Laundry room renovations

10 Before and After Laundry Room Remodels

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel is an interior design expert who has covered architecture, interiors, and decor trends for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Lonny, and the American and international editions of Elle Decor. She resides in Paris, France, and has traveled to over 30 countries, giving her a global perspective on home design.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 11/17/22

A laundry room makeover can make a big difference for how you feel about having to do the laundry. Who wants to fold socks in a drab room?

Here are 10 before and after laundry room remodels to inspire you.

01 of 10
Before: Small, Windowless, and Cluttered

A Beautiful Mess

This laundry room transformation from Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess shows what a difference just a lick of bold paint can make.
After: Fresh Forest Green

A Beautiful Mess / Jenna Sue Design

Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess chose to saturate the walls in forest green paint that adds a fresh feel and provides contrast to make white appliances, ceiling, and window paint and added shelving pop.
Elsie says that the kitchen and laundry room had an open door that felt a bit too exposed, so she chose to add a veil of privacy in the form of a beaded curtain. Instead of a door, which would have had to swing into the kitchen to open, it adds interest and preserves an easy flow from room to room. "It felt a little unconventional to me," she says,"but the function worked so well that I went for it anyway."
02 of 10
Before: Small, Windowless, and Cluttered

Orlando Soria

For his first stand-alone laundry room makeover, interior designer Orlando Soria took on this small, windowless space next to a family of seven's kitchen that doubles as a food pantry. "The room was neither functional nor aesthetically pleasing before," Soria says. With a washer and dryer stacked to save space that meant there was no place to fold laundry or house a laundry basket. Soria says his mission was to create a "pretty, soothing" room where the family could "do laundry in peace."
After: Streamlined and Sleek

Orlando Soria

Orlando says he learned some important lessons from the laundry room makeover. "In a small space that lacks personality, go bold with wall color," he says, in order to give a dark space vibrancy and personality. Here Soria chose Annapolis Green by Benjamin Moore. The interior designer also notes that adding counter space to create an area to fold laundry is "crucial to the room's functionality." Since this particular laundry room doubles as a food pantry off the kitchen, he chose locally sourced walnut for open shelving lined with attractive storage containers to hide clutter.
03 of 10
Before: Drab and Boring
Thalita Murray
Thalita Murray transformed this drab, boring and underutilized space into a beautiful oasis for the most mundane of tasks.
After: Pretty in Pink

Thalita Murray

xFor this striking laundry room makeover, Thalita Murray moved and painted the original cabinetry; added shelving in between the cabinets to create a custom built-in look; created a countertop on top of the machines; and added a place to store laundry baskets.
She painted cabinets in Lichen by Fusion Mineral Paint and walls in Peach Rose by Behr. She also installed a farmhouse sink and added cheerful wallpaper with a lemon motif (Lovely Lemons by Walls Need Love).
Decorative touches include a faux fiddle leaf fig from Afloral, a letterboard, a large clock, and a braided jute rug to keep bare feet warm while socks are in the wash.
04 of 10
Before: Converted Exterior Porch
Jenna Sue Design
The laundry room is often the smallest room in the house, but this makeover from Jenna Sue Design, which took an exterior porch turned laundry room to the next level shows that even the most modest spaces can deliver great impact with well thought out design. "The size and configuration certainly limits the potential in here, but I was determined to make the most of it on a small budget and time frame," says Jenna Sue.
After: Pretty and Functional Laundry Room

Jenna Sue Design

Floors became the focal point for this dramatic makeover from Jenna Sue Design with a whimsical custom penny tile design that she created and refined in Photoshop for weeks until she got it right. She lightened up the dark wood ceiling with HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Softened Green to maintain a light and airy earthy feel, introduced butcher block counter top shelving and botanical wallpaper for a touch of the organic, added dark modern appliances and a mix of open and closed storage.
How To Install Butcher Block Countertops
05 of 10
Before: Cramped, Dated, and Sad
The green eyed girl
"There is something about a smaller space that gives me a bit more confidence to step outside of my comfort zone," says Claire Wainwright from The green eyed girl, "and the utility room was the perfect room to do exactly that. " Normally a fan of all-white interiors, she says she was hoping to up the wow factor and include a darker color palette.
After: Modern Utilitarian

The green eyed girl

"I really wanted to test out some dark paint and knew the utility room could take it," says Claire. "With light coming from both ends of the room, white tiles, and white cupboards already installed, there wasn’t that much wall space to paint so I thought I would just go ahead and give it a go." She chose Down Pipe by Farrow and Ball, which she says changes with the light, appearing black one hour and green the next (and gray in the photo above). The dark color plays beautifully against the crisp white tiles, sink, and appliances. To ensure the mostly monochromatic room didn't feel too cold, she added decorative objects, pictures and oak accents like wooden slat blinds on the window.
"The utility room now somehow looks brighter and bigger with the changes," she says. "It has become a stylish destination rather than a scruffy afterthought and I am so glad I took the risk to go bold and brave!"
06 of 10
Before: Dark and Dated
Developing Bliss Photography / At Home With Ashley
Ashley Wilson from At Home With Ashley took the dark and dated laundry space in her 1905 Victorian Fairview Cottage and did a gut renovation to transform the room. She and her husband tore out and vaulted the ceiling; painted the floor; added shiplap to the ceiling; replaced the unsightly old water heater with a tankless version; added tile and wallpaper; and built a pedestal for the washer and dryer with a folding countertop.
18 Ways to Decorate With Shiplap
After: Light and Fresh

Developing Bliss Photography / At Home With Ashley

"I love how wallpaper pulls together a room like nothing else can!" says Ashley. For the dramatic laundry room transformation, she chose a fun pattern that blends traditional and modern aesthetics (Euphemia 5 Wallpaper from Milton & King). "The wallpaper absolutely makes the space," she says. "I love the circles of botanical art that are inspired by an Australian artist from the early 1900’s!"
Subway tile is a timeless classic that works well in her period house, and she chose gold Schluter for a modern twist, tiling the three walls surrounding the washing machine. "The space feels so clean now with the walls of tile!" she says. "Which seems perfect for a laundry room!" Finally, adding millwork—baseboards, crown molding, shiplap, casing and wainscot cap—gave the room depth and character. "This used to be a porch," Ashley says," But with the beautiful trim, it definitely doesn’t feel like one anymore!"
07 of 10
Before: Tired and Underwhelming
Brepurposed
Bre Bertolini of Brepurposed turned a tired-looking laundry space into a crisp, functional, and decidedly good looking room with this impressive makeover.
After: Crisp White and Navy Blue

Brepurposed

For this laundry room makeover from Bre Bertolini of Brepurposed, she painted cabinetry navy blue (Anchors Aweigh by Sherwin Williams) and added an IKON sink from Blanco. "I wanted a pull down since the sink is so big," she says. "It makes it easier to wash it out and it will be nice for getting out stains."
Open wood shelving above the washer and dryer and black brackets spray painted in gold for an inexpensive, high end look and an old door slab repurposed as a countertop creates a butcher block effect. Succulents, a letterboard, and a vintage rug add a decorative touch.
08 of 10
Before: Cluttered Corner of the Garage
Anita Yokota
Interior designer Anita Yokota says she battled with a tiny corner of her cluttered garage that served as a makeshift laundry room for a decade before she finally decided to transform the jumbled space.
After: A Dedicated Space That's Stylish and Functional

Anita Yokota

Anita decluttered the space, added epoxy flooring, wallpaper, a countertop, a utility sink, and open shelving. She chose a metallic rose gold finish for her washer and dryer, a fiddle leaf fig, wallpaper from Rebecca Atwood, open shelving, and baskets to store laundry essentials such as liquid detergent, dryer balls, and cleaning supplies. "Since transforming my garage into a laundry oasis," Anita says, "I seriously have been meditating in here while I do a load of laundry."
09 of 10
Before: Lacking Functionality and Style

Jenna Sue Design

Jenna Sue of Jenna Sue Design and her husband Brad "created a brand new room from an awkward, cave-like, almost closet space downstairs" in the form of a stylish, functional laundry room. "We came up with a solution to maximize the space by building an alcove for the appliances to be recessed into the wall and also create a separate storage room in the back," she says. "Everything came out—the floors, ceiling, walls, HVAC, even dirt and rock that had to be excavated to extend the room and allow for a washer/dryer enclosure under the house."
After: Rustic Farmhouse Touch

Gary Johnson / Jenna Sue Design

"This space was inspired by my vision of what laundry must be like in heaven," says Jenna Sue of Jenna Sue Design. To turn the dark basement into a dreamy laundry room space, she added a recessed washer and dryer that allowed for the addition of a full wall of cabinets, plus a DIY barn door, floating reclaimed wood shelf, custom butcher block, a farmhouse sink and subway tile. "Removing the ceiling drywall and leaving the joists exposed was a design risk that I wasn’t 100% confident about in the beginning," says Jenna Sue, "but it’s absolutely one of my favorite things we did. It not only makes the room look and feel so much taller—it brings such personality and interest to the space. I’d do it again in a heartbeat."
10 of 10
Before and After: Space Planning and A Paint Job
A Beautiful Mess
This laundry room makeover from Elsie of A Beautiful Mess might not look like a major transformation at first glance, but it involved a major move. Elsie says she wanted to relocate the sink from the minute she saw the room, and to do so required major plumbing work and ripping out part of the ceiling to give her a view of the backyard from the sink. "I feel like this was how it was always meant to be!" she says. "Maybe not the most dramatic before/after of all time, but if you really look the upgrades are all very thought out and practical. I also just love how bright, fresh and clean this room feels now." She replaced the marble counter top with low maintenance quartz and added a champagne bronze faucet to complete the look.
8 Best Paint Colors for Your Laundry Room Upgrade

How to Remodel the Laundry Room

This article is from our Most Popular stories file.

“What’s funny about laundry rooms is that we’re in them a lot, yet we approach these spaces as an afterthought,” designer AJ Margulis says.

It’s true. There’s no standard laundry room size, shape or layout. Often these utility spaces are created in awkward leftover areas after every other room in the home has been planned out. Or they’re banished to dark corners of basements and garages. And yet you’ve probably noticed you’re spending a lot of time in that confined area. Shouldn’t that space warrant extra attention?

This step-by-step workbook will help you think through your options and plan some ways to make your laundry room function better and look nicer.

Jonathan Miller Architects

Step 1: What Are You Hoping to Achieve?

Why have you decided to remodel your laundry room? And what’s important to you? The answers to these questions will inevitably affect your decisions and, above all, your budget. Are you simply after more function? Or are you hoping to make the space look nice too?

Do you plan on working with the space you have? Or are you relocating your laundry room to another part of your house? Buying new appliances and adding some paint or wallpaper is one thing; knocking down walls, rerouting plumbing and building an entirely new room is another.

TMD Custom Builders

Another question you should ask is, “Why now?” It’s good to think about why this is the right time to remodel or redecorate your laundry room. Is this a one-off project or part of a larger remodel? If you plan on eventually tackling a larger project, such as a kitchen or master bathroom, it could be more cost-effective to wait and do everything at once, when you’ll probably already have a contractor, tile installer and other professionals on site doing work.

“If you already have a painter coming in or a tiler for your kitchen, get a quote for other spaces too, like your laundry room,” says designer Kirsten Krason of House of Jade Interiors. “You can get a better deal if they are doing more work instead of coming back a year later and doing a separate room.”

Find a home design or remodeling pro on Houzz

Century 21 Tri-Cities

How Do You Want the Space to Function?

Laundry rooms aren’t always just about washing and drying clothes. “People tend to store all kinds of things in their laundry rooms, from batteries to flashlights to dog food,” says designer Margaret Donaldson.

So while you’re planning, think about the other functions you want your laundry room to serve and make sure you create room for those things. Many people also make their laundry room function as mudrooms; storage rooms for vacuum cleaners, brooms and sports gear; butler pantries; command centers for organizing family calendars and mail; home offices; craft rooms; pet rooms; and more.

Browse wall and floor tile in the Houzz Shop

d2 interieurs

How Do You Do Laundry?

The way you wash, dry and fold clothes will dictate how your new space functions.

How often do you do laundry? Once a week or every day? If you have a large family with multiple hampers, maybe you want to set up a system of individual baskets that better organizes laundry for each member of your family.

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

Where do you fold clothes? Do you prefer to fold everything in the laundry room and then carry it to the bedrooms? If so, adequate counter space will be important. Maybe you want to consider a large island if your budget permits.

Marty Rhein, CKD, CBD - BAC Design Group

Or maybe you like folding clothes on the sofa so you can watch TV while you work. If that’s the case, maybe counters aren’t vital for you and you’d rather use the space for something else, such as more storage cabinets.

Where to Put the Laundry Room

Von Fitz Design

Also, if you like to hang up clothes right away, maybe you’ll want to make sure you get a hanging rod in your space. Have lots of delicates? Perhaps drying racks are in order. Do you iron often or prefer to use a steam setting on your appliances?

R|House Design Build

When do you do laundry? If it’s during the day, does your space have natural light? If not, could you consider adding a window? If you prefer to do laundry at night, maybe adequate artificial lighting is more important to you.

Shop for an apron-front sink

Margaret Donaldson Interiors

If you’re worried that your laundry habits might not be the most efficient way of doing things and you’re unsure of how you can make them better, it’s probably a good idea to bring a professional onboard for help. He or she can help you think through the way your space should function and even offer up solutions you might not have considered.

10 Smart Ideas for Your Laundry Room Remodel

KuDa Photography

What Kind of Appliances Do You Want?

The selection of your appliances, or your existing appliances, will greatly affect other decisions for your space. For example, do you have or want side-by-side or stacked appliances? Stacked appliances can save space, but shorter people might need a step stool to reach the top controls.

Do you want or have front-loading or top-loading appliances? Front loaders give you the option of adding a countertop for folding and sorting, but some people say front loaders often don’t drain sufficiently, leading to mildew inside the machine. Designer Donaldson says that may be the case with older models but that many manufacturers have sorted out the issue with newer models.

“Certain models have improved the mildew getting caught in the door,” she says. “Newer front-loading models have systems in place to alleviate the problem.” At any rate, it’s best to do thorough research.

Hamilton-Gray Design, Inc.

If you go with top loaders and want folding space, you’ll need to figure out where you can install counters elsewhere in the room.

As for boldly colored appliances, make sure you’re absolutely in love with the hue and that you’ll be able to coordinate it with the rest of your decor. Bright-colored, hulking appliances may not be the thing you want to draw attention to. Designer Ryan Williams of Artisan Design Studio advises against colored appliances, in fact. “Neutral colors that sort of recede allow more eye-catching decor to draw the eye,” she says.

burlanes interiors

Special Features

Once you have the basic function of your laundry room pinned down, it’s time to look at your budget again to see how you can make your space more comfortable and stylish. Use Houzz to create an ideabook of photos of laundry rooms you like.

Counter space for folding is perhaps the most popular special feature. If you’ve got front-loading machines, consider adding a countertop above them. Or if you’ve got the space and budget, consider a large island on which you can spread out all your laundry.

As for countertop material, stick with something durable, such as quartz. You want a material that can stand up to spilled detergents and bleach.

Shop for laundry hampers on Houzz

Tomaro Architecture

The second-most requested special feature is probably a deep sink for soaking or hand-washing delicates and a spray attachment for the faucet for doing spot treatments.

Shop for utility sinks

kelly mcguill home

Valerie Grant Interiors

Step 2: Research and Budget

Before beginning any home project, you need to know how much you can spend. A new washer and dryer can set you back a couple of thousand dollars right off the bat. Moving plumbing around, adding a sink or window and building custom cabinets are also significant costs.

Find a cabinetry pro on Houzz

Two Birds Design

The clients of designer Andi Wheelband of Two Birds Design wanted to move their laundry room from their dark basement to the second floor, where all the bedrooms are. While adding this en suite master bathroom above an attached garage (you can see the former exterior brick of the house on the left), she was able to carve out space for a custom laundry closet, seen here.

Cabinets: custom; wall paint: Silver Satin, Benjamin Moore; door paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore

David Sharff Architect, P.C.

On the other hand, laundry rooms are typically small spaces, and if you already have good appliances and adequate storage, the cost of making over your space could be as low as the price of paint or wallpaper. It all depends on the level of design you’re striving for. Some people just want their laundry room to function. So decide if this is a space where you want to invest or if that money could be put to better use elsewhere.

Fireclay Tile

When creating your budget, start with the big expenses: cabinets, flooring and appliances. These will provide the function. After all, laundry rooms are utilitarian spaces first and foremost. Once you tackle that, you can move on to spiffing things up if your budget permits. “You can always bring in other stuff down the road as you can afford it,” Krason says. “You can always put in a new countertop later. Start with the basics first.”

GO LOGIC

To save money, decide what you can keep and what you need to replace. Can you get by with painting or refacing the existing cabinets rather than replacing them? Can you make do with the flooring? Buying appliances during holiday sales or buying floor models can also help keep costs down.

Amy Storm & Company

If you’re moving your laundry room to a new location in your home, you’ll have to think about venting, plumbing, draining, knocking down walls and more, all of which add significantly to the cost.

Cabinets 101: How to Get the Storage You Want

Wise Home + Design

Step 3: Find a Professional

After determining the general scope of your project, you’ll probably have an idea of whether you need to hire a professional for help. If you’re doing a major renovation, you’ll want to assemble a knowledgeable team to make sure things run smoothly. A professional can help you think through problems and offer solutions you might not have thought of, such as adding a window for natural lighting. “If your laundry room is on the back of the house, it’s especially easy to add a window,” says designer Margulis.

How to contact a pro and get your project going

REFINED LLC

Step 4: Think About Style

Once you’ve tackled the functionality of your space, consider spiffing things up a bit with paint, wallpaper, tile and accessories. If your laundry room is tucked out of the sight of guests, you might want to consider experimenting with some fun, energetic colors or prints.

MMI Design

The more visible your space, the more you’ll probably want it to look nice. A laundry area in a side-entry mudroom that guests and family members often pass through might warrant some extra attention. On the other hand, if your laundry area is in an unfinished basement where few people ever venture, then looks might not be as important to you.

Krason likes open shelving to help break up heavy cabinetry. She also likes ditching the neon-colored detergent boxes for decorative jars. “And pretty art can make your space feel less utilitarian,” she says.

Laundries - 55 best photo ideas for designing a laundry room in an apartment and a house

Photo session Apartment on the Angara

Badyaeva Maria

For the family that lives in this apartment, thanks to the large area, it was possible to create a beautiful space in every corner.
Fresh design idea: modern style laundry room with tumble dryer - great interior photo

Wellhouse apartment complex

Special-style

facades, beige facades, with a tumble dryer on a washing machine, brown floors and white countertops - great interior photo

Design association Unicum. Gorproekt

Entrance hall in light gray tones and exposed brickwork
Fresh design idea: a loft-style laundry room - a great photo of the interior

Apartment in Khamovniki

Yuliya and Belyakina09

Inspiration for home comfort: Modern style separate laundry room with sink sink, flat cabinets, beige cabinets, beige splashback, beige walls, tumble dryer and beige worktop

Khoroshevsky residential complex

BALCON

Design idea: modern style laundry room with a tumble dryer on the washing machine

Townhouse by the bay

Maxim Maximov

Photo: a separate, straight, medium-sized laundry room in a rustic style with flat fronts, beige fronts, acrylic stone top, beige walls, porcelain stoneware floors, side by side washer and dryer, gray floor and black top

Antique Home Renovation

Crisp Architects

Rob Karosis: Photographer
Fresh design idea: large classic u-shaped versatile room with shaker fronts, white cabinets, white walls, ceramic tile floors, washing machine and dryer next to it and gray floor - great interior photo

Industrial Chic

Amy Storm & Company

We basically squeezed this into a closet, but wow does it deliver! The roll out shelf can expand for folding and ironing and push back in when it's not needed. The wood shelves offer great linen storage and the exposed brick is a great reminder of all the hard work that has been done in this home! Joe Kwon

Greenlea

Visbeen Architects

A fresh design idea for a medium-sized country-style detached, parallel laundry room with recessed panel fronts, white fronts, quartz countertops, white walls, slate floors, washer and dryer next to it, blue floor and white countertop - excellent photo of the interior

Laundry Room with statement tile and cabinets galore

J.P. Hoffman Design Build

The layout of this laundry room did not change, functionality did. Inspired by the unique square 9×9 tile seen on the floor, we designed the space to reflect this tile – a modern twist on old-European elegance. Paired with loads of cabinets, a laundry room sink and custom wood top, we created a fun and beautiful space to do laundry for a family of five! Note the appliance hookups are hidden. To keep a seamless look, our carpentry team custom built the folding table shelf. There is a removable board at the back of the wood countertop that can be removed if the hookups need to be accessed. nine0007

Glenelg

Urban Habitats

Colindale Design / CR3 Studio
A fresh design idea: a small detached, nautical-style corner laundry room with an overhead sink, white fronts, wood countertops, white walls, ceramic tile floors, with a washer and dryer next to it, brown countertops, flat fronts and gray floors - a great photo of the interior

0002 Wondering how to set up a laundry room at home? We will tell you how to choose finishing materials, appliances and furniture, as well as what to do if there is very little space for such a room.

Laundry room is a necessary room in every house for daily household needs. Owners of large apartments or private houses can allocate a separate room for the laundry. In small apartments, finding a place for convenient placement of washing machines and dryers is more difficult, but also possible. Let's see how this can be done. nine0003

Laundry room organization

Make a moisture resistant finish that is easy to clean. Since laundry can dry in the room, it is important to choose materials that are not afraid of moisture. For example, lay out the floor with tiles, and paint the walls with moisture-resistant paint. If you have a wooden house, you can cover the walls with a special varnish that protects against moisture.

Room type

Studio apartment

One-room apartment

Two-room apartment 9Ol000

Combined bathroom

Children's room

Kitchen-living room

Bathroom

Toilet

Cabinet

Studio

Style

Modernism

Scandinavsky

Modern classics

Modern

Contemporary

Minimalism

Loft 9000

Swedish

Pop Art

Hi-tech

Country

Eco

Art Deco

Mediterranean

constructivism

Japanese

Square, m²

An initial number of meters:

A final number of meters:

Photo: Czmcam. org

Furniture for the laundry room is also better to choose moisture -resistant. The easiest way to look for it is in the bathroom furnishing departments.

Photo: keepdecor.com

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Arrange appliances and furniture conveniently. Firstly, the equipment should be located next to water and sewer communications. If it cannot be placed there, use extended drain hoses. Secondly, consider the arrangement of furniture so that it is easy for you to move the washed laundry between the washing machine, dryer and ironing board.

Photo: rejuvenation.com

The ironing board can be built into furniture and unfolded when needed. Place a hanger nearby for ironed things. nine0003

Photo: decorisme.co

Set up storage areas for chemicals, ironing boards and cleaning items. The more shelves and racks, the better.

Photo: telladesign.com

Laundry room in a private house: the nuances of arrangement

It is much easier to equip a laundry room in a private house than in an apartment, since there is more space in the house. Many place it in the basement or boiler room.

Photo: dekor.frauenspezifisch.com

One-story houses do not always have basements, and then in a major renovation project you can either allocate a separate laundry room or combine it with a bathroom or kitchen. nine0003

Photo: houseupdated.com

Laundry in the apartment: design features

The design of the laundry room in the apartment will differ from the same room in a private house - it is unlikely that a lot of space will be allocated for the laundry in the apartment.

Photo: sortingwithstyle.com

The apartment can be equipped with a small laundry room, which will house a washing machine, dryer and a small closet.

Photo: homyfeed.com

If you are lucky enough to have a pantry in your apartment, set up a laundry room in it.

Laundry room renovations

10 Before and After Laundry Room Remodels

Before: Small, Windowless, and Cluttered

After: Fresh Forest Green

Before: Small, Windowless, and Cluttered

After: Streamlined and Sleek

Before: Drab and Boring

After: Pretty in Pink

Before: Converted Exterior Porch

After: Pretty and Functional Laundry Room

Before: Cramped, Dated, and Sad

After: Modern Utilitarian

Before: Dark and Dated

After: Light and Fresh

Before: Tired and Underwhelming

After: Crisp White and Navy Blue

Before: Cluttered Corner of the Garage

After: A Dedicated Space That's Stylish and Functional

Before: Lacking Functionality and Style

After: Rustic Farmhouse Touch

Before and After: Space Planning and A Paint Job