Laundry Room Remodel Ideas: Small Upgrades with Major Impact

It’s never fun to do laundry, but it feels like even more of a chore when your laundry room is cluttered and tired looking. I’m currently scheming up design plans for two different laundry rooms: (1) the laundry room in our current home that’s going to get a budget-friendly makeover once our kitchen remodel is done, and (2) the laundry room in our future new build that I’m designing from scratch.

So I’ve got tons of laundry room remodel ideas swirling around my brain and decided to share seven of my favorites with you!

So get ready to kiss your tired laundry room goodbye and create a stylish and functional space that will make you almost look forward to laundry day 🙌🏻! (post includes commissionable links and is sponsored by Wayfair; for more information, see my disclosure statement {here})

1. Add Color with Paint or Wallpaper

One of my favorite things about decorating smaller spaces like laundry rooms is that you can go bold with color or pattern without it being overwhelming. So if you’ve had your eye on a fun wallpaper that you’re worried will be a bit busy, your laundry room is the perfect place for it!

These are a few favorites that I think would be great for a laundry room:

Source links: 1. Hydrangea wallpaper | 2. Peacock wallpaper | 3. Dog wallpaper | 4. Palm wallpaper | 5. Spring and Heron wallpaper | 6. Tree motif wallpaper

I came close to pulling the trigger on wallpaper #2 when we remodeled our powder room – it’s a stunner that comes in several pretty colorways!

2. Upgrade Your Lighting

Your laundry room might not be the first room you think of for upgrading your light fixtures. But it can make a huge difference in the style of your space and give you more functional lighting too.

I’ll share my good, better, best for laundry room light fixtures, starting with the “good”! I swear by {this budget-friendly light fixture} I used in the laundry room of our previous home:

It has a stylish, streamlined look, comes in multiple finish options, and accommodates three bulbs, so has great light output.

In my “better” category are more unique light fixtures that really up the style factor. We have {this flush mount star light fixture} in our current laundry room, and I LOVE it:

Also check out {this pretty flush mount fixture} that has a similar vibe.

In my “best” category, if you’re lucky enough to have a window in your laundry room, I absolutely love the look of two sconces flanking it. In the design of the laundry room in our new build, I’m considering a pair of {these sconces} flanking the window above our sink:

Sources: Sconces | Fireclay sink (similar) | Bridge faucet

3. Add a Countertop to Your Washer and Dryer

My favorite change I made to the laundry room in our previous home was adding butcher block above our washer and dryer to create countertop space:

It was so nice for folding clothes and a great out-of-the-way spot to store our laundry baskets when not in use. The exact butcher block I used is no longer available but {this wood countertop} is a similar option. You could also go super easy and use one of {these precut countertops} specifically made for going on top of the washer and dryer.

4. Wall-Mount a Drying Rack

There are several space-saving solutions that can turn even the smallest of laundry rooms into highly efficient, organized spaces. One of these is wall-mounted drying racks, which can be easily folded up when not in use to free up valuable floor space.

One that gets excellent reviews is {this retractable drying rack} that protrudes a mere 1.5 inches from the wall when folded up but expands to create a whopping 20 linear feet of hanging rods:

Other options include a foldable wall drying rack like {this one} or {this one}:

or an accordion drying rack like {this one}.

5. Take Advantage of Every Inch With a Rolling Cart

In smaller laundry rooms, you want to take advantage of every square inch that you have! One often overlooked spot where you can reclaim some storage space is in between your washer and dryer. Even if you have as few as six inches of space, you can fit a skinny rolling cart that’s a storage powerhouse for laundry essentials like detergent, mesh bags for delicates, a lint bin, and more.

Between my own washer and dryer, I have {this rolling storage cart} that’s less than 7 inches wide:

If your space is even tighter, check out {this rolling cart} that’s a mere 5 inches wide.

6. Don’t Forget the Decorative Accents

Decorative accents will go a long way in transforming your laundry room from a purely utilitarian space to one that’s stylish and welcoming. Consider adding a flatweave area rug, colorful wall art, stylish storage baskets like {this cute pair that’s on sale},

decorative glass jars like {these} for detergent and dryer balls,

and other decorative accents that speak to you. These are a few of my favorites:

7. Swap Out Your Cabinet Hardware

Upgrading your laundry room might be as simple as swapping out the cabinet hardware. Replacing old, outdated knobs and pulls with modern, stylish ones can give your space a new, fresh look! And unlike your kitchen, where the cost of so many knobs and pulls can really add up, most laundry rooms only have a few cabinets, so it’s typically not a very costly change.

In the laundry room of our last home, I chose very budget-friendly cabinets and dressed them up with {these higher end pulls}:

They really stole the show and made my inexpensive cabinets look like a million bucks! I only needed to buy four of them, so it was well worth it. You could also get {these much less expensive pulls} that come in a 10-pack for a similar look. For knobs, check out {these beauties} that come in a pack of six.

And with that last laundry room upgrade tip, this post is a wrap! I hope you’re taking away some helpful ideas for low-budget, high-impact changes to make to your own laundry room 🙌🏻! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

XO,