37 Ideas for a More Enjoyable Laundry Room

Laundry rooms need to be highly functional, but they don’t have to be purely practical.

Infusing personality with creative colors, attractive flooring, and unique touches can make this workspace surprisingly enjoyable.

As interior designer Claire Paquin notes, “It’s more fun to do laundry when you are in a happy space.”

Thoughtful additions like clever storage, appealing window treatments, or stylish light fixtures can transform the chore by improving the environment where you do it.

Black and White Laundry Room

Go clean and simple with a black and white color scheme in your laundry room.

A limited color palette is anything but boring when done right—incorporate a couple of solid colored surfaces such as white cabinets, add contrast through black hardware and fixtures, incorporate subtle pattern with shiplap walls, elevate the space with quartz countertops, and bring in natural materials such as wood shelves or stone tile to add warmth.

Geometric Floor Tile

Instead of adding pattern through a backsplash, bring in visual interest with a geometric floor tile.

It’s a clever way to break up a solid cabinet color and it incorporates a decorative feature, and on a practical note, it’s durable and easy to keep clean.

Laundry Room Floating Shelves

Laundry room with black and white wallpaper

Maximize vertical wall space in a small laundry room or closet and mount floating shelves above side-by-side appliances.

The shelves provide valuable storage, keep essentials within easy reach, and double as a display surface for decorative items.

Statement Light Fixture

Just because a laundry room is a utilitarian space by nature doesn’t mean you can’t add beautiful details!

Hang a statement light fixture to dress it up, draw the eyes up, and provide overhead lighting.

Laundry Closet Barn Doors

If your laundry appliances are located in a closet, hide the area behind a pair of beautiful barn doors.

These wooden doors add warmth to white walls and charcoal gray floor tile and they tie in wood accents inside the closet such as the floating shelves, a butcher block countertop, and wood hangers.

Barn doors are also highly practical for a laundry closet since they allow for ventilation, they hide clutter when needed, but they’re easy to open and don’t require any clearance.

Multi-Functional Laundry Room

Mudroom with sink, washer and dryer and sitting area.

This multi-functional laundry room doubles as a mudroom, which means its design needs to accommodate a variety of functions.

Built-in cabinets and drawers provide lots of hidden storage, open cubbies and shelves keep frequently used items on hand, and a rustic floor tile and dark cabinet color are a practical choice since they hide dirt and scuff marks—something that’s key in a hard-working space such as this!

Colorful Wall Tile

laundry room with graphic blue/white wallpaper, antique folding table, handing racks and organizer totes

Use a colorful wall tile to create visual interest in a small laundry room.

This bold blue and white geometric tile packs a big punch and along with a reclaimed wood cabinet, it instantly gives the space personality and a playful edge.

Elegant Laundry Room Decor

Elevate your laundry room with a charming floral wallpaper, an elegant brass light fixture, warm white cabinets, framed artwork, and potted topiaries.

The lovely details dress up the hard-working space and create a crisp and clean aesthetic that’s perfectly fitting for a laundry room.

Laundry Room Paint Colors

Add a whimsical touch to your laundry room with an unexpected cabinet color that you perhaps wouldn’t use on kitchen cabinetry.

Here, the vibrant blue-green paint color brightens the room and is balanced out with more neutral features such as matte black hardware, white wall tile, and wicker storage baskets.

Laundry Room with Wood Accents

Incorporate wood accents into your laundry room through shelves, countertops, picture frames, doors, and trim.

The natural material has a warm, welcoming, and timeless feel, can take on any look since you can leave it natural or stain it, and it complements any design style.

Decorate With an Area Rug

Pin Design by Kate Marker Interiors / Stoffer Photography

Make your laundry room feel cozier with an area rug.

Kate Marker Interiors chose a vintage rug in a bold pattern that complements a multi-globe bubble pendant light to add some flair to this neutral space.

Maximize Natural Light

Pin Michelle Berwick Design

Place a hanging rod by the window in your laundry room that will allow you to practically air dry your clothes on a nice day.

Michelle Berwick Design chose a brass rod with matching hangers to complement the cabinetry hardware in this modern laundry room.

Optimize the Layout

Pin Jessica Nelson Design / Carina Skrobecki Photography

Maximize storage in an attic laundry room with a galley-style layout.

Jessica Nelson Design painted laundry room cabinetry in a soft gray and finished with countertops that optimize the slanted ceilings.

Hang Some Art

Pin Desiree Burns Interiors

Create a focal point in your laundry room by hanging a favorite piece of framed art or photography on the wall.

Desiree Burns Interiors chose a nature-inspired piece in a white frame to complement this contemporary all-white space.

Include an Island

Pin Whitney Parkinson Design

Add an island in the center of a spacious laundry room for extra functionality.

Whitney Parkinson Design chose a freestanding stainless steel island with a marble top to complement the cabinet and drawer pulls in this serene space.

Hang an Oversized Pendant

Pin Design by Kate Marker Interiors / Stoffer Photography

Create a focal point in a spacious laundry room with an oversized pendant light.

Kate Marker Interiors anchored a central island with a dramatic frosted glass and brass fixture that structures the airy space.

Stack the Appliances

Pin Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Save space in a small laundry room with stacked appliances.

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona paired glossy black appliances with white Shaker-style cabinetry and gold accents on cabinet pulls and an overhead lighting fixture to create a chic, functional room with a touch of glam.

Source Budget-Friendly Decor

Pin Thistlewood Farms

Outfit your laundry on a budget using thrifted furniture and storage pieces.

Paint walls, trim, and furniture white for a cohesive look.

Accent With Wood

Pin Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

Warm up your laundry room with wood accents.

Cathie Hong Interiors paired natural wood base cabinets with a laundry enclosure and a pair of floating shelves in a rich walnut to complement this midcentury modern space.

Try a One-Wall Layout

Pin Jules Interiors

Optimize space by organizing your laundry room along a single wall.

Jules Interiors installed built-ins that extend from floor to ceiling to maximize vertical space.

Open shelving lined with baskets keeps countertops organized and clutter-free.

Choose an Industrial Sink

Pin A Beautiful Mess

Give a modern laundry room an industrial feel with a stainless steel utility sink.

A Beautiful Mess paired the freestanding sink with black cabinetry and white subway tile with black grout match the industrial aesthetic.

Install Multiple Sinks for Washing

If you tend to wash garments by hand—and if space allows—consider installing multiple sinks similar to this laundry room design by Bethany Adams Interiors.

The cheerful yellow sinks, background, and pedestals make it feel more homey versus industrial.

Try a Classic Checkerboard Pattern

black and white checkerboard laundry room

Black and white checkerboard is a classic pick for the kitchen, but also consider it for your laundry room.

As you can see in this design by Bria Hammel Interiors, the clean contrast keeps the space looking chic while lending a little bit of a playful feel, too.

Build a Shelf Over Your Units

Your washer and dryer take up quite a bit of square footage in the laundry room, but you can reclaim some of this space by building a shelf over the units.

This creates a workable area for folding and sorting, and also gives you more room for storage.

Embrace Wooden Cabinets

Painting over wooden cabinets is a trendy way to spruce up your space, but you can take a different route if you like the look of those earthy wooden tones.

If yours could use a refresh, sand them down and re-stain. These match the wood floors perfectly for a cohesive look.

Hang a Chandelier

There’s no rule that says you can’t have a little fancy fun in your laundry room.

Instead of a basic light fixture, spruce up this otherwise utilitarian space with a chandelier that fits your aesthetic.

Incorporate Ample Storage

Incorporate storage solutions wherever possible in order to maximize your laundry room’s functionality.

Here, designer Kristen Elizabeth added both upper and lower wall cabinetry, a clothing rod, and countertops.

Add a Non-Laundry Work Station

Make your laundry room a true hangout zone by creating a place to get other work done.

This seating area with low countertops, designed by Maggie Griffin, is a great place for kids to do homework or parents to tackle other to-dos while the laundry spins.