Laundry Room Organization That’s Both Beautiful + Functional
When it comes to laundry room organization my friend, there’s no shortage of inspirational roundups. And while they’re brimming with all sorts of eye candy I need for you to hit pause because all they’re doing is highlighting the surface. level. stuff. My friend, organizing your laundry room isn’t merely about the latest + greatest organizing bins, containers + other storage solutions.
Of course, as professional organizers + interior designers, there’s certainly a place in our hearts for how immaculate a space looks. However, we believe that home is everything you need + nothing more. So, what makes a laundry room truly beautiful (from where we stand) starts well before the things + it’s rooted deeply in how a laundry room functions.
This is exactly why we’re diving in + going deeper than simply surface level stuff (a.k.a product-driven roundups.)
Because laundry room organization starts by having a clear understanding of the everyday routines + routines for anyone who uses this utilitarian space in your home. Then, in Elegant Simplicity fashion, we’ll dig into a handful of other things to be considered when it comes to implementing new organizing systems.
The Goal: to maintain an organized laundry room + keep it from becoming a place of constant clutter + chaos. Can I get an Amen?
Because the reality is boo, no likes being disorganized.
What Are The Functional Necessities Of Your Laundry Room?
One of the very first things you should think about are the core functions of the space. And being that it’s the laundry room, the answer is fairly obvious (clearing my throat) — to do laundry*
Now moving beyond the washer + dryer, I want you to ask yourself, what is it that you need from this area in your home? How can it better serve you? Things like:
A place to put all of your laundry detergents, dryer sheets, stain removers etc.
A place to sort dirty clothes
What about air drying certain clothing?
Is there a place dedicated to folding laundry?
Now keep going! Obviously, this list isn’t comprehensive, it’s really to get you started thinking about your “needs” as it relates to laundry room organization.
Identifying Your Laundry Room Routines
An excellent way to get those creative organizing juices of yours flowing; To help you move from the handful of bullet points above into identifying everything you need from this utilitarian space is to ask — what does my laundry routine look like?
Imagine someone who’s covered from head to toe with mud –– or maybe there’s a lil’ grease monkey in your family *wink*
Where do they take their clothes off + where do you put them (I know we’re getting pretty personal here… right?!?!?)
How do these clothes get from that space in your home to the laundry room?
What happens once those dirty threads find the laundry room?
Who does the laundry in your home –– is it you? Your spouse? A housekeeper?
How often does laundry get done? Once a day? Once a week?
And what’s needed when that person is doing a load of laundry? What is needed when they do multiple loads of laundry?
Where do things get folded?
Who takes your freshly folded clothes to your closet?
How does it get carried there –– by hand or using a basket?
What about clothing that gets dry cleaned?
Again, not a comprehensive list hopefully you’re starting to see why we address function first? Or why we say that all the eye-candy stuff comes later in the laundry organizing process?
You can’t create laundry room organization solutions until you jump feet first into assessing routines around the core function of this space + how it relates to the rest of your home.
To really exasperate why we believe the core of laundry room organization is first rooted in our routines + not in the solutions, humor me + consider this for a moment. Let’s say that I put together a roundup of my favorite organizing products (which we absolutely could do) But how does that serve you? Eh–– it doesn’t! In fact, puts you at an even bigger disadvantage because instead of giving you confidence it leaves you scratching your head trying to guess whether or not the products “John + I love” actually make sense for you + your laundry room.
Because without any context, product roundups tend to put the cart before the horse. Instead of encouraging you to take the necessary time needed to first create clarity around your functional needs in the laundry room, you’re led to believe that pretty label + clear storage bins will solve your clutter challenged woes.
Quite frankly, it leads you down the path of overconsumption –– simply filling your laundry room with things you may or may not use. And as your organizing bff, it would be a complete disservice to you.
Consider How You Share The Responsibilities
One of the really great parts about the way we dive right into the thick of laundry room organization + how routines are working in your home is that it gives us the opportunity to uncover how some of those routines may actually be failing you. Or how you could effectively delegate or even share some of those laundry room responsibilities.
Remember, the goal of this entire article is to help you create a beautiful AND functional laundry room!
Regardless, whether you're like me + you don’t do the laundry ‘til the weekend rolls around, or you’re on the ball when it comes to your laundry game, I encourage you to give some thought around will your dirty clothes live? Where will the kids' clothes live? What about things like linens?
By now, are ya starting to catch my drift?
Hopefully, you’re starting to see why (despite being the most beautiful hamper you’ve ever laid eyes on) leading with a hamper + laundry room basket roundup would be a total bust when it comes to serving you + your family long term :)
Laundry Rooms With Dual Functionalities
In many cases, the laundry room is simply a closet where the stackable washer + dryer lives, but for those of you blessed with having a walk-in laundry room it also means that this area of your home will need to provide dual functionalities. So, how do we keep them clutter-free?
Mudroom
For instance, if the laundry room is located off of the garage then it’s likely that this area of your home isn’t just a space for washing + drying clothes but naturally, it also serves as an extension of your garage. Do you need space for things that would often be included in a mudroom?
If so, where will you put things like:
Shoes
Coats
Handbags
Backpacks
Outdoor gear
Or anything else that’s on its way out to the garage (or your car) but maybe hasn’t quite made it there yet?
Butler Pantry
Perhaps your laundry room is just off the kitchen, making it the perfect place for the butler pantry (which in fact are very different from kitchen pantries) So, in addition to all the necessities of washing + cleaning clothes your laundry room will also serve as an extension of your kitchen.
It could become a home where all of your small appliances live. Or it can be a place to store any platters, serving bowls + special holiday dishes. Or my favorite is creating a swoon-worthy beverage station that has everything you need within arms reach.
If you are blessed with enough space in that your laundry room can also fill the shoes of being a butler pantry, where will you put:
your coffee maker
an electric tea kettle
coffee pods, tea bags, etc
Or small appliances like the:
instant pot
rice cookers
blenders or mixers
waffle maker
toaster etc.
Family Command Center
Space permitting, another way we often maximize space in the laundry room is by creating a family command center. A palace where actionable items like the mail, to-do lists + family schedules are front + center. The family command center is also a fantastic place for things like your keys, wallets, handbags + sunglasses to live. Trust me, when it comes to getting out the door on time + with less stress –– these are definitely things you’ll want to consider.
Laundry rooms are no joke, especially when it comes to setting them up properly because more often than not they serve as being extremely utilitarian
When you allow function to proceed everything else, you'll be amazed by what you discover. By simply taking the necessary time to process the ways in which you + your family use the laundry room.
Laundry Room Storage Solutions
Once you’ve identified exactly how your family uses the laundry room + what is needed from this space in your home — now is the time to consider storage solutions but I really want to encourage you it’s not about the product, it’s about how the product serves your needs. It’s thinking in general terms of storage + narrowing in on an eye for maximizing the space you have by utilizing various storage types.
So, what are those types of storage?
Open Storage
Open laundry room storage is anything that’s visible permanently. The more functions your laundry room has the less we’d encourage open storage. That said, a shelf above the washer + dryer with the laundry supplies you need can absolutely be done tastefully + create an elegant laundry room.
Bins, Baskets + Containers
Consider what you’ve identified in your needs list + then ask yourself where do you want these things to live when they’re not being used. For instance, where will the clothes baskets rest when empty? What about when full? Does it make sense to pour your laundry supplies into clear canisters so you can always see when you’re getting low? Will these things be stowed in open or closed storage?
Closed Storage + Hidden Storage
When it comes to closed storage the obvious benefit is that it’s hiding the things you need but beyond choosing to hide your laundry supplies in an upper cabinet or under the sink cabinet, consider how you might be able to hide away a steamer in a tall upright cabinet or an ironing board in a drawer pullout.
Hanging Solutions
For those delicate clothes + linens you may encounter a need for hanging space + this can keep you from using your guest bathroom as the place for clothes to dry :) Consider things like a retractable drying rack that is wall-mounted but inconspicuous when not in use to a simple + clean clothes rod. Whatever you decide on function is key so keep in mind how much room you need for clothes to hang dry.
Open Surfaces
One of the things that likely ranks pretty high on your laundry room needs list is simply a place to fold clean clothes — some people like to do this sitting down + others standing up. Either way, you’re probably familiar with the idea of a solid surface countertop floating above a front loading washer + dryer but if your laundry room also doubles as a butler pantry + has minimal kitchen accessories on the counter then perhaps you can become your folding station. Simply another node to function over aesthetic *wink*
Who knew that when it comes to laundry room organization, that there would be so much for us to talk about? By golly! If you’ve made it this far I want you to know that I’m incredibly proud of you because it means we’re aligned when it comes to our philosophies around home. It means that you see the incredible value of identifying the necessity before digging into the laundry room organization solutions. And that’s a powerful mental shift, my friend, because, in today’s world of instant gratification, it’s insanely easy to get all wrapped up in layering on all the pretty.
If you love this — get ready for our FREE Video Course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home. Now go on, do another happy dance + if you’re wanting to dive even deeper into the world of organizing or design — let’s chat.