20 Small Laundry Room Ideas That Unlock This Space's Full Potential

Maximize your laundry room with these functional and beautiful ideas.

It can be difficult to set up a functional laundry room—especially if you're short on space. Lack of storage, large appliances, and even low ceilings can all make this area of your home feel small and ineffective. Fortunately, a few minor tweaks can help your laundry room work harder—regardless of its square footage. Our small laundry room ideas will help you make the area brighter, create coveted storage (without taking up more floor space), and personalize the room in ways that can make even the tiniest nook feel more efficient.

Related: 10 Laundry Room Updates Under $100 That Will Make Wash Day Easier (and More Enjoyable)

Add Woven Laundry Baskets

Even if your laundry room is lacking in square footage, you can update it for style and function by using attractive laundry baskets. Opt for iterations like these; their handles make them easy to transport in and out of your laundry room, while the woven design adds a touch of style.

Affix a Cleaning Kit to Your Laundry Baskets

If your shelving space is limited, make your laundry baskets more functional by adding a cleaning kit. Attach a miniature caddy to the basket and fill it with items like vinegar and rubbing alcohol, which will help you tend to stains in a pinch.

Include Pops of Color With Canvas

Since your laundry room is likely tucked into your basement or another out-of-sight area of your home, you likely don't spend much time thinking of ways to beautify it. That's where these canvas laundry baskets come in: They are vibrant and collapsible, which means they combine style and function.

Put Up Wallpaper

Just because your laundry room is small, doesn't mean it isn't brimming with design potential. Add wallpaper to a blank wall and paint the cabinets to make this space feel bright and welcoming.

Hang Up Cleaning Tools

If you need your laundry room to pull double duty as storage space for other cleaning supplies, consider hanging up your bulkier tools, like brooms and dustpans. This will keep your floors free for other laundry-related essentials (like baskets).

Related: 49 Clever Laundry Room Ideas That Will Make This Space a Joy to Work In

Keep Organization Clear

It's much easier to tend to your laundry when you have small storage vessels that clearly display your supplies. Use glass or plastic containers to store borax, baking soda, and other supplies on a shelf in your laundry room.

Brighten Things Up

You never want to spend more time than you have to in dark, cramped spaces, which is why it's important to remember that a fresh coat of paint and some extra light can make a world of difference when it comes to your laundry room.

Use Open Shelving

With open shelving, you have more storage options—and these floating pieces also make your laundry space more fun. Corral laundry day essentials in structured baskets and serving trays to elevate the look.

Go With a Theme

Your laundry room doesn't have to be utilitarian. Dress it up and give it a theme all of its own, like this breezy coastal style. Lobster baskets and a cool minty color palette help make laundry less of a chore.

Related: 15 Laundry Room Colors So Pretty, You'll Even Look Forward to Wash Day

Incorporate a Laundry Room Hideaway

If you are dealing with a truly tiny space, consider tucking it away. Use built-in cabinetry and doors to conceal your washer, dryer, and other laundry-related essentials. Just make sure to keep everything you need close with nearby shelving.

Keep Small Items Contained

Keep miscellaneous clothing essentials, like your sewing tools and materials, together in a basket to keep your laundry room looking tidy. Plus, you'll be more likely to use these items if you know where they are.

Organize Your Shelves

Sometimes, it's not so much the mountain of laundry you dread but how much work it takes to get it all organized and done—especially if you have to track down everything you need. It doesn't have to be that way, though. Use sectioned-off shelves to your advantage, allowing for every laundry essential to have its own nook.

Keep Clothes Pins in a Bag

If you use clothes pins to hang dry your garments, corral them in a small basket for a tidier look. Hang the bag from a peg rack to make the pins easy to grab.

Related: 15 Storage Ideas for the Laundry Room That Will Make It Easier to Use

Use a Shelving Unit

Add a large-scale shelving unit next to your washer and dryer to create a station that's equipped to handle everything you need for laundry day. With open shelving, you can incorporate decorative details, like matching storage baskets, to make it a place you'll enjoy spending time in.

Add a Sink Skirt

Don't let exposed shelving or pipes become an eyesore in your laundry room. Create your own sink skirt and make a space to tuck away those items you want out of sight.

Put Up a Terry-Cloth Caddy

If you're especially tight on space, consider creating a DIY a terry-cloth caddy to get all the little scrubbers and soaps off your shelves. Hang it on the back of your laundry room door or above your washing machine so that everything inside of it is easily accessible.

Mount Drying Racks

Drying racks are often bulky and can take up precious floor space, which is sometimes not an option in a small laundry room. Instead, use vertical space by mounting your drying racks to the wall. You can even buy ones that pull out when you need them and then tuck back in when not in use.

Maximize Side Storage

Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity to unlock the storage potential of your small laundry room. Here, extra storage was made by mounting a shelf and basket to the side of this washer and dryer's custom built hideaway.

Related: 13 Organizing Tricks We Learned From Tiny Houses—That Can Work in Any Home

Stack Your Washer and Dryer

Washers and dryers can take up a lot of square footage in your laundry room. Instead of displaying them side by side, opt to stack them on top of one another to conserve floor space. Note that this will only work if you have front-load machines.

Hang Floating Shelves

Floating shelves don't just create more storage space, they can also be a beautiful design element when thoughtfully styled. Display soaps and stain fighters in beautiful baskets and decant powder detergents into clean canisters for an elevated look.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.