As a family business, all of us at Uashmama know that the laundry room is a busy hub in a family home, which can end up a messy and unattractive space, making it difficult to get chores done.
But it can be made beautiful and practical, and you don’t need to spend lots of money or buy lots of new things - utilising what you have, being clever with storage, and being handy with a hammer are useful skills that come into play here.
If you're lucky enough to have the space for a laundry room or utility area in your home and want to spruce it up (and perhaps don’t know where to start) these styling tips are for you.
1. Start with smart storage solutions
One of the most vital things to have in your laundry room is storage, and there are so many different options.
The best place to start is to write a list of what you will use your laundry room for and the items you’ll need, and then figure out how to store them, eg. somewhere for iron, ironing board, somewhere for dirty and clean washing, etc.
Whatever storage solutions you go for, it’s a good idea to utilise the space you’re given - if it’s a small room with a high ceiling, go upwards, and get a step stool to help you reach items (and to sit down on when that laundry gets a little overwhelming).
Cupboards or cubbies
Built-in cupboards are an amazing solution for that high-up space that usually goes unused. It can be more expensive to go for built-in storage, but it does mean every inch will be used efficiently.
If you love seeing what you’ve got and having items on display, cubbies are a great alternative. They’re a shelving solution with different sections, allowing you to organise everything you need in your utility area.
Attractive trays, boxes and bags
Not everything you’ll have in your laundry room will be nice to look at - many items have unsightly wires, and can look messy. That’s where nice boxes and trays to slip into your cupboards or cubbies come in - they’ll keep things organised, and they look good too.
Our Panino Storage Tray is good for smaller items, while our signature Paper Bags come in all shapes and sizes, making them great for holding washing detergent pods and tumble dryer balls, or hiding away larger items like detergent bottles.
And of course, you’ll definitely need something for dirty laundry before it makes its way into the washing machine. We have various laundry bags made from our special washable paper that are perfect for storing clothes and can be folded away when not in use.
Wall-mounted storage
For those who like to display utensils, wall-mounted storage like a wooden pegboard or wire rack looks great and makes it easy to grab those frequently used items.
Use this modern utility wall for items like pegs, a dustpan and brush, cleaning utensils, and maybe even a calendar to keep track of who needs their PE kit cleaned and when.
If your laundry room is tiny, you could hang a pegboard on the back of the door to free up wall space for more useful cupboards or shelves.
2. A handy worktop space for folding laundry
This is another important part of any laundry room or utility area, and it doesn’t have to be big, but some worktop space for folding and sorting washing is really useful in a utility space.
It should be a comfortable height for you, and ideally it would have room underneath for your washing machine (and tumble dryer if you have one) and perhaps an area to tuck your laundry bags away.
Our Vassoio Trays and Lollie Storage Trays are perfect for organising any items you need to keep on your worktop too.
3. Jazz up the walls
A laundry room or utility space is often very practical, with people preferring to keep the area a clean and clear white.
But it doesn’t have to be white - it's a room your guests probably won’t enter, meaning you could let your imagination run wild with bold colours and patterns, without worrying what other people think.
If you prefer things a little less vibrant, you can keep the colours muted, adding warmth with natural wooden accents. Whatever you choose, it’s important to create a space you really love.
4. Decant into attractive containers
This is a totally optional styling suggestion, especially if you’re hiding things away in cupboards anyway, but there are so many beautiful containers that you could decant your washing products into from their less attractive bottles and tubs.
This is definitely one for people who like a seamless, perfectly-coordinated home, and have a specific colour scheme or aesthetic in mind, as it does create a really cohesive look.
5. Label your laundry room
Labelling can be really handy to keep everything in order, especially if it’s a space used by more than one person, as it stops things getting misplaced or mixed up.
It can be really satisfying to know that everything has its place, and that if laundry duties are shared, everyone can find what they need really easily.
You can get labelling makers from most craft and office supply shops.
6. Use a drying rack
A drying rack is a really handy thing for a laundry room, especially if you’re unable to dry clothes outside due to lack of space or the weather. Even if you have a tumble dryer, many fabrics should be air-dried, such as wool or silk.
If you’re low on space in your utility room, a drying rack suspended from the ceiling with a simple pulley system is a great idea to use that free space, plus, heat rises, so it makes sense to have your clothes drying up high!
Alternatively, you could have a drying rack that folds away into the wall, or a free-standing drying rack that you can move around the home or outside, as long as it has its own delegated space to put away.
7. Style your laundry room shelves
There’s a lot of joy to be found in styling shelves, and even just one floating shelf can be really handy in a laundry room. You can use attractive trays or boxes to hide messy-looking items, and add hooks underneath to store other useful items too.
We always love to add plants into the home wherever possible, and a shelf is the perfect place to display one in your laundry room where it won’t get in the way.
8. Display some art
Utility rooms are often overlooked when it comes to styling - the main function is to be useful, rather than attractive.
Adding a print or two into your utility area injects a bit of personality and colour into the room, and will make it a more pleasant place to spend time completing those laundry-related chores.
We love this set of 2 Italy prints by Amber Davenport for brightening up any laundry room, evoking memories of time spent on the Italian Riviera, eating gelato and drinking aperitivo in the sunshine.
9. Conceal with a curtain
If there are things that you’d rather not be on show all the time, such as your washing machine, consider hiding them away with a curtain. It can be pulled to the side when the item is in use, and takes up much less space than a cupboard door.
A curtain in a fabric that complements the rest of your laundry room would work perfectly, and it gives the space a cosy, cottagey feel.
10. Add a sink
Finally, if you have space, a sink in your laundry room is a great place for hand-washing delicate clothing, or cleaning anything that you don’t want in your kitchen or bathroom sink.
If you really want a sink but your utility room is low on space, you could stack your washing machine and dryer, and have a sink with a small worktop area next to it.
I’ll bet your mind is now brimming with ideas of how to DIY your laundry room into a much more useful and beautiful space.
If you do need more inspiration, there are some amazing tiny laundry room ideas on Pinterest, some of which are built into old cupboard spaces and other tiny areas of the home!