Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Hard working and good looking.

Instead of treating your laundry room—i.e. the hardest working space in your home—as an afterthought, give it the love and care it deserves with the right beautifying decor and strategic layout. After all, if the kitchen is the heart of the home, the laundry room is the kidneys (not the sexiest analogy, sure, but neither is sorting through soiled laundry, so stay with us here): totally crucial when it comes to keeping things clean. And it doesn't need to be huge to do so, so if your home isn't blessed with a huge space to wash and fold your clothes, have no fear. All of the laundry room ideas ahead, each with accompanying organization and storage tips, will help you make the most of what you do have. And beyond functionality, we also included plenty of decorating ideas, since laundry rooms deserve design love no matter their size. Besides, laundry day is rough enough—you may as well do all that washing and drying in a stylish space. Ahead, get inspired by over fifty small laundry rooms straight from our favorite designers.

🏡Love finding new design tricks. So do we. Let us share the best of them.

This marigold yellow multi-use room by Stephanie Sabbe in House Beautiful's Whole Home project features a laundry corner with a single unit washer-dryer appliance from LG. All the controls for both the washer and the dryer are at eye level for easy access, speeding up household chores.

Barn doors painted a crips white contrast with the cream hardware for a subtle yet stylish impact that makes this shabby chic laundry room by Leanne Ford Interiors blend in stylishly. Not to mention, barn doors and pocket doors save space in the adjoining areas.

A pretty blue paisley print wallpaper is the perfect transition piece between the laundry room and adjoining living space designed by Anna Spiro. A blue ticking stripe pattern on the Roman shades and tile flooring makes the utility room pretty enough to be exposed through an interior glass door—but, should one decide to close it, the glass is lined in a matching ticking stripe fabric curtain for privacy.

Tammy Randall Wood of Interior Archaeology made sure to carve out a special room for laundry and flower arranging in her Spanish colonial home in the Santa Monica mountains. The laundry room features zellige wall tiles and a soapstone countertop and backsplash. A glass-enclosed cabinet allows her to see all her vase options while arranging flowers, too.

Now, this is a clever way to hide a mess! This luscious red velvet curtain in an eclectic kitchen designed by Tamsin Johnson Interiors keeps storage spaces and appliances discreetly tucked away. The curtain is more eye-catching than a door—not to mention, easier to install yourself. If you have a similar setup, where your laundry space lives within a larger room, consider hanging a rod and curtain to keep it out of sight when not in use. Hand them from the ceiling if it's not already in a closet or niche.

Tile floors will be easy to clean (which will definitely make life easier in a laundry room) but they also have the ability to introduce style and personality. Heidi Caillier laid an angular chocolate brown and white pattern that speaks to the beautiful marble veining in the countertops.

While the candy-colored pendants, sweet gingham cafe curtains, and prim wallpaper (including the blue floral one reflected in the mirror!) are what make this laundry room by Anna Spiro so lovely, the practical elements should be celebrated, too. The room is conveniently located by a terrace for air-drying freshly laundered linens, and the brick floors are super durable and age beautifully, so inhabitants don't have to be precious.

In a small laundry room, you'll want to keep surface space free, which means using your walls and ceilings, too. Designed by Sarah Solis, the hanging drying racks keep things out of the way. (We love this one from deVOL Kitchens!) Plus, pretty painted cabinets draw attention away from less-than-appealing machines.

If you can't install your laundry machines under built-in countertops or behind a closed door, just add an extended shelf on top of them. In this laundry room designed by Toledo Geller, the shelf obscures the machines while also providing some surface area to work on.

Designer David Kaihoi used some seriously smart storage solutions to make his New York City apartment feel like home—including creating this compact laundry "room" in his closet. That way, when he's not doing laundry, he can close the door on these eyesore appliances.

In a pint-sized laundry room, Dee Murphy tucked unsightly laundry essentials behind a fluted-glass cabinet door. This material obscures eyesores but also takes up less visual real-estate than painted-wood cabinet doors.

This laundry room designed by April Tomlin Interiors is full of lessons, but perhaps the most important one is on display right in this little nook: Buy in bulk! You'll always need laundry detergent and cleaning supplies, so if you have enough storage space, the money (and trips to the store) you'll save buying in bulk is definitely worth it.

This tiny laundry room from Plain English Kitchens proves that traditional simplicity never goes out of style. Though old-fashioned, it has all the modern amenities. A single scalloped pendant lights the room and butcherblock counters make for a durable worktop. Rust-toned paint color is dressed up by a brass faucet.

If you've already got a flat surface for folding laundry, consider placing your machines in an elevated built-in platform to give your back a break from unnecessary bending. Annie Selke incorporated plenty of cozy nooks for her pets to relax in this laundry room, too.

Here's another great pet-friendly laundry room. Designer Emilie Munroe sourced the chic food and water bowl drawer as well as the orb bed from Meyou Paris. And, instead of building in cabinets below the worktop, she left room to store an old-fashioned rolling laundry bin.

This small laundry room designed by Gail Davis is bursting with personality, from the colorful wallpaper, to the framed artwork, blue trim, and striped penny tile floors. And you don't need to build custom cabinets and shelves to have extra surfaces for folding. Just slide in a lucite side chair! They take up virtually zero visual real estate.

If you have a large home—or family—consider doubling your machine count so you can buy back some of your time. In this perfectly preppy laundry room designed by Mark D. Sikes, the many shades of blue provide a pleasant distraction from the extra appliances.

This neutral-toned laundry room designed by Gil Schafer exudes English-country timelessness, from the exposed hinges and farmhouse sink to the traditional flush mounts. Though it isn't visible from the kitchen, the cabinetry mimics that of the kitchen for a consistent look in the home.

Designers Andrew and Yvonne Pojanni tucked a washer and dryer behind closed doors in their bathroom; the cabinets are painted the same color as the walls to help the storage blend in. If your appliances are front-load style, this is a great way to hide them in plain sight in exposed spaces and open floor plans. Guests will never guess this is where you spend your time on laundry day.

"I really wanted it to feel like our grandparents' homes," Lauren Atkins told designer April Tomlin of her design objective when redecorating the family home she share with her husband Thomas Rhett and their three children. "Their homes are what inspired us to build a home for our family and friends," she added. And that ethos is applied even in the laundry room. Tomlin opted for a vintage-looking sink with an old-fashioned skirt and retro-inspired laundry cart. These small touches make chores feel special and connected—folding someone else's clothes is an act of love, after all!

You can still look at something pretty if your sorting and folding workstation is lacking in the window department—that is, it doesn't enjoy a nice view, or even one at all. Here, Joy Cho lined laundry room walls with a whimsical tile backsplash, which makes doing mind-numbing tasks much more pleasurable than when you're staring at a blank wall.

Convert an underused powder room into a laundry room if you don't have spare space to build one. Designed by Heather Chadduck Hillegas, the delicate cafe curtains, farmhouse-style sink, and traditional lighting fixtures and mirror make the room feel much more elevated than your average laundry area.

Pocket doors can help break up a laundry room into spaces with distinct uses, so you can shift gears mentally while in each area. In the case of this sunny little workstation designed by Barry Dixon, extra square footage was repurposed as a flower-arranging room.

"To save steps, I put my laundry room on the second floor, near the linen closet and bedrooms," says interior design Betty Lou Philips. "It makes sense for it to be there, but it had to look nice since it's not exactly hidden away. The mangle—or rotary iron— is great for pressing everything from bed and table linens to jeans and t-shirts."

This isn't actually a laundry room, but it definitely aids in laundry-room organization. Between all the online orders and foot traffic, a secure spot for deliveries and accessories (like umbrellas) is more essential than ever. A delivery closet on the porch of our Whole Home Concept House 2018 even had a garment rack for dry-cleaning deliveries.

"I knew I wanted open shelving on one side to keep the room feeling airy," says designer Dina Bandman. Meanwhile, the 24-inch Bosch 800 series washer and dryer fit the narrow footprint of this San Francisco laundry room perfectly and allow room for a folding station above.

Here's another corner of Gil Schafer's English-inspired laundry room. The rotary iron is tucked between the wall and work table for easy access without blocking foot traffic. Adding a small folding table is a great way to repurpose old furniture or stash additional furnishings when company isn't around—think of it as a portable kitchen island.

Establish a designated place to hang all of your cleaning supplies: Not only will wall hooks put them within easy reach, they'll also keep them out of the way. This discreet hanging rack has been painted the same color as the wall so it blends in seamlessly.

Prevent trips to the laundry room (or the laundromat or dry cleaners) by keeping smart-investment tech like this LG steamer conveniently tucked away in your bedroom closet. But keeping one in the laundry room to de-wrinkle items right out of the dryer isn't a bad idea, either.

You can use a tiny laundry room for multiple purposes (like as the bar during a party), if you hang curtains in front of your washer and dryer like Heather Bullard did here.

Turn your laundry room into something fantastic by tenting it with vibrant swags of fabric—or at least faking a tent by commissioning an artist to paint one, as Melissa Barbieri did here.

"You can see our laundry room from our family room, so I wanted it to feel decorated without being overdone," says interior designer Philip Gorrivan. "I covered the walls with Philip Jeffries aqua grasscloth and the floor with Chilewich wall-to-wall matting for color and texture." There's also a little stool and counter so you can catch up on emails and get work done between loads.

Custom cabinetry helps a mudroom seamlessly transition into a laundry room in a cohesive shared space designed by Eric Olsen. Custom hardware extending from the built-in bench to the sink area and chic black-and-white accessories complete the look.

No space in your actual house for a laundry room? If you don't mind the extra trek, considering bringing your dirty clothes outside instead, into a pool house or unused shed. The elegant exterior and farmhouse-style interior of this backyard structure designed by Hadas Dembo sets a high bar.

Wallpaper is perfect for tiny rooms, like a closet converted into a laundry space. This one designed by Cameron Ruppert Interiors only has room for stacked machines and a hamper, so she gave it some life with colorful wallpaper and a cheerful pendant light. "When you can't build out, build up," she says.

A modestly-sized two-in-one machine can be a smart addition to a small bathroom. The tiny wet room in a home from Fantastic Frank's portfolio of properties is a great example of a strategically designed tiny bathroom ideal for apartment living.

Choose a durable and easy-to-clean surface material for the counters. Anything high-gloss, whether it's a lacquer paint over wood or laminate material, will do the trick. In this modern and minimalist laundry room by Arent & Pyke, the reflective counter makes the room feel bigger while also being easy to wipe down.

Save a corner by the window for flower arranging, as Reath Design did here. The combination of task and natural light is ideal for hand-washing and spotting small stains, too.

This laundry room, designed by Urban Grace Interiors, features a front-loading washer and dryer, which lets the homeowners make the most of their limited counter space. We also like that there's a sink separating the two machines for a more unique layout. Since the overhead cabinets cast a shadow, the designer added extra task lighting.

Instead of taking up floor space with a standing drying rack, designer Dina Bandman installed a custom Lucite rod between two upper cabinets in this San Francisco laundry room for damp garments. Yes, even a drying rod can be pretty! Also, note the hamper tucked under a cabinet but exposed, so it can be grabbed quickly when it's needed.

Stone tiles are a smart laundry room floor option, thanks to their durability and casual look. But what really sets this laundry room by Heidi Caillier apart is the fun marigold paint and warm brass flush mount light. If you're lucky enough to have a laundry room, why not have fun with it and experiment with a new paint color? It's a great way to test run new shades before committing in a larger, more guest-prone space.

Alternating between exposed and closed cabinetry, this light-filled laundry room by Studio McGee holds all the essentials. "We added an open shelf above the counter to help keep space feeling open and visually interesting," says designer Shea McGee.

Interior designer Danielle Colding transformed this basement laundry room into a lively space that we'd never mind coming down to for chore duty. In fact, the pops of orange contrasted with soothing cool grays and fun blowfish-print wallpaper might even make it one of the best rooms in the house.

A trio of retro hampers in this laundry room, designed by Emily Henderson, aren't just charming—the wheels also make them easy to move around the house. Assign one to each family member to help them keep track of their own laundry.

Have you ever seen a more sophisticated laundry room? Designed by Arent & Pyke, this space makes doing chores so much more inspiring. The machines are tucked behind a sleek khaki green closet door so our eyes can focus on the pretty marble backsplash instead.

Repurpose crates to keep your essentials organized. Here, they're stacked on top of the cabinets, really making use of all possible space. Then, secure a single rod to your wall for a makeshift drying rack in a small laundry room.

Most laundry rooms are small, which leaves limited space for exciting design moments. So get creative with every surface possible! Here, Anna Spiro painted the ceiling a light blue color and used a mossy green gingham skirt to hide appliances.

In this minimalist laundry room designed by Robson Rak, even the essential items are stylish. The black hangers accentuate the modern black ladder, which is both decorative wall art and a functional tool.

Even a teensy, tiny laundry room can feel like a jewel box with the right paint. In this one designed by deVol Kitchens, the blush pink cocoon is both bold and simple. Since all the surfaces but the counters are one color, it feels much bigger than it is.

Before falling in love with a specific layout, think about how you'll use the space. For example, this laundry room designed by Sherry Hart and Jennifer Jones Condon also functions as a mudroom. To clear up some space for a doggy shower, the designers stacked the washer and dryer vertically.

A guaranteed ticket to a fun laundry room experience? Speakers. Danielle Colding installed a sound system in this energizing blue room to make even the most mundane tasks a little more inspiring.

To prevent this working area from feeling small and cramped, designer Julia Buckingham created a "calming oasis with a touch of whimsy," by painting the cabinets a bright white and installing Sanderson's Swallows wallpaper.

When your laundry room is actually just smack dab in the middle of a hallway, you'll want to make sure it looks as pretty as possible. This exposed laundry space by Amber Interiors blends right in with the rest of the walls in the hall, but it's brightened up by fresh florals and a colorful area rug.

Keep your laundry supplies organized by keeping them in one place, like on a tray on the counter. Here, Emily Henderson also transferred them to glass canisters and opted for a lint roller in the same hue of the painted cabinets for a more elevated aesthetic.

If your laundry room doubles as your mud room, make it pet-friendly with built-in feeding bowls that can be easily tucked away when not in use. Jenn Feldman Design took the theme to the next level with dog-print wallpaper.

This laundry room designed by Studio Life/Style feels dressier than most, thanks to the rich navy cabinets, elegant marble backsplash and floors, and wood grain ceilings. The farmhouse sink and sconce make it more approachable and also offer a more casual and useable workspace.

Not only does a wall-mounted organizer save valuable floor space, but it can also fit inside a closet if you don't have a dedicated laundry room.