Most laundry rooms are awful.
Tiny, dark and designed like cupboard with a washing machine bolted in the corner. No-one designs them well…
But here’s the thing:
The laundry room is one of the busiest rooms in your house. You’ll spend several hours a week down there. Don’t settle for a room that’s frustrating to use.
Learn exactly how to design a laundry room that functions. One that looks beautiful, operates seamlessly, and adds value to your home.
Let’s jump in!
Why Your Laundry Room Deserves Better
A poorly designed laundry room makes daily life harder than it needs to be.
You know the type. Mountains of clothes on the floor. Laundry detergent bottles exploding out of cabinets. A dryer vent making a roaring noise. No fun at all.
But a well-designed laundry room? That’s a different story.
Decluttering and organizing your laundry room saves you time and stress. But did you know that numbers back up buyers’ needs for it, too? NAHB research found that 87% of home buyers consider a laundry room a must-have feature in their home.
Another perk? Incremental improvements add up BIG TIME. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to see results.
Get The Plumbing Right (Don’t Skip This!)
This is the most important step.
If your plumbing fails, everything else is going to fail with it. You will experience leaks, low water pressure, questionable drainage, and even hazardous gas lines. Not much fun there.
Here’s the deal with plumbing… It’s not a DIY job.
Whenever you have a task that involves gas appliances you will need a qualified gas safe plumber. Whether you have a gas powered dryer or you need your water heater hooked up to your laundry room, a gas safe plumber is who you will need. They are certified by law to work on gas and will ensure your install is safe and up to code.
Should you not already have a trustworthy contact, you can find certified plumbing tradespeople who have experience with laundry room installations. A good gas safe plumber will relieve you of many headaches.
A good gas safe plumber will sort out:
- Hot and cold water lines for the washing machine
- A proper drain with an air gap to stop backflow
- Gas connections for any gas-powered appliances
- Shut-off valves you can reach in an emergency
- Correct venting for the dryer
DIY plumbing can seem like you’re saving money…until you repair the error you’ll spend three times a professional would have charged.
Smart Layout & Workflow Design
Most people design their laundry room around the appliances.
Big mistake.
Design it around how laundry flows. Consider what takes place on an actual day of laundry:
- Dirty clothes come in
- They get sorted
- They get washed
- They get dried
- They get folded or hung
- They go back out
Your layout should follow that sequence. If not you’ll be carrying baskets back and forth like a bad exercise regimen. You’ll end up despising laundry.
Smart laundry rooms are set up so that everything you need is within reach. Place your washer and dryer side by side. Add counter space above or beside the dryer to fold your clothes on. Place a sink near your washer for easy access when soaking clothes or treating stains. Have a drying rod handy for items that you need to hang dry instead of over furniture in your living room.
This mentality also explains why 70% of newly constructed single-family homes now come with first floor laundry rooms. Families purchasing homes want them up out of the basement.
Storage That Actually Works
More cabinets isn’t the answer.
The secret is intelligent storage based around the items you actually store in them. An entire wall of empty cabinets will eventually turn into junk drawer-ville.
Think about what really lives in your laundry room:
- Detergents and fabric softener
- Stain removers and bleach
- Cleaning supplies for the rest of the house
- An iron and ironing board
- Spare laundry baskets
- Cleaning cloths and old rags
Ok now store those things in your laundry room. Include pull out drawers for your detergent containers. Install a concealed ironing board that can fold away. Reserve open shelving for items you use everyday and enclosed cabinets for junk.
The motto is keep everything in its place and only clutter the counter with what you’re actively using.
Think vertically. Most people have dead space above the washer and dryer. Lining that wall with shelving, hooks, and pull-out drawers will double your storage capacity.
Lighting, Ventilation & The Boring Bits
Nobody gets excited about ventilation.
But these “boring” details separate a great laundry room from a frustrating one.
For lighting:
- Use bright, cool-toned LED bulbs (around 5000K is ideal)
- Add task lighting above the folding counter
- Bring in natural light wherever possible
For ventilation:
- Run the dryer vent properly to the outside (never into the attic)
- Add an extractor fan to manage humidity
- Include an operable window if your layout allows it
Poor ventilation will leave your laundry room feeling moist, smelling dank and developing mould. There you have it, the demise of a great design in less than 12 months.
Style It Like A Proper Room
Just because it’s a utility room doesn’t mean it has to look like one.
Live in your laundry room like you would any other room in your house. Choose a colour scheme. Hang some artwork. Lay down some pretty flooring. Spend a little extra on a fabulous backsplash.
Some easy style upgrades:
- Patterned floor tiles for visual interest
- Open shelving with glass jars and pretty baskets
- A bold wallpaper on one accent wall
- Plants (real or fake) for warmth
- A statement light fixture above the sink
Little details like this make your home feel unique. Plus when someone comes to visit, they’ll be impressed rather than slamming the door.
The Bottom Line
A laundry room shouldn’t feel like an afterthought.
It’s one of the most used and abused areas in your home. It should be treated with the same respect you would your kitchen or bathroom. With good plumbing, clever layout, purposeful storage and a little flair… You can transform your utility room from a drudge space to one of your favorite rooms in the house.
To quickly recap:
- Hire a qualified gas safe plumber for installs
- Design around workflow, not appliances
- Use smart, item-specific storage
- Don’t skimp on lighting and ventilation
- Treat it like a real room with real style
Your future self (and any future buyer) will thank you.
