Whether we enjoy it or not, doing laundry is something we all have to do. Therefore, it makes sense to design the space to be as efficient and pleasant as possible. We’ll share some of our top ideas to help make your laundry room a bit more stylish and a pleasant, practical, and organized space.

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1.Elevate Your Washer and Dryer

Even with a front-load washer and dryer, your back can get sore bending over to load and unload the machines. By purchasing a manufacturer’s matching pedestal or having a wooden one custom made, you can elevate your washer and dryer just enough to ease the strain.

If you want to get creative, you can create a wooden platform that you can tile or install other flooring (luxury vinyl plank) on top of. This will make the "pedestal" look like an extension of the floor.

2. Pet Washing Station

If you have fur babies that need to be bathed, consider installing a pet washing station in your laundry room. You can easily build a raised platform and create a "tub" or shower on top. This will prevent you from having to bend over too much to bathe your fur baby. Make sure you consider the best width and height of the tub area to ensure your biggest fur baby will fit. Consider hanging a large towel bar above the tub area so you can hang things to dry there when the pet washing station is not in use.

3. Create a Multi Functional Room

Many of our clients have opted to combine two rooms into one when doing a laundry room renovation. You can easily create a European Laundry room by combining a bathroom and laundry room into one. You can also easily combine a mudroom and laundry room, complete with cabinetry for storage and a bench with storage where you can sit to put shoes or boots on or take them off. If you’ve got the space, consider how you can make the most of the area by doubling its use.

4. Creative Clothes Hanger

Have you got an old wooden ladder lying around? If not, have a look at yard sales, garage sales, or Kijiji for one. Suspend it from the ceiling using chains and a hook. Now you’ve got a great statement piece in your laundry room and an easy spot to hang your clothes. Imagine the convenience of taking your clothes out of the dryer, putting them on a hanger right away, and then popping them on a rung of the ladder until you’re ready to put them away in the closet!

5. Laundry Closet

Want to move your laundry facilities to the main floor or 2nd floor of your home, but you’re concerned you don’t have any space for them? If you’ve got a closet, you likely have the space.

One of our clients had a coat closet just outside her kitchen. She relocated the coats, we took out the shelves and rung in the closet, ran the plumbing lines and electrical to the closet, and then installed her stacked washer and dryer in the space. The laundry facilities were hidden behind a bifold door. To visitors, it just looked like an ordinary closet, but our client loved the convenience of being able to do her laundry while also working in the kitchen.

6. DIY Lint Bin

This is a great project for a rainy afternoon. One of my clients is very artistic and creative. She didn’t have much space in her laundry room but wanted a spot to put the lint until she was ready to take it to the garbage. She took an old coffee tin and created a decorative lint bin. She primed the tin and applied three coats of a good-quality satin-finish paint. Because she’s artistic, she painted a beautiful flower garden on the tin. I’m not artistic at all, so I asked her for suggestions of what I could do. She suggested getting a stencil I like from Michaels or online and using that to paint a design on the tin.

She then drilled a hole in the back of the tin. She picked up a peel-and-stick utility hook from the dollar store, hung that on the wall next to the dryer, and then hung the decorated lint bin on the hook. Not only did this quick and easy project serve a practical purpose, but it also added some beautiful art to the room.

7. Bring in a Little Luxury

Sometimes just making the space feel a little more luxurious can go a long way. One of the luxurious accents we often install in a laundry room is a semi-flush-mount light fixture or hanging light that has a little bling on it. A little sparkle on a light fixture is a simple touch that can really change the appearance of the room.

Consider using fancy glass jars to store your dry laundry detergent or pods. If you don’t have any of these collecting dust in your cupboards, check out local thrift stores which usually have lots.

Think about adding some luxury with a gorgeous sink or stunning flooring. One of our long-time clients actually went to the U.S. in order to pick up a cobalt blue farmhouse-style sink to use in her laundry room and some matching blue tile for the floor. This created a gorgeous laundry room, with the sink becoming the focal point of the room.

8. Patterns

One of the simplest and easiest ways to add some interest to your laundry room is through the use of patterns. This can be a design on the floor, some stencilling on the wall, or an exciting new backsplash behind the counter over your washer and dryer.

One of our clients in North Oshawa wanted to keep the laundry room simple, but she also wanted to add a focal point to the room. The walls were painted white, and the cabinets were a light grey. However, the floor had a fabulous pattern in different shades of blue. This was simple sheet vinyl flooring that was also relatively inexpensive. Look at the wow factor it created! Now that's a laundry room you look forward to doing chores in!

9. Shiplap

Is your home decorated with a cottage or country feel? Do you love the beach and ocean and enjoy bringing a piece of that into your home? If so, then why not install some shiplap on an accent wall or even on all of the walls in your laundry room? Not only does it create a warm, cozy feel, but it definitely adds some texture and interest to the room.

Think the room looks a little too white? Shiplap doesn't have to be white. Consider painting it in any one of Benjamin Moore's fabulous colours, or you can even get a wood grain look for your shiplap. Even if you love the look of white shiplap, you can easily add some additional interest to the room with a vintage rug on the floor.

10. Stay Organized

Most laundry rooms will have enough space to accommodate at least a few cabinets to store everything you need to do your laundry. However, sometimes laundry rooms or laundry closets can be exceptionally small with limited space. Adding in cabinets for storage can just make the space feel even more cramped.

What then becomes really important is making sure the space is properly organized to make the chore of getting the laundry done as efficient as possible. Trays are one of my favourite options for this. You can easily put a large tray on top of your washer or dryer where you can store everything you need to get your laundry done. The trays can easily be relocated somewhere else if necessary.

Baskets are another great way to keep things organized. One of my clients only had room for one shelf above her washer and dryer. We went shopping one day and picked up some great wicker baskets at a local thrift shop. Those baskets helped her keep everything organized and kept things out of sight when not in use.

In summary…

Laundry room renovations don't have to be overwhelming projects. They can be quite simple by making sure the end result is efficient and organized, as well as a beautiful place to do a chore most of us don't enjoy doing. We hope some of the ideas in this article have given you some inspiration to renovate your laundry room. Do you have any additional ideas? Let us know in the comments below.