Our small laundry room needed a makeover. It was perfectly fine and functional with a sink, one cabinet, and the washer and dryer. But I wanted to change the builder beige (the infamous Navajo Tan.) And I needed to organize drying clothes that can’t go into the dryer, often-used products (I’m too short to reach all the shelves in the cabinet), and the ironing board and iron.
I decided to go for a beachy theme. Now it is painted blue (Sherwin Williams Meander Blue) with pink and green accents.
The room has a pitched ceiling and I had seen a room like that on TV with ceiling medallions for decoration. After much thought I finally realized I could use a vinyl wall decal for the same effect. Next, I ordered a large hibiscus from Sticker Brand in a bright pink. Standing on a ladder and rubbing it onto the wall over my head was the hard part. I just took it easy and took breaks whenever I got tired. It didn’t get done quickly, but I’m very happy with how it looks from the hallway.
At the Container Store I found a folding rack that attaches to the wall. After many measurements and trip to the store, I bought one that exactly fits under the cabinet. This way wet clothes hang to dry over the sink.
After searching, I found an over-the-door rack that holds the iron and ironing board. I considered doing a wall-mounted ironing board behind the door, but when I iron I like to watch TV, so I stuck with my existing ironing board.
Small laundry room décor
My collection of novelty thimbles was headed for the giveaway stash. The Gardener found a case to hold them that hangs on the wall. It seemed like a good wall hanging for a laundry room. I found two frames made of similar wood to hang on the opposite wall with some of my favorite Hawaii photos.
I’ve slowly been removing all the builder ceiling lights around the house. For the laundry room I found a hanging blown glass lamp in blue and mounted it so that the bottom of the pendant is even with the top of the doorframe. It’s the only light in the windowless room, so I have to use an LED bulb bright enough to work by.
The small Jellybeans rugs that are so easy to clean are favorites of mine. I found a cute hibiscus one to go with the color scheme.
For the shelves, I went with white brackets and white laminate shelves. I measured the height of the products I use and installed the shelves above the washer and dryer so that the containers would fit below the slanted wall. With the small space, I needed small baskets and when I looked for baby room décor, I was able to find the perfect color and fit.
Let’s talk story
My mother’s laundry room was a corner of a cinder block basement. She would go down there in the cool dark basement to do laundry for a family of 6. Her ironing board was set up in another corner and she would hang the clothes from the exposed pipes. I always thought that’s how laundry was supposed to be.
Moving into our house filled me with joy to have a room for the washer and dryer on the same floor as the bedrooms. When I got the idea to decorate it a little, The Gardener was not really on board. But the first time he did laundry in our new setting he said, “Now I get it!”
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The wall color and that wall decal really do brighten it up! I have a over the door ironing board holder that is now attached to the wall (I got rid of the door). It’s so much handier than it used to be.
Hey Julie, Thanks for your comment! I’m going to think about taking down the door – we hardly ever close it!