one with a bit of subtle variation.
Make it Green: Fireclay, a Certified B Corporation, seriously has the most beautiful tile I’ve ever seen. And it’s all handmade. Every. Single. Piece.
Laundry Room Decor Ideas to Make Your Space Look Pretty
Pretty and laundry in the same sentence? Yes, ma’am! I mean, that’s the goal of this whole post isn’t it? To find ways to make your laundry room actually like nice, while also being functional, while also being sustainable? Here are two of my best tips for on how to decorate a small laundry room.
Make it personal
A laundry room is not just some area of the house to wash and fold things. It’s a part of your home and thus it should be personalized the same way the rest of your living spaces are. Vases, flowers, artwork and things you’ve collected over the years should all proudly be on display.
Make it Green: Head to the thrift store and see what you can find. Go with an open mind and think outside the box. Sure that generic yet still kind of cute laundry room sign might seem to fit the bill, but is it special? Because if it’s going to live in your home – it should be!
Don’t skimp on the details
How much do you love all the hints of brass in this gorgeous laundry room? Even if the vintage-look isn’t your thing, there are so many ways you can add in little details to make your laundry room far from basic.
Make it Green: Check out these handmade brass and pearl cabinet pulls. Now THAT’S what I call detail.
There you have it! Fifteen simple laundry room ideas that’ll have you finding excuses to spend time washing and folding. And don’t forget to check out Earth Breeze. For every package you purchase, they donate ten loads of laundry to people in need.
Need help creating a functional, sustainable laundry space? Hit me up! Because helping you create a an eco-haven is what I do best.
What’s your laundry room situation currently like? Any plans to make it more functional and/or just look prettier? Let me know in the comments!
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Posted on July 25, 2022
Need help choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? That’s what I’m here for!
Former architectural technologist. Current treehugger.
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