30 Small Laundry Room Ideas That’ll Make You Swoon

When we moved to a smaller home, I promised myself I’d do what needs to be done to make the space workable for our family.

That most definitely includes a renovation of our tiny laundry room.

I never knew I could be so excited about a laundry room renovation until I had kids.

Our tiny laundry room is going to require some serious creativity to make it into the combined laundry and mudroom we need.

Since I’m actively researching our laundry reno, I thought I’d share with you some of the best small laundry room ideas and designs so you can be inspired too.

30 Genius Ideas to Make The Most of Your Small Laundry Room

I strongly believe a small laundry room can still be a functional space for a family if we are smart with layout and design.

1. Use full height

One of the smartest laundry room design ideas is to use height to your advantage.

If you have a stackable washer and dryer, you can fit a functional laundry room into a tiny space, or even a laundry cupboard.

This image above is really taking space saving laundry room ideas to the next level.

Not only have they stacked a washer and dryer, they also have an extra storage cupboard up top for more storage. 

Depending on the width of your washer and dryer, this could be achieved using cabinetry made for a refrigerator, so it may not even require custom cabinets.

Check your measurements to see if this could work for you.

2. Build accessible storage under your appliances

Creating storage at just above floor level is clever for two reasons.

One, you don’t have to bend down as far to access your washer and dryer, and two, you have more accessible storage. 

Check out this gorgeous laundry room by The Woodgrain Cottage

3. Custom build shelves above your top loader

If you’re looking for small laundry room ideas with top loading washer, this laundry room from View Along the Way is gorgeous.

I have a top loader currently, so I love to see how people create laundry room layouts that work with a top-loading machine.

I especially love how she painted the lino floors, as my existing lino is ugly but in perfect condition.

I’m so inspired to try this out and save money on new flooring.

4. Use industrial pipe for hanging

I adore this compact laundry room.

It’s super-functional, with space for folding clothes and hanging them right away (my favorite trick for avoiding ironing).

Click through to see more of this laundry room and get instructions on how to make that gorgeous sign.

5. Use the space between the studs to create a storage closet

What a clever storage idea for a small laundry.

This would work perfectly for that difficult to access space behind the door.

Full instructions can be found here

6. Hide a laundry closet behind a sliding barn door

If you have an ultra-small space you might be looking for small laundry closet ideas.

The laundry closet pictured above is gorgeous and super-function.

When space is limited and you just cannot fit an opening door to your laundry, a sliding barn door can be a great solution.

It adds that farmhouse charm, as well as saving space.

7. Invest in a mini washing machine

Ok so this option isn’t for everyone, but a mini or portable washing machine is a fantastic way to fit a washing machine in your teeny little house. 

We have a detailed review of the top mini washing machines on the market today here.

8. DIY a drying rack that fits your space perfectly

This gorgeous drying rack can be tailored to fit the space you have available perfectly.

I love the colors she used. Full instructions and more drool-worthy pics can be found on the Centsational Style site. 

For more drying ideas, check out this guide to buying the best rotary clothesline for your home, or if you have limited space, this guide to drying racks for small spaces.

9. Use the back of the door

Often the back of a door is a wasted opportunity.

Not so in a tiny laundry room where space is at a premium.

My Sweet Savannah purchased a door rack from Home Depot and turned the back of her laundry door into functional storage space.

It looks great against the contrast of chalkboard paint too.

10. Hang your dryer upside down

If stacking your washer and dryer will remove any iota of functional bench space, consider mounting your dryer high on the wall to create a gap.

This is how my parents have always had their dryer, and it works perfectly fine.

Eventually, reading the dial upside down will become second nature.

11. Built-in Ironing Board Cabinet

Need somewhere to store that pesky ironing board?

Check out this built-in ironing board on Amazon.

12. Use a collapsible laundry basket

Sometimes just finding a place to store your laundry basket is a pain.

This collapsible laundry basket solves that issue and looks great too!

13. Wall-mounted mop and broom holder

If your laundry room doubles as your cleaning supply closet or mudroom, then a wall-mounted mop and broom holder is a must have.

Keep your mops, brooms and other hangy bits off the floor with this clever product.

14. Back of the door laundry hamper

Hang one of these bad boys on the back of your laundry door to keep dirty laundry out of sight and off the floor.

These clever hanging laundry hampers have a zipper at the bottom so you simply unzip and dump the contents straight into the machine – genius!

15. Adjustable Above the Washer Shelving

If DIY is not in your DNA, you can grab these clever adjustable shelving solutions from Amazon.

Available to suit top loaders or front loaders so you can maximize space no matter what.

16. All White Room With Butcher Block Countertops

If you think this room is stunning, you’ll be even more impressed when you see the before and after pictures.

My favorite thing about this room is the reclaimed wood butcher block countertops.

Every color – even the plants – has an earthy feel to it.

If you do install a folding table, leave room underneath for laundry baskets; that keeps the room from feeling too crowded. 

17. Small Laundry Bathroom Combo

I love sharing pictures of real-life laundry rooms. This one is amazing!

They turned a bathtub into space for a washer and dryer.

The best thing about this decor is the bright yellow paint on the walls. It’s so happy!

So many other laundry rooms in this list have grey or white walls – which is fine.

It’s just refreshing to see some bright paint on the walls too. 

18. Laundry Closet 

As stunning as vast laundry rooms are, I found a charming laundry closet with cute decorating tips.

You can make even the smallest laundry space look darling.

All you need is the right containers, a shelf, and some wall decor. It’s pretty simple! 

The key to keeping small laundry areas from being too cluttered is to use baskets and containers and to store extra things somewhere else.

Use space between the objects to make it feel more open. 

19. Wall Stencils

This laundry room is dreamy! Wall art is a lot of fun to put in your laundry room.

You can make your own stencils if you have a Cricut cutting machine.

There are also lots of free SVG files online you can choose from too. 

20. Antique Washboards On the Wall 

There are so many things I love about this laundry room.

The white cabinets are breathtaking and fill the entire room with light.

I think my favorite thing is how they hung up antique washboards on the wall.

This room doubles as a mudroom (hence the bench and coat hooks). I love the additional storage inside the bench too. 

21. Laundry Room Shiplap

I don’t know if you call this cottage chic or farmhouse decor, but I love shiplap!

Homemade Lovely did a laundry room makeover and the results are inspiring.

The secret to modern farmhouse decor is keeping the color to a minimum and using earth tones throughout.

Everything in this room is cream, grey, and white, with a few earthy greens dispersed around it. 

22. Extra Large Wall Letters

There is so much I love about this laundry room from Designer Trapped.

I love the striped floor and the cheerful green walls.

I think it’s the extra-large “Fluff and Fold” wall art that has my full attention.

This is another design inspiration for anyone who wants to break away from the whites and greys that are so popular. 

23. White Brick With Plants

Another way to add some color to your laundry room is by adding a few potted plants and hanging up some wall art.

I love how the plants and art both bring in elements from nature into the space.

This room is still small but feels so inviting. Check out the Ugly Duckling House tour for more pics of it. 

24. Rolling Barn Door

One of the best things about a barn door – like this one – is that not only does it look stylish, but it is functional, too.

When you don’t have much room for a door to swing, having one that rolls to the side saves you lots of space.

I also really like seeing rugs in laundry rooms.

Designers recommend using tile floors here due to the chance of water leaks.

Rugs add a stylish dimension on plain floors – and you can roll them up and clean them whenever you need! 

25. Stunning Neutral Greys

Don’t be afraid to stick with black, white, and grey.

When you use these stunning neutral shades, you can make changes during the seasons without much effort.

When you decide what your color scheme is going to be, use it everywhere.

Choose baskets, bins, totes, and jars that all use these colors.

It will unify the room and create a common aesthetic. 

26. A Fun Laundry Room Floor

Don’t you love bold floors?

I mean, you either love them or hate them, there isn’t much in between. 

Tour the entire laundry room – you will love all the pictures!

It’s filled with calming neutrals and full of natural light. 

27. A Laundry Room With a Chandelier 

Now, this is different – but in a very good way.

There is plenty of room for washing and folding the clothes and the sky blue cabinets look amazing with the white walls and sink.

My favorite part of this room is the chandelier.

It adds charm and beauty to the room. 

28. Hanging Things Up On A Slat Wall

Here’s another laundry room that shows how even small spaces can be organized and decorated beautifully.

Pretty Handy Girl installed a slat wall and hang up her shelves that way.

This means she can easily move the cabinets and the shelves whenever she needs to.

So smart and it looks so good! 

29. Artwork In the Laundry Room

I really love cabinets in laundry rooms.

I can just picture all the ways I’d use that extra storage.

Those floors look amazing with a nice contrast.

What sets this laundry room apart is the whimsical artwork that is hanging above the laundry sink. 

30. Charming Laundry Closet Wall Decor

Finally, this collage shows all the thoughtful and easy ways to decorate even a small laundry closet.

Using bins and baskets that don’t match can actually have a quaint beauty.

I especially appreciate the cute keychain full of common laundry issues and how to treat them.

The idea is to be intentional with every bit of space. Use decorative baskets and jars that effectively organize your supplies while looking lovely at the same time. 

Now that you a bit of an idea of how you want to decorate your laundry room, here are a few laundry tips to help you get the job done. 

Small laundry rooms can be a challenge to work with.

I find it helpful to think about exactly how you’ll use your laundry so you ensure a laundry room layout that works for you, not what the magazines (or Pinterest) say is best.

Thankfully, these days there are so many creative space-saving products and ideas for small spaces that make life a lot easier. 

I’ll post our small laundry reveal when I’m done.

Have you got a tiny laundry room? Any tips to share?

Like it? Pin it for later.