Once upon a time, laundry rooms were overlooked and made to be utilitarian only. The typical laundry room had a washer, dryer next to the furnace and a drain in the middle of the concrete. They were also located in some dungeonous part of the basement where only Mom dared to venture. Now they’ve moved to more practical places in the home. For instance, most two-story homes have a laundry room on the second level where all the bedrooms, hence the clothing, is actually located. Makes sense. In one ranch style models you’ll often find the laundry room is also what’s called a mud room or a drop zone. That means it’s a room where you can come in from the garage and drop the items that don’t need to be in the house or need to be laundered, keeping the house organized and free from superfluous sports equipment and uniforms.

Utility and Style

Often you will find cabinetry in laundry rooms, but the latest trends are to have attractive cabinetry not something that’s been recycled from a kitchen renovation. The cabinets will tie your laundry room in with the rest of the house making it look like an intentional space. Putting in a sink is also a great way to rinse muddy items, paint brushes or other things you might not want to put in your kitchen sink. To add a little style to the room that you probably spend more time in daily there are wonderful paint colors to invite your laundry room into the present day. For instance, robin’s egg blue might not be a color you would use on your kitchen cabinets but for a smaller set of cabinets it can really transform the space into a pleasing and brighter place. Add some brushed brass cabinet hardware and voila!

Tile It!

Again, to make your laundry room a place where you don’t mind going, hand painted tile on the floor might be nice. And don’t be afraid to go bold. Beauty and function don’t have to live separately in your home. Tiling a backsplash, which isn’t often done in this room, makes a lot of sense, especially on the wall where your sink resides. It’s practical so that you don’t ruin your walls and if you add countertop to ceiling tile you add a design feature that is also esthetically pleasing. Don’t be afraid to decorate this space. After all, you spend a lot of time there. Why shouldn’t it be pleasant?

Decorate It!

Yes, I said decorate it. As you can see in this photo from a home, I personally designed we added a vase and some artwork. If there is a blank wall, why not put something pretty there. Have a large countertop? Add an artificial plant just to liven it up. There’s no reason why you can spice up the laundry room with a vignette of items. Place them strategically so they don’t get in the way of folding clothing or ironing but do put some out so that this room is part of your house rather than the place no one should go.

Lighting

Gone are the days of stark, florescent lighting in the laundry room. There is absolutely no reason to have lighting that is so bright white, you can see into the future. Do something dramatic and put a hanging light in there. With today’s LED bulbs you’ll still get enough light without getting a sun burn. Try something casual like a wicker shaded hanging light or a flat black metal light as the center piece of the room. If you have a flare for the dramatic and really want to enjoy doing laundry, hang something with a little more bling like a small glass chandelier. I personally have a flare for the bling, so I highly suggest the latter.

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