32 Small Laundry Room Ideas That Maximize Style & Functionality

Get creative by using practical ideas to turn small spaces into multifunctional yet beautiful laundry rooms that inspire you to keep your closet organized and clean. 

Max Out Your Space: 32 Brilliant Small Laundry Room Hacks

Laundry rooms are typically the smallest spaces in most homes, making it easy to build up clutter. In your rush to dump dirty clothes and cleaning supplies, you may create a clumsy room that triggers zero inspiration for laundry. 

However, personalizing your space changes that feeling. When you use smart organizers and decorate your laundry room in specialized themes, it builds inspiration. 

Now, instead of dreading the mess you created in the laundry room, you’ll walk into an organized sanctuary. With these 32 smart and stylish laundry room ideas, you can convert the smallest spaces into efficient, beautiful, and organized cleaning areas. 

Space-Saving Laundry Layouts

Before choosing a compact laundry design, you must first assess your available space and needs. Knowing the room’s size allows you to choose the best small laundry room layouts. 

Your goal during this laundry space planning is to balance functionality with aesthetics because you want to love your design after working hard to create it. 

Here is a wide range of options to choose from or tweak to your satisfaction. 

Stacked Washer-Dryer Setup

Stacked washer-dryer set in a laundry room.
Stacking your washer-dryer combo gives more lateral room

Let’s begin with the most common space-consuming culprit, the washer-dryer combo! You can save horizontal space and open more leg room with a stacked washer-dryer instead of the common side-by-side style.

Now, you’re thinking of alternatives to use when the stacked style doesn’t work. Don’t worry; there are options for hiding your machine or creating a specialized space for storage. 

Let’s get creative!

Under-Stair Laundry Nook

A washer-dryer set tucked under a home's stairwell with storage and lighting,
Use the void under your stairs as a laundry nook

Storing your washer dryer, and laundry under stairs is perfect for people with basements, lofts, or storey buildings. Stop letting the voids under your staircase gather cobwebs and use it to your benefit. 

Closet Laundry Conversion

A  washer-dryer in a walk im closet.
A walk-in closet laundry room makes for an easy and seamless laundry sequence 

If you have construction liberty, then consider a closet laundry setup. Whether it’s in the hall or a designated closet space, creating a special area to fit your machines is good organization. 

Corner Laundry Unit

Corners always have spaces you can use as laundry spots.
Corners always have spaces you can use as laundry spots

It’s okay if you don’t have construction liberty. You can find an empty corner and turn it into your laundry spot. This corner laundry idea works with box-shaped machines in small homes. 

Galley Laundry Room

A galley arrangement opens up leg room in the center.
A galley arrangement opens up leg room in the center 

Alternatively, you can use the galley laundry design in narrow rooms by arranging your machines and shelves in a row. 

Garage Laundry Zone

A washer-dryer set in a garage.
Garages always have large spaces for creative freedom or a washer-dryer set

You can also think outside the box literally and move your laundry into your garage. The garage laundry area style is effective for space saving and multipurpose cleaning supplies storage. 

Clever Storage Solutions

We’re done with the big machine now, let’s discuss compact laundry storage for the cleaning supplies and equipment like your mops, buckets, scrubs, and gloves. 

Normally, in large rooms, there’ll be ample space for keeping these things, but with tight areas, you must get creative with your laundry storage ideas. 

When you organize small laundry room spaces, consider using smart storage equipment, multipurpose furniture, removable containers, and convenient fixtures.

Here are some practical examples for you: 

Overhead Cabinets

Overheadcabinetsin a laundry room.
Overhead cabinets give easy access to cleaning supplies 

Install overhead laundry cabinets above your machines to store the detergents and small or detachable tools. 

Rolling Laundry Cart

You can also get a slim laundry rolling cart that slides between appliances for easier access, especially if you’re not tall enough for the overhead option. 

Wall-Mounted Baskets

Wall mounted laundry hampers are great space savers – Found On Amazon

Preserve your laundry’s cleanliness by sorting and storing them in a stylish laundry basket hung from the walls of your laundry room.

Fold-Out Drying Rack

Collapsible drying rack.
Collapsible drying racks can hold multiple clothes at once 

Another smart saver is the foldable drying rack that makes for easy storage when not in use; and the best part is that these fold-flat racks can spread to untold lengths that hold several clothes at once. 

Shelf Above Washer-Dryer

A laundry room, with shelving above the washer-dryer set storing laundry materials.
You can swap a cabinet for a shelf to give the room an open feel 

Add a single laundry room shelf for easy access storage above your washer-dryer machine. So, instead of getting tired or lazy after doing laundry, you can complete your work in one space. 

Multipurpose Laundry Rooms

If you’re really space-crunched then try alternative small laundry ideas like multipurpose rooms. You can combine so many household spaces into one because of their similar equipment and functions. Your dual-purpose laundry room can be in the bathroom, kitchen for washer-dryer sets, craft room for supply storage, or pantry for equipment. Let’s start with the  laundry mudroom combo.

Laundry & Mudroom Combo

Laundry room in blue mudroom.
The laundry mudroom combo is ideal for homes with kids 

The mudroom laundry combo works for eclectic homeowners who hate the idea of tracking dirt across their homes. Designate an area for your outerwear and footwear with drawers to store your laundry supplies. 

Laundry in Bathroom

Bathroom-laundry combo
Bathroom-laundry combo

In a bathroom laundry combo, you can discreetly store laundry machines, shelves for your clean laundry, and baskets or bag for dirty clothes. This combo only works for large bathroom spaces though, so it’s sort of limiting. 

Kitchen-Laundry Hybrid

Washer-dryer set in kitchen.
Washer-dryers fit in with kitchen cabinets and appliances 

The shared kitchen laundry combination is popular in apartments where tenants had no part in the home design. You can place your washer-dryer machine in any of your bottom cabinets spaces for easy access. 

Laundry & Craft Room

Laundry and craft tools in compartmentalized cabinets.
Setup your laundry and craft tools in compartmentalized cabinets 

Small craft items and laundry supplies can fit seamlessly into one space when you combine a  craft and laundry room. 

Laundry-Pantry Combo

A washer-dryer set in pantry room.
Separate laundry agents from food with your organization

Our final recommendation is a pantry laundry room storage where you keep all machines in one space, but not food and cleaning supplies.  The machines stay in the pantry to save space while keeping cleaning supplies away from food items. 

Functional Folding Stations

After washing and drying your laundry, sorting and storing them feels tasking. But when you create a small folding area for smart sorting and storage, your work becomes easier. 

You may be thinking that creating a sorting station laundry would require more space and defeat the purpose of your laundry solution system, but you’re wrong. 

Here’s how you can fit a smart sorting system like a laundry folding table seamlessly in tight spaces.

Pull-Out Folding Table

Hidden pull-out folding station to your cabinets 
You can add a hidden pull-out folding station to your cabinets 

When you resign your laundry space, add a hidden pull-out folding table to one of the shelves. You can use it for sorting clean or dirty laundry and hide it when you’re done. 

Countertop Over Machines

A flat surface shelf on top of a washer-dryer set as your folding station
Set a flat surface shelf for your washer-dryer set as your folding station

Installing a countertop over your appliances is a smart and easy access system. The laundry countertop solution works with shelves, cabinets and lockers. 

Wall-Mounted Drop Table

A modern drop table folding station.
The modern drop table folding station is multipurpose 

Speaking of wall mounts and hidden compartments, a drop leaf folding station is the best of both worlds. You can drop it to sort your laundry and lift it to its position when you’re done. 

Island in Laundry Room

A laundry room with an island.
A laundry room island allows easy sorting and folding

Add a compact laundry room island to your cabinets if you’re able to customize one. It’s perfect for folding the clothes before storing them in the cabinet. 

Portable Folding Cart

Lastly, we have the classic and trusted portable laundry cart. Its mobility allows you to move it around depending on where space pops up. 

Decor and Style Ideas

Once you’ve sorted out the essentials, you can add visual appeal with stylish and themed laundry room decor. 

Get creative with your small laundry design ideas by using bold accents walls and decorative tile flooring as focal points, baskets on shelves as stylish yet functional storage, glass cabinets for modernity, and under cabinet rugs as finishing touches. 

Let’s design your personalized stylish laundry room.

Bold Accent Wall

A laundry room with an accessible wallpaper behind the washer-dryer set.
Accent walls highlight your laundry area

Did you know colors can create an illusion of larger or smaller sizes? Use wallpaper or paint for a dramatic look on your laundry room accent wall. It’s a nice highlight for boring plain paint covering the rest of the walls. 

Decorative Tile Flooring

Patterned floor tiles on laundry room walls.
Add dimension and character with patterned floor tiles 

If you prefer plain walls, then you can introduce your highlight from the ground up using a bold laundry tile design. Explore multiple patterns until you find one that resonates with you. 

Open Shelving with Baskets

For your storage, mix open shelves with laundry baskets to create a charming yet functional view. You’d have easy access to a full view of your folded laundry and a pretty backdrop.  

Glass Cabinet Doors

Another way to keep a light, open vibe with a full view of your cleaning supplies and arranged clothes by using the glass cabinet laundry idea. The glass keeps dirt out but doesn’t feel stuffy. 

Under-Cabinet Lighting

Lights under a cabinet about the washer-dryer countertop shelf.
The light helps you see your countertop while sorting and folding and adds aesthetic appeal to the laundry space

If you want to give your cleaning room or corner a luxurious vibe, install under-cabinet lighting and laundry decor. You can use an LED mood lighting that changes color for additional style. 

Cozy Laundry Rugs

Adding a washable laundry room rug gives it an interesting personality through texture and design. You can sink your feet into tis comforting warmth while doing your laundry and keep it as a display piece when you’re done. 

Small Upgrades to Boost Efficiency

Using the compact laundry solutions in this guide will transform your small space into a cleaning sanctuary. Still, you can also improve workflow by adding certain appliances to your new laundry room.

Don’t just choose random equipment for your space. Instead, make consistent  laundry room upgrades like getting compact appliances for your limited space and adopting laundry efficiency hacks for maximum results with minimal effort. 

Energy-Efficient Machines

The best laundry efficiency hack starts with the primary equipment – the laundry-dryer combo. Get an energy-saving washer-dryer that’s eco-friendly and fast. 

Retractable Ironing Board

Pull out ironing board hidden when not in use.
Pull out to use and fold in after usage 

Scroll back up to see some of the sorting system options, especially the retractable ironing board. You can fold it away when dormant and pull it out when you’re done. 

Smart Laundry Hampers

Sectioned hampers reading Dark, Light, Color to help separate clothing.
Sectioned hampers encourage smart sorting 

If you have too many clothes and you think a single basket or laundry can’t contain them, get a smart laundry hamper with multiple sorting compartments to organize your dirty clothes. 

Wall-Mounted Ironing Station

Wall mounted ironing board to your cabinett.
You can add the wall mounted ironing board to your cabinet

Finally, save floor space with a mounted wall ironing board station. You can affix the board to the wall in a less-used corner of the laundry room or house. 

Conclusion

Creating a functional laundry design by blending storage usage with style is the perfect solution to managing a small laundry space. Tweak the ideas from this small laundry room inspiration overview until you make them yours. 

When you organize your tiny laundry room, you consequently improve your quality of life. That singular act causes a ripple effect like nothing you could ever imagine. 

Instead of being stressed from clutter or lack of movement in cramped rooms, your organized laundry space inspires you to work towards keeping it spic and span. So, help yourself today and upgrade your laundry room style. 

Let us know in the comment section which option was your favorite and why. 

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