Before and After: A Few Small Changes Kick this Cluttered Laundry Zone into High Gear

Having a separate laundry area is a luxury, but it also means that space can quickly become cluttered and dysfunctional since it’s easy to shut the doors on the mess. Thankfully, you can make a huge difference to a laundry room’s functionality by making a few select changes.

Take this closet/laundry room makeover Charlee of Build and Create Home recently took on for a client. While it was nice to be able to shut the doors on the laundry area to hide away the appliances and accoutrements, the inside of the closet was not working as hard as it could. There weren’t enough shelves to hold the necessary items, meaning most everything was collected on top of the washer and dryer — which made it hard to find things when they were needed. Plus, it looked messy. “My client wanted an area that was pretty, so she wasn’t embarrassed every time her laundry was open,” Charlee says.

One part of that was getting rid of the excess by sorting it all into a few distinct piles: throw away, donate, move to another part of the home, and keep in the laundry area. That significantly cut down the amount of stuff that needed to stay in the laundry zone and needed to be incorporated into Charlee’s building plan.

In creating the new laundry zone, Charlee used 1x4s as support pieces for the side and back walls before installing natural wood shelves on top; painting them white, to match the walls, gives the illusion of floating shelves. Charlee made sure to use a stud finder while completing this part of the project, which is a crucial step — along with knowing what else is behind your walls. “Make sure you know where your plumbing and electrical are in your walls before drilling into them,” Charlee says. “Find an appropriate stud finder or get the plans for your home to see where they are located before drilling or nailing.”

Aside from the new shelves, Charlee also built a counter for the top of the washer and dryer, which makes that once precarious storage spot a lot more functional. She made sure to add cut-outs so the electrical and plumbing were easily accessible in case of emergency.

Finally, Charlee installed a clothing rod at the top of the closet, where the homeowner can hang clothes to air-dry. She also purchased storage baskets from HomeGoods to help corral smaller items (and make the view of the closet a bit easier on the eyes).

The result is a laundry zone that’s way more useable than it was before, not to mention worthy of showing off. “I love that the area is beautiful and functional,” Charlee says. “I think that when we have an area that is pretty, we are more likely to take good care of it.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.