Let’s be honest — when it comes to small laundry rooms, space can feel like a luxury. You live in an apartment with limited space, a small home or even a studio, but the reality is that you need to fit everything you need into a small laundry room. But don’t worry — you’re not in this alone! Most people have figured out clever ways to make their laundry rooms utilitarian but stylish, no matter how small the area.
In this article, we’ll walk through some of the best tips to transform your small laundry room into one that’s efficient, organized and even beautiful! From getting the most out of every square foot to clever storage hacks, multifunctional furniture and much more stylish design tricks, we have you covered. Let’s dive in!
1. Maximize Vertical Space
When you have limited square footage to work with, you’ll need to think up. In a small laundry room, walls are your friend. Using vertical space is an opportunity to make extra storage that still leaves the floor open for other activities. Here’s how to do it:
Wall-Mounted Shelves
One of the simplest things to add to vertical space that has a huge impact is wall-mounted shelves. These shelves are used for extra storage for laundry supplies — detergents, fabric softeners or dryer sheets. But you can also use them as holders for cleaning products, extra towels, or even decorative Items.
Tip: Adjustable shelves may be worth considering, since you can fit the height to whatever you need to store. Opt for heavy-duty metal or wire shelving that can hold lots of load without stealing even a square inch of your valuable floorspace.
Hanging Drying Racks
Drying racks are also an excellent way to utilize vertical space. Wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted drying racks are ideal for air-drying laundry without taking up valuable floor space. Retractable and foldable racks are the best solution, as they can be pulled out when needed but stored away when they are not needed.
Pro Tip: If you’ve got high ceilings in your laundry room, install a ceiling-mounted drying rack. You can also use a pulley system to raise and lower the rack whenever needed, which saves on your floor space and keeps things up off the ground.
Also Read: 9 Best Tips for Decorating a Studio Apartment
2. Furnish with Multitasking Furniture
In compact quarters, each piece of furniture must pull triple duty. Keeping your laundry room practical and free from things lying around is up to multifunctional furniture. Here are some ideas:
Foldable Drying Tables
When dealing with small laundry rooms, a foldable drying table is a real game-changer. You can use it for folding clothes, sorting laundry, and more, and easily set it up, or use a small space in your home for a workspace for household tasks. When you are not using it, just fold it up and tuck it away to save you space.
Key benefits:
- They save space.
- They are flat surfaces for folding garments on.
- You can put them up or stow them away quickly as required.
Storage Benches
Storage benches work well for bringing both seating and additional storage to your laundry room. They’re great for hiding laundry supplies away, shoes or anything else you want out of sight but readily accessible. In addition, they provide a nice spot to sit while folding laundry or tying shoes.
Pro Tip: Find a storage bench you can sit on while sorting clothes. Be sure that it fits nicely into your space and has enough storage to keep your space organized.
3. Creative Use of Corners
In small rooms, corners frequently go neglected, yet they can be one of the most productive places to use. Creatively using corners allows you to add on-st, countertops and even appliances without making your laundry room feel congested.
Corner Shelves
Add shelves in the corners of your laundry room to hold smaller items like cleaning supplies, laundry baskets or decorative accents. Open or tiered, corner shelves are a good way to take advantage of vertical space. It also has the benefit of bringing a modern feel to the room while keeping things tidy off the ground with a floating corner shelf.
Tip Bonus: Place hooks directly under the corner shelves for eyeglasses, hats or small bags. It’s an excellent method to maintain all things in one place and conveniently accessible.
L-Shaped Counters
If your laundry room has corner space, put in an L-shaped counter. This way, the countertop is ideal for hanging clothes, separating laundry or even utilizing the small sink of using cloth for hand-washing. Install cabinets or shelves under the counter for extra storage and make the best of every corner.
Pro Tip: If you want to save even more space, think about putting your washer and dryer under the L-shaped counter. This will give you a streamlined look and will free up wall space for other uses.
4. Under Sink Storage
The space under your sink is usually an underutilized area that has great storage potential in a small laundry room. Those cleaning supplies, extra detergent and other essentials can be tucked away in cabinets or drawers.
Tip: Seek out cabinets that feature adjustable shelves or pull-out baskets so you can tailor the space for your needs. If you can, go for cabinets with doors to keep everything cleanly out of view.
5. Appliance Choices
When you have a small laundry room, you must make smart choices when choosing the appliances. You need to get space-saving devices coupled with efficiency. Luckily, there are numerous options specifically designed for smaller spaces.
Compact Washers and Dryers : They are structured to fit into small spaces. They also allow you to maximize your floor space while still giving you the quality performance of full-size appliances. Most of these washers and dryers can be piled up, which increases the use of your rooms vertically.
Key features to consider:
• Stackable – these save room by using vertical space
• Energy Efficient – get an appliance with the Energy Star rating to reduce bills
• Several Wash Cycles – you need washers with multiple cycles to tackle different loads
Washer-Dryer Combos
For an ultra-small laundry room, there is the option of a washer-dryer combo. The all-in-one unit handles washing and drying work, making it efficient and occupying little space. They are ideal for small apartments or a laundry room with little to no extra space.
Pro Tip: If there is no room for separate washer and dryers, a washer-dryer combo is your best option.
6. Hooks for Extra Storage
Hooks could be the game-changer when it comes to getting extra storage space. Hooks are ideal for hanging items required for easy access. This includes bags, hats, cleaning gloves, and even clothes. Hooks save space by not cluttering the limited counter space by hanging the items on the walls.
You can put hooks on the backs of doors, along available wall space, or even underneath features like shelves. It is an excellent method of utilizing otherwise unused spaces. For those who get SUPER creative, add some hooks on the side of your washer or dryer to make these the perfect storage places for your cleaning supplies or small laundry baskets.
Pro Tip: Use decorative hooks that complement your laundry room decor. Whether you’re more into sleek and modern or charming and rustic, there’s a hook style for every kind of decor. Hooks are just as functional as they are aesthetic and personalising them will make your laundry look more like an attractive, designed room than a laundry with a utilitarian purpose.
Use them to hang laundry bags, cleaning gloves, or even sets of keys, so everything stays neat and you give your laundry room a more put-together feeling.
7. Organize With Stackable Bins
When it comes to maximizing a small laundry room, stackable bins are your best friend. Storage these days is smart, super convenient (out of sight, out of mind right!) are space-efficient, ensuring everything stays organized as well as saving precious surface area. Whether you’re using them to hold laundry supplies, towels, extra detergent or even seasonal items like blankets, stackable bins allow you to store multiple things vertically without occupying too much space. Simply modify both height and stacking with a pile of items or in other words in order to fit different sized items thus provides enough access to the things kept.
Pro Tip: Use clear bins rather than opaque ones. Clear bins let you immediately see the contents without digging through them or opening each bin. This small change will enable readers to find the right item more quickly and efficiently. If you want to up the ante on your organization game, label each bin clearly so you can easily identify the contents inside, even when they’re stacked.
This will save you time and energy when you want something in a pinch and it helps keep everything in its place. You’ll appreciate how much easier it is to stay organized, whether you’re sifting clothes for laundry loads (such as “Whites,” “Colors” and “Delicates”), or for any other home products.
Stackable bins to the rescue! You can turn your small laundry room into a minimalist, organized zone where everything has its place – making laundry day that much more fun!
8. Use Light Colors to Brighten up the Space
One of the most transformative tools for a tiny laundry room is color. If you have limited space, lighter shades can work magic in expanding the illusion of space. Light colors like soft whites, pastels, and light grays reflect light naturally, helping the room feel more open, light, and spacious. These shades create a clean, fresh look in the room while allowing you to take advantage of the available natural or artificial light.
Pro Tip: Choose lighter shades for walls and large furniture pieces — think cabinets, shelves and storage units — to ensure a more cohesive and open feeling in the home. Then add bursts of color with smaller accessories, such as baskets, towels, laundry baskets or a bright rug.
These little details, while small, pack a big punch, bringing personality into the room without overpowering the space. A bright, patterned rug, or some colorful towels can add warmth and energy to an otherwise neutral space, making them functional yet stylish accents. Together with the light colors on the walls, these accents make the space feel inviting and less small.
You have to be strategic, sure, but by implementing light hues in clever ways, you can literally instantly make your laundry room feel bigger and more comfortable to be in. A colorful palette keeps the room looking clean and cozy, transforming a utilitarian space into one you’d enjoy spending time in.
9. Establish a Cozy Environment With Tasks Lighting
Good lighting is key in any small space—not only for functional reasons but to establish an inviting, cheery vibe. If the room is a laundry room, appropriate lighting will make it much easier to do such things as fold your clothes, iron them, or separate your clothes for different purposes. But it’s not only brightness — task lighting can affect the feel of how you use the space.
Task Lighting
Add under-cabinet lights, recessed ceiling lights, or even some LED strip lights on the shelves or countertops. These lighting choices aim light directly where you want it while not washing out a whole room in the process. That way, you won’t be depending on one overhead light to illuminate everything. Instead, you can focus light where you need it, making tasks like folding or sorting laundry so much easier. It’s a straightforward but seamless way to make sure your laundry room is as functional as it is cozy.
Pro Tip: Use LED lights instead. They’re also energy-efficient, which means they’ll save you money on your electric bill compared to other bulbs while still giving great, high-quality light. And they last longer, so you won’t have to think about replacing bulbs as often. Whether you select warm-toned lights for a warm and inviting feel or bright white lighting for a clean and crisp vibe, the task lighting can elevate the overall feel of your laundry room.
Shaping your small drab laundry room with the correct light fittings can light up and make the attending chores happier without squeezing it into anything.
10. Incorporate Greenery
Bringing in some greenery into your laundry room will instantly lift the atmosphere up. Plants not only bring in color and texture, they also make the room feel fresher, more lively and more pleasant to be in; aside from their aesthetic role, they also help filter the air and make the room healthier and are part of the air-cleaning heroes. This is particularly critical in laundry rooms, which can trap moisture and become stuffy. Some greenery also helps to keep things looking fresh and inviting.
Tip: Pick plants that enjoy the conditions your laundry room offers—namely humidity (and, at times, low light). Foliage plants like pothos, spider plants and ferns are well-suited for such quarters because they’re relatively low-maintenance and can tolerate an occasional lack of sunlight. If your laundry room has a sunny window, you can even plant a little herb garden. Fresh herbs — basil, mint, or thyme — not only provide a pleasant scent in the room, they’re functional, too: You can use them in cooking, and they’ll thrive in the natural light.
If you’re worried about tending to plants in a tight space, think about where you can put them up on shelves, in pots hanging from the ceiling or on the windowsill. In that way, they will not take up precious real estate on the counter but might flourish and liven your laundry room. Some carefully placed plants do wonders as well and keep helping you build an overall, relaxing atmosphere while you do your laundry.
Adding greenery to your laundry room doesn’t just make it pretty — it can make it feel more pleasant, breathable and even welcoming. If you go for a few plants on a shelf or decide a mini herb garden orchestrates your mood, the fact that it’s there will make the space feel as if is connected to earth and thus, more alive.
11. Make It Your Own with a Personal Touch
If you want to make your small laundry room feel like true home, personal touches matter the most. While function is paramount in a small footprint, personalizing the room can transform a workaday chore zone into a place you actually like spending time in. The beauty of a laundry room is that, unlike other busy parts of your home, here you have the chance to offer fun and personality in this space.
Little touches, like framed artwork, decorative storage jars, custom labels for bins, or a cozy, colorful rug, can go a long way. Quirky accents like a playful laundry sign or some fun wall hooks may also be good options to consider. These minor additions can make an astoundingly big difference in the way that the room feels and the way that you experience your laundry routine.
Tip: Adding a few items that make you happy can instantly uplift your laundry room and make it brighter and more personalized. Maybe, for example, put up your favorite print or piece of art that makes you smile every time you look at it. It might be an inspirational saying or a funny saying that relates to laundry, or maybe just a lovely scenic print that makes you feel calm. Whether colorful piece or rustic vintage sign, using art or signage suitable to your taste adds character and establishes a relaxed vibe in the room.
You could custom label your bins or jars for a more fun look and keep stuff organized. Bins that are see-through and marked “Delicates,” “Towels” or “Linen” can help maintain a neat, cohesive look while making it easy to find what you need. Custom labels could be handwritten, for a personal touch, or printed by a label maker, for a polished, uniform look.
A simple way to add personality is with a decorative rug or mat. A rug can infuse some color, warmth and comfort in the room, be it in a strong pattern, a snuggly woven texture or something with a fun phrase. It’s a no-frills but effective way to make the space feel a bit homier, while also giving added comfort underfoot when you’re in the throes of the laundry process.
Making your laundry room feel more personal is very gratifying; not only do you make the space a little more visually appealing, but you also make the area all-around brighter and more positive. Folding clothes and sorting laundry might become a little bit more fun when a space is decorated with your own style of decor and filled with objects that make you happy!
Allow your laundry room is a place that’s functional and uniquely yours!
Conclusion
You can remodel your small laundry room into a functional, orderly, and trendy space without too much work. With these 11 tips for saving space, you can make the most of every inch, keep everything organized and create a home that you actually enjoy spending time in. From ingenious storage solutions to clever appliances and design hacks, there’s no shortage of laundry-room tricks.
So have fun with it, or kill it with kindness on laundry day!
