5 Ways to Upgrade Your Laundry Room
When it comes to home renovation and interior design, we tend to focus on the spaces that see the most people—or, to put it another way, that the most people see—such as the living room or outdoor areas. For this reason, it can be easy to overlook some of the less-visited parts of our homes...like the laundry room.
Although your laundry room might not merit the first stop on a tour when guests drop by to see your new build, here at Shoreline, we believe that this high-performance zone within your home still deserves some love. There are several ways you can upgrade your laundry room to maximize not only space, but also efficiency the next time laundry day rolls around. Let’s take a look at some of those options now!
Add Wallpaper to Brighten Up the Space
The laundry room isn’t frequently visited by guests, so it’s often left with minimal decor and a basic color palette. However, if you’re tired of staring at that bland white wall every time you move your clothes from the washer to the dryer, consider adding wallpaper to give your space some oomph.
Wallpaper is an easy way to reflect your personality within the walls of your home. Here are a few of our favorite wallpaper ideas (and be sure to check out our Instagram for more design inspo!):
Are you an outdoorsy type? Add a wallpaper with live oak, southern red cedar, or magnolia trees or branches to remind you of the Lowcountry’s Maritime Forest. Floral wallpaper is always beautiful as well!
On the other end of the spectrum, for a bold punch, pair a patterned wallpaper with bright furnishings and accents—think painted cabinetry or a colorful refrigerator stocked with drinks and snacks.
If you have a smaller laundry room, going with a more subdued color or smaller pattern will help your space appear larger than it is.
Regardless of the wallpaper you choose, make sure that it’s laundry-room friendly; it should be able to stand up to fluctuations in temperature and humidity caused by your washer and dryer.
Install Counters for Easier Folding and Loading
Rather than lug a heap of laundry into another room of your home to fold before carrying it all into your closet, add features to your laundry room that will allow you to do it all in one place!
Depending on your laundry room’s layout and the type of washer and dryer you have, there are multiple ways you can add counter space:
For side-loading washers and dryers, consider adding butcher-block countertops right above your appliances. Use the counter space to fold clothes or temporarily hold laundry baskets...and eliminate the need to bend over, grab clothes, stand up and repeat.
If you have a top-loading washer and dryer, or if your appliances are stacked on top of each other, incorporate a cabinet with a countertop on one side, or install built-in cabinets on the opposite wall.
Upgrade Your Appliances
You accidentally spilled wine on your favorite shirt, the kids came back inside with their shorts covered in grass stains, and one of your towels is covered in mud after cleaning off the dog’s paws; what a mess!
Ideally, you’ll want to be able to rinse these items off and get them into the washer immediately so those stains don’t settle in. Why not make things more convenient by installing a built-in utility sink in your laundry room?
And you don’t have to stop there! If you always seem to run out of room in your kitchen fridge, but have plenty of space in the laundry room, add a secondary refrigerator for drinks, snacks, and any other backstock from the main fridge.
Add Built-In Storage for Laundry Essentials
No one likes a messy laundry room; if it’s meant for cleaning, it should at least look clean, right? To get organized and clear clutter, add built-in storage!
- Instead of leaving your detergent and dryer sheets on top of your washer and dryer, add floating shelves or cubbies to store laundry supplies in style.
- Incorporate a storage closet for tucking away your ironing board, vacuum, and other essentials.
- If storage space is a concern, adding built-ins in the laundry room will give you a few extra spots for spare towels, extra blankets and bedding, and seasonal decor.
Double it Up as a Mudroom
Finally, if you have the space, you can also make your laundry room multifunctional by doubling it up as a mudroom. Make your space kid, pet, and dirt-friendly by installing hooks, cubbies, and a washing station. Add shelves, cabinetry, and a coat closet and voila—you’ve got the mudroom you’ve always wanted!
