Your Laundry Room Deserves Better, Give It a Refresh With These 5 Styling Tips

The laundry is an oft-forgotten about space in the home when it comes to styling. Bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms are the first areas folks gravitate to when thinking about a design project, and the little old laundry can be an afterthought.

But that, friends, is a mistake. No matter how small or uninteresting your laundry may be, this area is one where you can quite easily inject a little personality and character. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the biggest trends and most useful tips you can use when styling your laundry.

Laundry styling tips and trends folks are loving right now

As per usual, I’ve consulted the latest in Pinterest trends along with some helpful hints from home styling pros to pull together the below. Let’s dive in, yes?

The rise of the mudroom

This term has been floating around for some time now, but what exactly is a mudroom? As BHG writes, the mudroom is a primarily an American term referring to a secondary entrance to a home where dirty shoes, wet clothing and the like can find a home.

The outlet shared a quote from House Rules judge Drew Heath on the trend:

“Banished from floor plans during the minimalist 1960s, it’s becoming the new must-have. A mudroom is a great practical element of any family home”, he said

“Helping the kids to keep the dirt, sand or mess at the door.”

Pinterest has also seen a rise in interest in this trend, with the term ‘laundry mud room’ increasing in interest by 40 per cent. In essence, folks are looking for ways to turn their laundry space into an area that can house outdoor gear easily.

Textured doormats and rugs, loads of hanging space and clever storage systems sit at the heart of this trend. In many of these mudrooms, we see woven baskets, lots of shelving and bench space in neutral tones and natural finishes, along with cabinet space in shades of white, mushroom and grey.

Working with the space you’ve got

Another trend that has popped up on Pinterest is ‘tiny laundry room ideas’ (which has seen a 45 per cent increase), indicating people are keen to find ways to style smaller laundry spaces well.

Trends include stacking washing machines and dryers (if you’re able to), using bright shades of white to open up the space and introducing shelving to organise the area well.

When looking at brightening up your laundry, you can consider using tiles, a lick of paint or even vinyl tiling as a temporary option.

Stylish storage

Another trend that makes good use of available space is the introduction of a ‘laundry hanging rail’ which has increased in interest on Pinterest by 60 per cent. The trend uses the clever placement of hanging rails to store clothing in a way that looks tidy and pretty damn chic.

Another storage tip to keep in mind is that you can make your laundry hampers work for you in more ways than one. Apartment Therapy suggests using hampers with a worktop or lid so you can stack items on top or even use it as a surface for folding if needed.

Make this functional room fun

You may not enjoy spending time in your laundry, but you will have to use it from time to time so it’s worth spending a little time making the space feel somewhat exciting to you.

Rozit Arditi, founder and designer at Arditi Design, explained to Apartment Therapy that you can do this with touches of colour – maybe hang some art or choose cute laundry hampers that suit your taste?

Alternatively, you can go for a fun (washable) rug that warms up the area while keeping your tootsies comfy during the laundry process.

If you’re after a bigger DIY project you can opt for wallpaper or temporary flooring that will introduce a little personality into the space – just be careful not to close in smaller laundry rooms with busy patterns and too many dark tones.

Throw some plants in there

There are loads of plants that thrive in humid environments so do some research into which ones will have the best chance of living a happy life in your laundry (some info on that here).

Alternatively, you could choose to bring some green into the area with a handful of lovely artificial plants, too. Just remember to give them a dust every so often and you’re sorted.

If you’re feeling inspired after learning about laundry design trends and would like to keep reading, you can check out our pieces on bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms next.