When it comes to the most coveted features of houses, perhaps you have heard, “Location, location, location,” or even, “Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.” However, in 2023, there is another hidden gem in most homes that has the potential to stand out–the laundry room or mudroom.
You might be wondering, “What’s the difference between a laundry room and a mudroom?” A laundry room is the space where the washer and dryer are housed. Sometimes these rooms have additional storage or space provided. Mudrooms might best be described as a catch-all room off of one of the home’s entrances. This is a place where coats, backpacks, shoes, and more can be easily dropped off or picked up depending on if you are coming home or going out. These days, many homes are being built with the laundry room and mudroom combined.
Whether you are in the market to purchase a home, are a homeowner looking to maximize home renovations before listing your home for sale, or you are content in your current home situation but looking for ideas for updating your existing space, read on to uncover six big ideas you will love for making your laundry or mudroom designer worthy.
1. Combo Mudroom and Laundry Room Spaces
One of the biggest trends over the past few years is for a home to have a combination mudroom/laundry room together in the same shared space. On average these spaces are around 100 square feet and, despite the small footprint of the room, these combination mudroom/laundry room spaces are easily the workhorses of the home. From shelves and hooks to places where all of the home’s laundry comes in and out, joining these spaces makes sense.
2. Storage, Storage, Storage
Another key feature of a good laundry room or mudroom is to ensure that there are many storage options. Oftentimes, similar cabinetry from the nearby kitchen is carried over into this space. Be on the lookout for rooms with storage that can range from cabinet space to a closet, to open storage shelving. Many rooms have built-in storage (read more below) and have taken care to maximize every square inch of the room in order to house everything the space needs to maintain the home. Many mudrooms have space that serves as auxiliary pantry space for the cache of household items like toiletries, paper towels, and backstock of non-food items.
3. Open Concept
Gone are the days when the washer and dryer set were banished to an unfinished basement or behind a set of folding doors in an out-of-the-way location. These days, one design idea that is prominent is the idea of an open-concept laundry or mudroom space. Not only have washer and dryer appliances come a long way in their sleek designs, but many of them are incredibly quiet and no longer require being behind closed doors. With this in mind, laundry rooms and mudrooms alike are getting first-class treatment with their design esthetic.
4. High-End or Luxe Finishes
From statement wallpaper, quality cabinetry, high-traffic flooring, and fancy, oversized chandeliers to countertop finishes like butcher block, quartz, or marble, these days no expense is being spared in many laundry room and mudroom spaces. Homeowners today see these rooms as extensions of their overall home design and want the laundry room to blend seamlessly into the quality of design throughout the rest of the home. Laundry rooms have become the new statement rooms for many. Because they are typically smaller spaces, splurging on high-end or luxe finishes can cost significantly less than if these same materials were used in larger spaces throughout the home.
5. Built-ins and Functional Additions
Because of the small size and necessary range of functions a mudroom or laundry room will likely need to fulfill for most families, maximizing every spare inch is a must. Whether building from the ground up or redesigning your space, consider how built-ins like shelving, specialty height counters for folding clothes, wall-mounted ironing boards, basin sinks, closets with hanging storage, or even custom cabinetry to house a permanent, out-of-sight dog crate may be beneficial to your home. Even if you don’t wish to undergo a major built-in project, do consider some aftermarket add-ons like industrial rolling laundry carts, over-the-door hooks, or wall-mounted drying racks to make the space as practical and useful as possible.
6. Anything Goes
The great thing about a mudroom or laundry room is that just about anything goes as long as you like it and the room works for your family. There is no right or wrong way to decorate or design this small space in your home. Sites like Pinterest or Instagram have great visuals to help you get inspired. From a set of vintage lockers for personalized family storage, a chalk-painted wall for family reminders, to DIY sink skirt vanity covers, the sky’s the limit on making the laundry or mudroom a room you’ll want to spend time in.
