Let’s face it. No one enjoys doing laundry. (Or if you do, can you come over to our place and take care of ours too?!) If the laundry room isn’t exactly the most inspiring room in your house, maybe it’s time to give it a bit of an upgrade. Here are seven cheap and easy upgrades you can put to use to make your boring old laundry room a more enjoyable space for everyone.
Add some interest to the walls… The laundry room is one of the few places in the home where pretty much anything goes when it comes to design and decor. Paint the walls a cheery color or put up some wallpaper in a fun pattern. Now is the time to use those loud colors and prints you’ve been too nervous to use in the main areas of your home.
…and don’t forget the floors! There are so many fun things that can be done to floors to create interest and make a space more inviting. Add some gorgeous patterned tiles to the floor (peel-and-stick works just as well as ceramic!), go neutral with a hardwood or laminate, or just stain or paint the concrete floors.
Create a workspace. If you have a front-loading washer and dryer, there’s some prime real estate right on the top just asking to be used. Prop a butcher block on top to create counter space for separating and folding laundry right out of the dryer. No need for a laundry basket, which—for us, anyway—for us makes it easier to just push laundry aside instead of putting it away.
Organize and label everything. If you have shelf space, keep bins for all the different odds and ends that call the laundry room home. For example, label a bin for socks missing their mates, one for clothespins, one for stain removers, one for cleaning rags, and so forth and so on.
Upcycle old, unused furniture. Is there a piece of furniture you’ve been meaning to get rid of? Maybe an old desk or bookshelf? Give it some new life with a coat of paint, some contact paper, wallpaper, or fabric, and make a spot for it in the laundry room. This can help you keep your laundry and all its accoutrements nice and organized.
Use glass jars and containers for detergents and other needs. Add to the aesthetic of the room by decanting your laundry soap, softeners, et cetera, into pretty glass jars. So much prettier than those plastic jugs taking up space on the shelf!
Accessorize. Just because we don’t see the laundry room all that often doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t give it a style boost. Hang some artwork on the walls and add a plant or two to liven up the space. Organize things with pretty baskets, and add other inspiring pieces that will actually help you want to visit the laundry room every once in a while.
