For a long time, the laundry area was relegated to the background in our interior design. We often found the washing machine at the back of the garage, in the basement or, failing that, wedged between the fridge and a kitchen cupboard. But with interior decorating becoming a passion for many of us, laundry room decor have finally come into their own, and are slowly making their way into our homes, much to our delight.
Wouldn’t you agree? Are you among those who think that a laundry room in your home won’t fit in with your decorating style? Do you think that a laundry room decor is too much work? What if I told you that you’re wrong? That’s what I’m going to try to prove to you today by presenting 12 ideas for a laundry room decor. Would you like to find out more? Then follow me!
The laundry room for every style
The utility room can be a room in its own right. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t require a lot of square footage. In fact, you can transform a corner of your kitchen or bathroom, a few meters of your garage or part of your storeroom into a laundry room or “corner”. The key is to be able to fit a washing machine and possibly a tumble dryer. You’ll also need a work surface for your laundry baskets and a few shelves to store cleaning products (detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, etc.).
But bringing all these elements together in a single space isn’t enough to make your laundry room a laundry room! It also needs to be stylish. And why? For two simple reasons: firstly, to make this torturous space a pleasant place to be, and make the chore of washing less of a hassle! Second: to harmonize the decor of this space with that of your home. And to make things easier for you and help you design and decorate your future laundry room, let’s start by listing what can be done by style.
Idea no. 1: a farmhouse-style laundry room decor
When it comes to the laundry room decor, the “Farmhouse” style is the one that’s on the move. It suits industrial interiors as well as Scandinavian, rustic or bohemian decor. You may be wondering where this craze is coming from. This predominance is perhaps due to the fact that the Farmhouse style uses materials that are fashionable at the moment: cement tiles, baskets and wicker, shelves and worktops made of wood that is often unfinished, vintage posters, beautiful labels and a few green plants. What’s more, this style is often the image we have of the typical laundry room.
Farmhouse laundry room features :
- color: white, black, gray
- materials: cement or subway tiles – wood
- accessories : fiber baskets and natural colors – vintage posters – labeled pots or baskets
- lighting: rustic style
Idea no. 2: a retro chic laundry room decor
Laundry rooms that I describe as “retro chic” take up the retro spirit of the Farmhouse style, without totally adopting its color codes. The furniture used is rustic, but black, white and grey are replaced by softer colors such as pastels. The style is fairly minimalist, leaving little room for accessories. Lighting fixtures, cabinet handles and faucets are inspired by the art deco style, highlighting the gilded metal.
Features of the Retro Chic laundry room:
- color: white , pastels
- materials: white earthenware – gilded metal – marble
- accessories: white
- lighting: art deco style
Idea no. 3: an industrial-style laundry room decor
Another laundry room decor that takes up some of the codes of the Farmhouse-style laundry room. This time, we’ve kept the “black/white/gray” color code. Likewise, you can use cement tiles, subway tiles and unfinished wood. So, what’s the difference with the Farmhouse style, you ask? Well, like the “retro chic” style, we keep accessories to a strict minimum. We mainly introduce metallic objects, such as lighting fixtures and shelves. It’s also an opportunity to highlight an existing brick wall in your home, at the back of the garage, on a veranda or balcony, or simply behind a glass roof.
Industrial laundry room features :
- color: black, white, gray
- materials: cement or subway tiles – unfinished wood – bricks
- accessories: wooden crates – baskets
- lighting: diverted objects – metal
Idea no. 4: a Scandinavian-style laundry room
Let’s change the mood and move away from the predominantly dark colors of industrial style and into the luminous Scandinavian style. Admittedly, this style, which was all the rage a few years ago, can be tiring for some. But fans of bright, uncluttered atmospheres can’t get enough of it. So if you opt for a total Scandinavian look, your laundry room can also follow suit. The codes to be used are simple: white for the cupboards, light wood for the worktop and space optimization.
Scandinavian laundry room features:
- color: white, light wood
- materials: white earthenware – light wood – light-toned cement tiles
- accessories: baskets
- lighting: discreet
Idea n° 5: a Scandicraft-style laundry room decor
Indeed, I find it a fairly “all-purpose” style, since it can appeal to a wide audience. What’s more, the introduction of handcrafted objects, vintage furniture and “natural” materials makes it easy to add style to your interior.
What does scandicraft look like in a laundry room? Well, it’s an opportunity to play with a bi-material floor (parquet/cement tiles, for example), to put your know-how to work and build your own cupboards in raw plywood, to introduce a wall in light waxed concrete or to lay a magnificent jute carpet. To put it simply, you start from a Scandinavian decorating base and introduce vintage or DIY objects, the key being to favor light, natural materials while not forgetting the functional side of the objects and furnishings used.
Scandicraft laundry room features:
- color: white, light wood
- materials: white earthenware – light wood – light-toned cement tiles – waxed concrete – parquet flooring
- accessories: baskets – rugs – handicrafts
- lighting: raffia – jujuhat – hijacked basket
Idea no. 6: a designer laundry room decor
If the sleek Scandinavian style isn’t enough for you and you’re looking for a little more “rigor”, opt for the Design style. Functional and chic at the same time, this style is perfectly suited to an uncluttered laundry room. Lacquered furniture is preferred. Colors are often limited to white and anthracite, and can be warmed up a little with light wood.
Design laundry room features :
- color: white, light wood, anthracite
- materials: varnished black metal – lacquer – light oak
- accessories: paintings – minimalist, functional decor
- lighting: sleek, designer style
Idea no. 7: a seaside-style laundry room decor
Are you looking for a more “authentic” style without going for rustic or farmhouse? Why not let yourself be inspired by the seaside style? This style will bring freshness and sunshine into your laundry room. While the seaside style favors blue and white, there’s nothing to stop you from using other shades, such as light gray or even black. In fact, the key is to avoid multiplying colors and limit yourself to one dominant hue coupled with white. But the most important thing is to use wood, preferably with a patina, to give this style a vacation feel, imitating beach cabins.
Features of the Seaside laundry room:
- color: white, blue
- materials: weathered wood
- accessories: marine-themed accessories
- lighting: boat lamp conversion – outdoor lighting
Original washing room
In fact, there are many other ways to redecorate this room: add style with wallpaper, liven things up with tonic colors, play on the charm of tiled floors, set the tone with accessories or use stickers to redecorate for less.
Idea no. 8: Give a laundry room some style with wallpaper
You’re no stranger to the revival of wallpaper in interior design. In fact, I’ve already talked to you about it. Wallpaper is everywhere and there’s something for everyone. So why not use it to decorate the laundry room? When it comes to style, let your imagination run wild. You can choose any style you like: wallpaper with a colorful graphic pattern for a vintage feel; more sober wallpaper to enhance the wood tones; more flowery wallpaper for a warm ambience…
In short, as you can see, there are as many possibilities as there are wallpapers! Be careful, however, to use wallpaper that can withstand humidity, because even if your washing room isn’t as humid as a bathroom, a tumble dryer or washing machine releases steam that not all papers can withstand.
Idea no. 9: Liven up your utility room with vibrant colors
Another solution to decorate your washing room and make it a room with style: use a tonic color to give it some pep and make it a unique place. In fact, although colors in a laundry room are often limited to white, black, blue-gray or wood tones, it’s not at all forbidden to use other colors. The advantage is that it can add a little pizzazz and break out of the monochrome routine we often tend to get stuck into when decorating. Let the acidic colors on your walls, furniture and floor tempt you, or try a few touches on accessories.
Idea no. 10: Add charm to a utility room with tiles
As you may have noticed from the various illustrations I’ve provided, tiles play an important role in laundry rooms. Two types of tile are particularly popular, as you may have noticed: cement tiles and metro tiles.
You can use cement tiles to cover the entire wall, or simply lay it on a few strips for a credenza effect. But they can also be found on the floor, which can immediately add charm to a plain space, such as an all-white laundry room. Of course, you can only use metro tiles on the walls, not on the floor. And if you want a touch of originality, you can ditch the classic white metro tile and opt for the black version. Less common than the former, it’s a real eye-catcher, especially if you opt for an industrial or design style.
Idea no. 11: Use stickers for a quick laundry room makeover
You don’t want to embark on a gigantic project. But there’s an ultra-simple solution for giving a laundry room a makeover and redecorating it quickly and easily. And what’s that? Stickers. Of course, I’m not talking about simple butterfly or star stickers that you’d put here and there on the walls to make a sublime decoration! No, I’m simply talking about today’s stickers, which imitate certain materials perfectly.
If you’re a regular visitor to decorating or DIY stores, you’ll have noticed that you can easily find stickers imitating metro or cement tiles. And even in damp rooms, it’s well worth the effort. It’s super-easy to apply and holds perfectly.
Another type of sticker to use is the classic roll adhesive, which you can use to cover cupboard doors or your washing machine to give it a new lease of life. Finally, you can also use more decorative stickers to give style to the window of your tumble dryer or washing machine!
Idea no. 12: Accessorize to decorate a laundry room
Accessorizing a laundry room can be the decorative touch that transforms it from a “lambda”, neutral room into a room worthy of the name, pleasant. In the blink of an eye, the corner where you hide your washing machine will go from shadow to light. But adding decorative accessories can also complement a more complex decorating scheme. This is the case, for example, if you choose to give your laundry room a Farmhouse style. Baskets and vintage posters are an integral part of this type of decor. If you skip this step, your Farmhouse laundry room will never be one.
Accessorizing a laundry room is very simple. You need objects that are both useful (storage baskets, containers for cleaning products, etc.) and pleasing to the eye. Accessories can also be simply decorative. Posters, for example, which you can use and slip into pretty frames. This is one of the easiest tricks of the trade. All you need is a printer, Internet access and a free downloadable poster on the desired theme. Take a look on Pinterest, for example, and you’ll find what you’re looking for.
So you get the idea: accessorizing your laundry room means introducing a touch of style. You can opt for a range of colors, a range of materials. You can personalize the various containers you use with attractive labels. You can also introduce green plants, a carpet… in short, give free rein to your imagination, taking inspiration from the illustrations suggested in this article, for example.
The only constraint is to take into account the characteristics of the decorating style you’ve chosen. If, for example, you opt for the Design style, the decor should not be overloaded. The farmhouse style, on the other hand, calls for accessorizing.
