Some rooms of the house are hidden away. Laundry rooms, closets, garages, master bathrooms, offices. You get the idea. These spaces tend to be forgot in terms of design too. They're usually piled up with old clothes, mismatched socks, random boxes of books, items left behind by guest, and so on and so forth. But these are the spaces we use everyday. The places we do work, pass though, etc etc etc. These rooms are often the most used. They should be designed. They should be nice. They should make make you want to be there.
So I've decided to pull up some examples of lovely laundry rooms. Bright, colorful, happy spaces that make you want to stay in the room. Places that might even inspire you to do some laundry. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not, but let's pretend it's possible for the sake of argument.
Here's one that looks like it could be in a lovely, little farm house in Scandinavia. At least, that's what I think. It's pretty, it's calm, it's light teal! The room is a great example of how to mix white, black, and color. The teal used here is light enough that it almost blends with the white. The black counter tops contrast with both of the other colors. Plus, I love the industrial lamp and the accessories! Big glass containers are great for holding laundry supplies in an organized and pretty way.
This is another excellent example. Also the photo has a more realistic look, because, let's face it, your laundry room is always going to have clothing in it. Year round. Everyday. Fact.
But! On to things that really matter: COLOR. This room has an amazing four color accent wall that's kinda ombre-ish. I luuuuurrrve it. I really do. Other than that, the room is basic. The other walls are white. The wood is all the same un-stained pine color. The washer and dryer are white. Simple, plain, stylish. The monogramed laundry baskets stacked next to the washer are a nice touch. The coloring on the letters matches the room. As do the hangers. My favorite part of the entire space, however, is the rug. Adorable! The painted clothes pins are whimsical and strong. I love it. I want one. This laundry room really inspires me to want to re-do a laundry room. Perhaps my parents'? I don't have one of my own...
This laundry room, while still colorful, lovely, and enjoyable, feels more grown-up. More mature. More worldly? It's definitely channeling an industrial feel with the metal wire baskets, the light fixture, and the basket. It feels like a home. There is tons of storage. This really is an ideal set up for a medium sized laundry room. The room uses mostly neutral tones-- cream walls, wood tones in the baskets, granite counter tops, brown-toned art, plants, silver baskets, brass light fixture, mostly grey rug-- however, the teal cabinetry blends in. The teal is a dusty color; it feels natural. It's close to robin's egg blue. This is why the room works as a whole, rather than feeling disjointed. A brighter, more in your face teal would not have worked. This is a great way to work color into a more "adult" space.
This is what happens when someone wealthy has too much fun decorating. This is a diva's laundry room, no doubt about it. From the sign that reads "sparkle," to the gold and black backsplash, to the zebra print rug, to the chandelier, this space screams glamour! I'll admit that it's not what I would do. But I'll also admit that I kinda like it! :) It also provides an example of how a black washer and dryer can work well in a space and not look dated. This room is huge. Bigger than my bedroom huge. Look at that work space! It's colorful, for sure. Though I think the cabinets would look better in a high gloss, rather than distressed finish. This color and finish is exactly what I have in mind for a desk that I'm planning on redoing in January though! What do you think of this room? Way too much drama? Is there anything you take away from this space?
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Here's a more small scale space. (Bigger than the one I grew up with though!) It's colorful and organized and shows that a small space can sometimes work better than a large one (see above!) The green is bright, but nor neon, and by mixing lots of neutrals and whites, the space feels harmonious. That laminate flooring needs to go though. I feel like this is an example of a doable laundry room though. It's not over the top, it's not overly decorated, but it works. It makes sense. It makes good use of the space and of color. This is a very real looking room.
What does your laundry room look like? Dumping ground? Colorful? Organized? Drab? White laminate particle board? Does it need a change or do you like it the way it is? Or do you think putting design into a utility room is a waste of time/money/effort?
