Before and After: A Dreamy IKEA Hack-Filled Laundry Room Redo for Just $500

Often it feels like the only thing more boring than doing laundry is the room where you do it. This chore-focused space can feel like an afterthought—nothing more than some cabinets, a tiny hamper, your typical washer dryer duo, and a utility sink (if you’re lucky). But if you take the time to revamp it, weekly loads suddenly become at least a little more enjoyable. That was the goal for Caitlin Kelley of Cactus Casa, who decided it was time to take her laundry room from a boring, cramped space into a light and airy room.

“The real estate before photo of my laundry room made it look like a nice space, but in person, it lacked in looks and functionality,” says Caitlin. While it was passable, the mix of yellow, damaged laminate flooring, oddly vented dryers, and unusable shelves contributed to Caitlin’s decision to overhaul the entire space. Working hard over her weekends and at night, the full redesign ended up taking two months—but the final product and its wallet-friendly costs were so worth it.

Caitlin wanted more storage and a space that matched with her personal style preferences. But because the space wasn’t gifted with boundless square footage, she had to get inventive. “The space is small and did not have enough depth for traditional cabinetry, so I decided to hack some IKEA BILLY bookcases into faux cabinets,” she says. “I built a platform that hid the dryer vent and attached two BILLY bookcases on top of it. Even the little cabinet over the washer/dryer is a BILLY bookcase height extender.” Rather than buying new, she snagged gently used bookcases from Facebook marketplace—which made them even more wallet-friendly.

Glass OXBERG doors make the cabinets look ultra high-end; Caitlin painted all the cabinets a soothing gray (Sherwin-Williams’ Comfort Gray). By replacing their hardware and adding frosted window film, they now look like a much chicer cabinet selection rather than a classic IKEA household staple.

Rather than replace the flooring (expensive!), Caitlin laid marble-look vinyl hexagon tiles from Lowe’s. “Everything in this space is budget-friendly, it helped that the room is so small. The total for this makeover came in just under $500,” she says.

For the walls, Caitlin chose a light shade of gray (Behr’s Silver Feather), adding a final touch in the the personal piece of decor: “The portrait hung is a painting of my mom as a teenager—it was painted by my great grandmother,” says Caitlin. “My mom is the laundry queen and it feels so fitting to have her watch over me as I do laundry.” Not surprisingly, Caitlin loves the new space—especially because it better reflects who she is and what she appreciates.

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