Update: Simple Practical Laundry Room Makeover

At the beginning of the year I decided my laundry room needed a little attention. We do that, don’t we? It’s the new year, we get into organizing our spaces and clearing the cobwebs. It feels so good, right? But then, life happens, stuff gets stored where it doesn’t belong, we add in one thing here, and one thing there, and before we know it, our space that was so organized and clutter free needs a bit of an overhaul. That’s where this story begins: A simple, functional, inexpensive laundry room makeover.

Makeovers can be simple

I love a good makeover, don’t you? I love when a space is emptied and cleaned, when wallpaper goes up, the walls are painted, and all the pretty things are added in. But when you live in a small space, or a rental, that kind of makeover isn’t always possible. Sometimes the makeover we need has to be functional over decorative.

Sometimes, a laundry room makeover means using what you have on hand, rethinking storage, and determining what the problems are. If you want to see what the January organization project looked like, you can read about it here:

We used additional shelving, rolling carts, and over-the-door hooks. And it functioned GREAT. Until it didn’t.

Makeovers can be inexpensive

When we first reorganized the laundry room, we used what we had on hand. That meant clear storage bins, a rolling cart, and a set of over-the-door hooks. It was functional. Kind of.

What needed improvement?

A few things that weren’t working well were the large trash can, and the addition of pet supplies. The trash bin took up too much space, was rarely used, and was simply too clunky. We also started storing pet supplies in the laundry room. All the food, hay, bedding, etc, continually fell over on the wire shelving spilling out onto the floor. Not only was it driving me nuts, it was expensive and wasteful. We needed a solution! The trash bin was too large. The clear bins for storage were useful, but did little for the visual clutter. The wire shelving was barely workable. Things slipped through the wires, items teeter or fall over, blah blah blah. You know how it goes.

What were the options?

That was when I decided to take a good look at what our options were. I went to our storage closet and looked to see what I had on hand that I could use, before purchasing anything.

I found two 12 x 12 baskets. a set of black folding bins, and a set of small nesting baskets. Baskets would help corral the items, and hide the visual clutter. Here’s what the finished area looks like:

The black bins store things like torch fuel and candles. The large baskets contain pet supplies, and the small basket holds sewing supplies. The two baskets on the right were the only items I purchased. The smaller one holds the iron, the steamer, and the clothes shaver. The basket on the far right holds pool towels.

While I would love to get rid of the additional shelf we placed, having tiers of storage is highly functional. The ceiling is high it just feels like a waste of space to not use it.

Makeovers do not have to be complete

Sometimes, a makeover is a complete and total makeover from top to bottom, start to finish. But not all makeovers are created equal. Sometimes you simply need to improve what is not working. And remember, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

Things that were functioning well were the foldable ironing board, the rolling cleaning cart, the vacuum, and the over-the-door hooks. While these things weren’t perfectly beautiful or aesthetically pleasing, they did function exceptionally well.

We also added three small command hooks to the wall to store the broom, dust mop, and a dustpan. While not permanent, these hooks do keep the items off the floor, and more easily accessible.

Makeovers can focus on function over aesthetic

While most people love a good laundry room makeover where everything is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, it is okay to simply focus on the simple and functional aspects. Especially if you live in a small space or a rental where your options are limited.

When I did the original makeover, I wrote this, “The first thing I want you to remember is that your laundry room doesn’t have to be picture perfect.” I still stand behind that statement. When I decided to refresh this laundry room makeover, I focused on a few simple things: Function first, clutter second, and cost third. I wanted to use what I already had on hand if at all possible. I wanted to hide the clutter and organize the space as much as possible. And I wanted to increase the functionality of the space, in every way possible. I think I achieved my goals.

Makeovers can consider your aesthetic

While the photos I’ve included don’t really shout aesthetic, there were a few aesthetics I wanted to keep in mind. The apartment we are leasing has tones of grays and browns. Our furnishings are mostly neutrals, and we focus a lot on taupe, black, and brown.

So when the walls and flooring are gray, brining in the black bins and the brown woven baskets actually worked well with the overall color palette of our space.

When considering a simple but functional laundry room makeover ask the following questions:

1. What is currently working? If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
2. What is not working? Maybe you need to consider more storage, upgrade your lighting, or declutter things that don’t belong.
3. What is on your wish list? Create a wish list! It can’t hurt. You can always pare down and be selective later, but let your mind explore the possibilities.
4. What can I do that will increase functionality of the space? Maybe you need baskets or bins, maybe you need a rolling cart, maybe over-the-door storage. Or maybe you need to downsize things like the ironing board, or unify things like hangers.
5. How can I make this space better? This can be aesthetics as well as function, but focus on function over the aesthetic. The room can be full of pretty rugs and artwork, but still not function well. Function over form is key to a hard-working space like a laundry room.

So I’m curious. What would be on your makeover wish list? Would it be new rugs, paint, wallpaper, more storage? What is your dream laundry room set up? Let me know in the comments below!

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Additional Resources: If you’re looking for more organization inspiration, read these articles.

Shop This Post: These are the items listed in the photos of this post. Most of them we have owned for many years. We only recommend products we use and love in our own home.  As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn a small commission if you purchase from our links. This serves to offset the cost of the blog.