I’m sure I won’t be alone in thinking that the laundry room is a sanctuary for us moms! A room for us to retreat to and fold the laundry. OK so it may not be glamorous but no one else in the family comes in when I’m sorting through the laundry and that in itself can make it feel like my own little space. And that’s got me thinking about what a laundry room must have in terms of design and accessories. I am a firm believer that your rooms should work for you and not the other way around. Your laundry room should be no different! This blog post has been put together as a resource with items that you need to make your laundry room feel complete and special. Are you ready? You may also enjoy our Shop the Look feature on Dreamy Laundry Rooms.

Wire Baskets

If you’re a regular reader here or follow me on Instagram, you’ll know how much I love using storage baskets in both my own home and design projects too. But for the laundry room, I’m talking about different types of baskets! And first up are wire baskets. Wire baskets help to simplify the storage in your laundry room. Whether you have storage cabinets or open shelving, you can use wire baskets in both areas. These baskets are great for storing towels or laundry and cleaning products.

Rolling Laundry Baskets

The next type of storage baskets that will revolutionize the way you use your laundry room are rolling laundry baskets! These baskets make moving laundry around the room much easier and there are some options on the market that feature a double or triple basket divider, making sorting even easier too. If you have large storage cabinets in your laundry room, integrating rolling laundry baskets into them will be a complete game-changer!

Canisters

 

I love using canisters around the home to keep individual rooms looking consistent. In particular the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room. For the laundry room specifically, using canisters to store your laundry soap and other detergents helps to create a cohesive and designed look throughout.

Trash Can

Having a trash can in the laundry room is hugely helpful. When cleaning around the washing machine door seal and collecting lint, having a trash can in the laundry room means you don’t need to go back into the main areas of the house.

A Runner or Area Rug

You may be surprised to see this on the laundry room must-haves list! But I can assure you that it is worth exploring. The overall size and orientation of your laundry room will influence the best size for you. For example, for narrow laundry rooms, runners will be a good size but for more square or larger spaces, an area rug will be better suited. Using a runner or area rug in front of the washer and dryer provides comfort underfoot for you and can bring in some color or pattern into the room. This will help make it feel less utilitarian and more a part of the overall home, not to mention absorbing some of the noise from the appliances.

Folding Table

Having a table surface in your laundry room is super helpful because it provides you with a clean area to fold clothes or organize laundry. You can either integrate this with your countertop or install a wall-mounted folding table so it can be easily stored away when not in use.

Hanging Racks

My laundry room wouldn’t be complete without my clothes hanging racks! These are a lifesaver for hanging a variety of things: hanging shirts to dry or hanging freshly ironed clothes. When I was researching hanging racks I was amazed at the number of different types of racks available! Depending on the space you have available you can find wall-mounted hanging racks, pull-out hanging racks, and ones you can install from the ceiling.

 

Ironing Board

It’s true that a good ironing board can last you a lifetime. This is one of those items that’s worth investing in initially, as when the original wears down over the years you can add different extra layers and covers to refresh it. Having a pretty ironing board cover will also make the ironing (slightly!) less tedious! 

Backsplash Ideas

There are many different backsplash tiles on the market that can make it difficult to decide which is right for you! For the laundry room, it all depends on whether you want the room to feel utilitarian (monochrome or all white) or fun with pattern and color. Your backsplash is a great opportunity to show this! Explore our Backsplash Design Trends blog post for more ideas. You will need something that is practical for the space and easy to keep clean. For that reason, I don’t suggest using mosaics in the laundry room and recommend subway tiles instead. I love using subway tiles because you can be creative with them! Instead of laying them in the classic brick style, why not try installing them vertically or even in chevron or herringbone pattern?

Incorporate color through your backsplash through the tile choice. If you love using patterns in your home, consider using Moroccan-style square tiles. Recently I have seen a huge surge of interest in hexagon tiles!

Storage

And last – but not least! – is storage. This is one of the most important elements of a laundry room as I know only too well how this can become an overflow pantry! Or an area for storing other household items. Storage in your laundry room could be as simple as standard cabinets with a countertop surface and upper cabinets. However, you can take this one step further with storage cabinets above the washer and dryer as this can create a huge amount of extra storage space.  Integrate baskets where you can, ideally on runners so they can be extended outwards when required.    That concludes the laundry room must-haves! I hope this blog post has sparked some ideas and provided inspiration for your laundry room. I’d love to hear any of your own laundry must-haves in the comments section below!