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Go Vertical: The Small Space’s First Commandment
When floor space is at a premium, the only way to go is up. Your walls are blank canvases for organization. Stop seeing them as just walls and start seeing them as storage systems.Floating Shelves for Style and Substance
The area directly above your washer and dryer is the most valuable and underutilized space in the room. Instead of a clunky, deep cabinet that can make the room feel more enclosed, opt for open floating shelves. They keep the space feeling airy while providing essential storage. The key here is to curate, not clutter. This is your chance to blend decor and function. Decant your liquid detergent and fabric softener into matching glass drink dispensers with spigots. Store powdered detergents in large, clear apothecary jars with scoops. Use a set of matching woven or wire baskets to hide the less-attractive necessities: dryer sheets, stain sticks, and cleaning rags. Add a small, hard-to-kill plant (a pothos is perfect) or a framed photo to make it feel intentional and styled, not just stored.The Power of a Pegboard
Pegboards are not just for workshops and garages. A panel of pegboard mounted on the wall can be a surprisingly chic and incredibly versatile organizational tool. You can customize it endlessly with small shelves, hooks, and baskets to hold exactly what you need. This is the perfect spot for all the small, awkward items. Hang your scrub brushes, a lint roller, and scissors. Add a small wire basket to hold your mesh laundry bags. You can even find attachments to hang your ironing board or a wall-mounted drying rack. A fantastic hack is to mount a small metal mailbox or file holder to the pegboard and designate it as a dedicated, easy-to-access lint bin.Don’t Forget the Door
The back of your laundry room door is a secret storage goldmine. A simple over-the-door organizer, like the kind used for shoes, is a game-changer. The clear pockets are perfect for corralling all those small bottles and tools that get lost in a drawer. Think stain pens, bottles of bleach, sewing kits for quick repairs, and even spare change found in pockets. It keeps everything visible and off your precious counter or shelf space.Smart Storage for Awkward Spaces
Small laundry rooms are famous for their weird nooks and crannies. The trick is to find specialized storage solutions that are designed to fit into those exact spots, turning a useless gap into a functional feature.The Skinny Rolling Cart
You know that 4-to-6-inch gap between your washer and dryer, or between a machine and the wall? It’s not just a place for lint to gather. It’s the perfect home for a slim, multi-tiered rolling cart. These carts are specifically designed for these narrow spaces and are ideal for holding detergent bottles, boxes of dryer sheets, and cleaning supplies. You simply roll it out when you need something and roll it back in, completely hiding the clutter from view.Elevate Your Machines
If you have front-loading machines, don’t miss the opportunity to reclaim the space beneath them. Purchasing laundry pedestals with built-in drawers lifts your machines to a more ergonomic height (saving your back) while giving you deep, spacious drawers. This is the perfect place to store bulk supplies, extra towels, or even to use as concealed laundry sorters.Make Every Inch Work Harder
In a tiny room, every element should serve a purpose—and ideally, more than one. Look for products that fold, collapse, or serve a dual function.The Disappearing Drying Rack
A full-sized, freestanding drying rack is the last thing you have room for. Instead, opt for wall-mounted solutions. An accordion-style drying rack pulls out to offer several feet of drying space for delicates and sweaters, then collapses neatly against the wall when not in use. Another great option is a fold-down rack that looks like a simple shelf when closed but hinges down to reveal multiple rungs for air-drying clothes.Create a Folding Station
The most common complaint after a small room is the lack of folding space. If you have front-loading machines, the solution is simple: create a countertop. Have a piece of butcher block or laminate cut to size at your local hardware store. You can either mount it to the wall above the machines with brackets or, for a simpler solution, just place it directly on top of the machines with some non-slip furniture pads underneath. This instantly gives you a stable, beautiful surface for folding clothes right as they come out of the dryer.A Pro Tip for Planning: Before you buy a single basket or shelf, measure your space. Then measure it again. In a small laundry room, a single inch can be the difference between a perfect fit and a frustrating return. Also, take a quick inventory of what you need to store. Prioritize access for daily-use items (detergent, stain spray) versus weekly or monthly items (bulk supplies, extra cleaning rags). This will determine whether something deserves prime real estate on an open shelf or can be tucked away in a higher cabinet or pedestal drawer.
Don’t Skimp on the Decor
A space that is purely functional will always feel like a chore zone. Making your laundry room beautiful will genuinely make the task of doing laundry feel less dreadful. This is where you can have a little fun.Light and Bright Colors
This is the oldest trick in the book for a reason: it works. Light colors—like crisp white, soft gray, pale blue, or mint green—will reflect light and make the small space feel significantly larger and more open. If your laundry room is in a windowless closet, good lighting is crucial. Swap out that single dim bulb for a bright LED flush-mount fixture. Consider adding under-shelf lighting to illuminate your new folding counter. It’s functional task lighting that also adds a high-end, custom feel.Add a “Wow” Moment
Since the room is so small, you can afford to be bold without being overwhelming. This is the perfect place to experiment with a design choice you might be too nervous to try in a larger room.- Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper: Apply a fun, graphic-print peel-and-stick wallpaper to the wall behind your machines. It’s a low-commitment, high-impact way to add a huge dose of personality.
- A Statement Floor: If you have boring vinyl or tile, cover it with patterned peel-and-stick floor tiles. A bold geometric or encaustic tile pattern can anchor the space and make it feel custom.
- A Colorful Rug: A small, washable runner rug adds softness, color, and texture to the floor, making the space feel more like a “room” and less like a closet.
