Looking for smart laundry room storage ideas? You're in the right place. A separate, designated laundry room really is the dream. Somewhere you can hide mountains of clothes, bedding and all the rest out of sight, do your folding in peace, and let everything dry without taking over all the radiators in the house. If you're lucky enough to have a laundry room, you'll want to make it work as seamlessly and efficiently as it can. And that's where we come in.
We've got tons of laundry room ideas to help you to curate the perfect space. Whether it's secret ironing boards that spin out from beneath your worktop, or clothes airers that hang from the ceiling, these clever ideas will ensure your space is easy to use and keep tidy.
Laundry room storage ideas for seamless style and organization
Clearing the clutter by combining a few different types of laundry room storage together will make it far easier to compartmentalize what you need to actually do laundry in the first place. And any free space will keep the room feeling zen and oddly inviting rather than a hot mess you'd rather avoid. We all know that feeling.
1. Up your laundry room organization with open shelves
Laundry rooms are above all else practical spaces, but that doesn't mean they can't be good looking too. Putting up open shelving however is both – pretty and practical! Use them to store pegs, laundry essentials you can't live without, detergent, fabric conditioner and the likes but also decorate them too, add books, plants and ornaments to make it more your own space.
Peter Erlandsson, co-founder of String Furniture explains, 'There are only two things you need to consider. The first is making sure your shelving is deep and tall enough to store your belongings but narrow enough that it doesn’t compromise your precious square-footage.'
'The second is making sure you use a mix of open shelving and cabinet styles to create a display unit that is flexible enough to hide the things you don’t want on show.'
2. Save space with a built-in ironing board
Okay, this is pure genius, why on earth haven't we thought of this before? No more lugging the ironing board around every time you just want to quickly iron one top. With this clever contraption from Scavolini you can simply lift up your countertop and swivel your ironing board out for a much quicker and easier ironing session.
3. Make the most of wall space with hooks
Whether it's for hanging baskets, brushes or peg bags, attach some wooden hooks to your wall for some quick, easy and practical laundry room storage at a really pocket-friendly cost. This Hambledon peg rail from Garden Trading is the perfect size for a smaller laundry room space, and the exposed wood finish brings a warm and rustic feel to the room too.
4. Take your cabinets up to the ceiling
'One of the best ways to maximize storage space in your laundry room is to utilize vertical space. Built-in cabinets that reach the ceiling are great ways to add a ton of storage to the room without taking up too much space,' says Andre Kazimierski, CEO at Improovy.
This also makes for a sleek and streamlined space. We love the clever use of shelving built into the door of this cabinet, a sleek design feature by Neptune that'll help keep clutter at bay.
5. Hang a drying rack from above
Hanging a drying rack from your ceiling is a great way to keep your drying laundry completely out of the way, and freeing up precious space. A string mechanism, such as in this modern clothes airer from Pulley Maid allows you to bring the airer down for easy hanging, and then push back up for drying. Laundry hacks like this can transform how you use your space.
'For a DIY option, you could even repurpose an old ladder or kitchen pot rack and hang it from the ceiling,' says Andra DelMonico lead interior designer fat Trendey.
6. Incorporate a drying rack into wall cabinets
Free up space in your laundry room by installing a drying rack within, or below, your cabinet space. This simple design by Scavolini is compact enough for even the smallest of laundry rooms, and is perfect for hanging smaller items like dish cloths and kids' clothes.
7. Consider stacking your appliances
Look at where your washing machine and dryer are positioned – if you currently store them side by side, think about getting a cabinet that can stack them.
Alternatively, a stacking kit enables you to install a dryer on top of your washing machine without any additional fixings.
'When stacking a washer and dryer unit on top of one another, allow a little extra room for a draw underneath. This maintains an adequate height for using the machines, but also provides a very convenient store for washing tablets etc,' says Chris Michael, architect and founder at Archisoup
8. Go modular
As we've said, open shelving is a great option because you can keep everything in sight and easily accessible.
Erlandsson explains, 'Modular, open shelving provides a great way to fit storage into small spaces. The best thing about modular furniture is that it really can be installed anywhere.'
'To make your utility feel larger, there is an age old doctrine of using light colours on walls to make your home look bigger. This is true, and your shelves need not detract from this. Using minimal materials, string ensures your walls aren’t totally covered."
'Deep shelves lower down will be handy for heavier items, with shelves above head height designed to stash items you don't use often.'
9. Save space with an extendable clothes airer
Struggle to find space to dry your loads? Instead of desperately draping everything over your shower door, try a wall mounted drying rack that extends to meet your laundry needs and then folds away when not in use.
This clothes dryer from Garden Trading is great for laundry storage as it also has a shelf on top for storing washing powder and wooden hooks for homeless hangers.
10. Label up for ease
All it takes is a single red sock to slip through and your white load comes out all pink. Never again mourn the loss of your favorite clothes by getting yourself a laundry basket that clearly divides you lights and darks.
There are plenty of options out there and you can even fashion something yourself, but we love the vintage look of this rattan hamper from Garden Trading.
11. Invest in built-in laundry room storage
A laundry room might be one of the most hardworking areas of your home but that shouldn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. If you have the room and the budget, investing in built-in laundry storage that works perfectly for your space, allowing you to use every inch efficiently.
Schüller offer loads of beautiful storage options that have been designed specifically for utility rooms.
12. Choose laundry room storage that folds away
Another great way to avoid using up precious square footage with bulky floor standing drying racks is a wall mounted, fold away airer.
Place this rack from Pulley Maid above a radiator and you have an instant practical drying space that would work in even the most restrictive of spaces.
13. Cover up appliances with kitsch curtains
Let’s face facts, washers and tumble dryers are never going to be aesthetically pleasing. So cover up those eyesores really inexpensively with some makeshift curtains.
You can choose a pattern that suits your space and attach it to some net wire, keeping your bulky appliances out of sight, out of mind. Just the way we like it.
14. Don't neglect the back of your doors in a laundry room
Don’t overlook the backs of doors, they can be a great place for storing smaller items, such as brushes and washing powder in baskets.
This Elfa door rack from A Place for Everything is made up of a combination of different sized wire baskets, ideal for storing bottles of laundry detergent, fabric softener, pegs or hand towels.
Top tip: The back of the door is also a great place for storing the ironing board - get a wall mounted holder or fix on some ordinary coat hooks.
15. Create an area in your laundry room for folding
Increase efficiency by installing a space for folding and organizing your laundry. This will save you having to lug all your clean washing to the nearest available clear surface. It needn’t be a huge space, a countertop spanning a washer or dryer would work perfectly.
If you are really strapped for space in your laundry room, fix a fold down table or shelf to the wall.
16. Hide laundry room clutter in baskets
Sorry did we say hide? We meant organize. Large baskets are great for taming clean washing that’s waiting to find a home or for storing your stock pile of laundry detergent. They also are really aesthetically pleasing and no one needs know that they are actually often filled with an unruly mess.
These wicker or rattan baskets are part of this laundry room designed by Neptune.
17. Add a laundry room in the bathroom
No space for a separate utility room but bags of room in your bathroom design to squeeze in a laundry zone?
Keep yours neat with a sizeable cupboard to hideaway folded laundry, washing powder and coat hangers, and use the space above the washing machine for a neat drying rack. A quiet washing machine is very much advised!
18. Build a pet bed into a utility room
Pets and clean laundry? Sure it might not sound like the best combination but if your laundry room is more like a mudroom and you use it for a whole lot more that just storing your washing machine and dryer then you should consider building in a space for your pets.
Maybe they need a space to sleep at night? Or an area to go for a kip while the kids are running riot? If you've got the luxury of being able to give up a couple of cupboards then we love the idea of this cozy under-the-counter space for furry friends!
19. Pick a tiny ironing board for a small utility room
IKEA laundry room ideas are always a go-to for us because they cater to even the smallest spaces. Ironing might not be one of our favorite household chores, but we reckon even we could find a little more enthusiasm for it thanks to this mini design.
A perfect buy for compact laundry rooms, the JALL tabletop ironing board folds entirely flat when not in use so you can simply hang it from a hook on the back of a door.
20. Take open shelving across the whole wall
Make the most of every inch of your wall space by putting up open shelves right from one end to the other. Stack up pretty items, like towels, jugs and stylish containers, and scatter some picture frames and plants too. Adding decorative features to your shelves is especially important with a laundry room like this, where glass doors mean all can be seen from the kitchen.
How can I make my laundry room look nice?
More than any other room in the home, laundry rooms are first and foremost practical. But, as you'll be spending time in there doing chores– loading, unloading, folding etc, a good-looking space can make those chores a real pleasure. Position two of three houseplants on your countertop and shelves. No window? Opt for faux! And hang up some art work that makes you smile. Stylish baskets, boxes and hooks can make your room look lovely too - it really is all in the little details. If your laundry room leads off from your kitchen, you may want to choose the same cabinets for a seamless flow between the spaces. Or, it's a nice idea to choose the same style units, but paint them in a bright colour, to add some fun to your laundry days.