15 Laundry Room Storage Ideas

Struggling with clutter in your laundry room? Our  laundry room storage ideas offer ingenious solutions to maximize space and organize your washing essentials. From hidden cabinets to clever shelving, discover how to turn your laundry area into a streamlined, functional space.

Given that the average American household does 300 loads of laundry per year, it’s no surprise a dedicated laundry room — and a need for laundry room storage ideas — has increased in popularity. This space is highly functional and typically occupies a smaller footprint, so storage and organization are important to get right.  

The key to a functional laundry room is adding features and furnishings that keep everything in its proper place and allow you to work disruption-free. When planning for room organization, either on your own or with a design professional, consider the placement of the washer and dryer as well as how you want to move throughout the room to perform each task. 

Here, we share our top laundry room ideas that blend utility and style, including organization tips for small laundry rooms and décor ideas for tailoring the space to your personal style.

1. Built-in Cabinets

To maximize your laundry room, there is nothing quite like custom cabinets. They can be designed and constructed to your space’s exact specifications, and you can choose the color and style to suit your style. Have built-ins installed above the washer and dryer and along an adjacent wall to keep detergents and supplies within easy reach. 

2. Modular Storage

If built-ins are not in your laundry room reno budget, there are many modular options that are suitable for spaces of all sizes. Some may be purchased as a complete set or as mix-and-match units that can be combined to fit your unique needs. Consider what you’d most like your storage to do — be easily accessible? Do double-duty as a folding station? — before you purchase any pieces.

3. Ceiling-height Cabinets

In a laundry room, every inch counts, especially if you plan to use it for more than washing clothes. Consider extending the cabinets to the ceiling to store other household items, like cleaning supplies, seasonal decorations, or kids’ art supplies. 

4. Flat Workspaces

An organized laundry room lets you keep tasks in the same space. If you’ve got the room for it, consider a counter island to fold and stack clean clothes — no more straining your back folding laundry on the floor or at the kitchen table. If you are short on space, you can install or DIY a folding shelf over the washer and dryer. It also makes a convenient spot to store a laundry hamper and baskets of detergent. 

5. Open Shelving

Open shelves are popular in the kitchen because they open up a space and create more opportunities to show off some personality. They are also gaining popularity as laundry room storage for the same reasons. Plan for shelving for a laundry room with two or three over the washer and dryer or between cabinets for a clean look. A potential downside to open shelves is the additional tidying up required to keep them organized. Prevent clutter by styling shelves with woven or decorative plastic baskets that store detergents, soaps, and wash rags. 

6. Ironing Board Storage

Is there anything clunkier than an ironing board? Keep it off the floor and stowed away when not in use with a wall-mounted hook, over-the-door holder, built-in cabinet, or modular caddy. 

7. Drying Racks 

For delicates and other items that can’t be machine dried, a drying rack is indispensable. Look for one that is wall mounted to save floor space and is collapsible when not in use. To create even more space for air-drying clothes, consider installing a rod between two cabinets or in the wall — it also makes a great spot for clothes steaming when you need to freshen up and remove wrinkles from garments.

8. Multi-purpose Functions

During the pandemic, we witnessed the popularity (and necessity) of multi-functional rooms as households spent more time at home. Get more mileage out of your laundry room by setting it up to accommodate another activity. Create a kids’ homework station, mud room, small home office, or craft space to keep clutter away from primary living areas. 

9. Wall Hooks 

When you’re considering small laundry room ideas, make every inch of space count. This means taking things off the floor and going vertical with wall hooks. Use them to hang hamper bags for easier sorting and organization. If you use the space to store household cleaning items, hang up mops and brooms so they’re within reach. 

10. Stackable Washer and Dryer

To free up valuable floor space and get more laundry room storage in, consider a stackable washer and dryer. Most often seen in condos, flats, and townhomes, their popularity is increasing in single-family homes for their smaller footprint. Keep in mind the range in standard dimensions when considering one for your laundry room — typical dimensions range from 24 to 28 inches wide and 32 to 34 inches deep.

11. Clever Corners

Don’t neglect wall corners in a small laundry room. Custom built-ins or modular storage units are available to fit in corners to maximize storage space and keep items off the floor.

12. Pretty Baskets

Baskets are the perfect marriage of form and function. They’re lovely decorations for a laundry room and ideal repositories for cleansers, detergents, and other laundry equipment. Even better, they come in nearly every size to fit on your shelves or any color to match your room’s color palette. 

13. Behind the Door Storage

In a laundry room, don’t neglect the area behind the door. There are many over-the-door organizers of varying sizes to conveniently store anything that doesn’t fit on a shelf or in a cabinet. 

14. Creative Laundry Room Storage 

If you have space between your side-by-side washer and dryer, there’s an organizer for that, too. A slim tower rack can slide right in and store detergents and other cleaning supplies. It can also serve as a clothes-drying rack in a pinch. 

15. Making it Pretty

Laundry rooms are highly functional spaces, but that does not mean they can’t be stylish. Whether you are designing the room on your own or hiring a professional, consider backsplash and flooring tile to match or complement your home’s theme and color palette. Or take this opportunity to go a little bolder in your design choices in this smaller space. 

It may also be an occasion to include a luxury tile or finish that you may not have the budget for in a larger room. Add some flair in a colorful area rug, wall treatments, or artwork. Feel free to embellish and go a little extra in your laundry room — you will appreciate and enjoy the extra touches on laundry day.