Laundry Room Makeover: Before and After

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This laundry room makeover below was totally a spur of the moment decision. That’s what happens when I have a break and start to feel more rested, I have motivation to dive into another project.

I had been talking about re-doing our laundry room for 3 years or more. In the end, we did the bathroom first, and after living through one DIY renovation this past year, I wasn’t keen on starting another soon. Here comes in my budget friendly DIY laundry makeover.

Yes, it is amazing to finally remodel a space that desperately needs an overhaul. Our house is middle aged at 45 years and we have the original 1970’s laundry which does need attention.

The metal laundry sink is rusting out underneath and those funky tiles!! There is also no inbuilt storage or bench top area. The choice is to either live with it as is until we completely remodel or …

Time to give it a temporary makeover on a budget! The temporary laundry makeover option means I end up with a pretty and an organized space with only a small amount of time and money!

The Laundry Makeover Plan

Some of the problems in this laundry…

Storage Space – We had run out of storage space and so things were being put onto the floor. The room had become so crowded it was hard to get to the sink to use it. There were heaps of reusable shopping bags hanging behind the door so it didn’t close properly.
Cleaning – Because the space was so cluttered we didn’t clean it. The sink had a lot of dried paint on it from painting furniture and I don’t think I had cleaned the window for over 10 years. The space was dirty!
Walls – Most of our house has been painted at least twice in the time we have lived here. The laundry though had never been painted and the top of the walls showed ceiling paint from when the ceiling had been repaired and painted.
Ugly – It really was an ugly space! Plus, this room is right next to our dining room so all that mess was visible.

The solutions…

Storage Space – Declutter, declutter and declutter!! Also add in a few open shelves for extra storage. The laundry already had an old laminate cupboard but it wasn’t enough. Add wall hooks if needed so that everything is off the floor.
Cleaning – Clean everything! One of the biggest changes has been from just cleaning. The old laundry trough now sparkles after being scrubbed clean.
Walls – Paint the walls.
Ugly – Make the space pretty by decorating with baskets, plants and a huge wall art print (I got this one from Kmart). I was also conscious of what we see when the laundry door is open and I really wanted to make that view pleasant to look at.
Layout – I decided to move the storage cupboard and my worm farm. Yes, I keep a worm farm in my laundry as I explained to hubby, I killed the last lots of worms I kept outside due to the heat.

Now Onto The Nitty Gritty…

How much does it cost to redo a laundry room?

This is not a full laundry remodel so I deliberately wanted it to cost A LOT LESS! Sometimes you may think it is helpful to spend nothing and save towards the big project instead.

I think that strategy is wise when you have a definite time frame. However when your laundry reno is open ended like ours, then living with a space in the meanwhile that is functional and beautiful can be beneficial.

Our Laundry Makeover Budget:

Storage Containers – $70
Shelving – $23 and Brackets x 4 – $20
Wall Paint – Free! (I used a paint color I already had. Natural White by Dulux)
Decor (Art print, baskets, light, pots) – $60

Total Spend = $175 (It was totally worth it!!)

In comparison, a full laundry makeover will cost us about $1500 AUD for materials plus labor (several weeks of hubby’s time).

How do I update my laundry room?

The easiest way to update your laundry room is definitely, paint!

What is the best color for a laundry room? There is no right or wrong answer, choose a neutral wall color, specifically a color you have used in nearby rooms or make a statement with a color you love.

I went with a neutral off-white color (Natural White by Dulux) because I had paint left over from a feature wall in our master bedroom. I also painted the sink cabinet and the exterior door in the same color.

Also check out… amazing laundry design ideas!

A good tip is to create some contrast in the space! For example, neutral wall color and paint the cabinets a dark color. Or moody walls, cabinets and light colored decor. Another easy way to update your space is by changing out the cabinet handles and light fixtures.

How can I make my laundry room look nice?

Declutter Your Laundry

The most effective way to make your laundry room look nice is to declutter. I didn’t try to konmari the laundry because really working out whether tins of varnish or bottles of wood glue that we need to store “sparks joy” is silly.

The decluttering rule I follow is “the storage container determines how much I can keep”. If it doesn’t fit, I still have too much stuff or need to think about different storage containers.

I sorted, discarded and donated until the items I had fitted the storage space without difficulty (see below).

Laminate Cupboard Hacks

I must admit that I spent a lot of time pondering what to do with the existing laminate cupboard. It is ugly! I even considered buying an open shelving unit from Ikea to replace it.

I thought about painting it, or covering it in wood or adhesive vinyl. Any other laminate cupboard hacks out there?

All the options were either more than I wanted to spend, too time consuming or would possibly look tacky. In the end I decided to keep it as it is.

Hey, I only have to live with it for another 18 months! The furniture paint, wood stains, waxes etc. that I keep there got stored into storage boxes and I moved it out of sight. Much better!

Indoor Plants For A Laundry Room

After decluttering and a good clean, it is time to decorate! My favorite decorating idea has to be adding plants! After decorating our newly renovated bathroom with indoor plants, I am determined to add them to every room in our house.

The good thing is plants can be super budget friendly. My spider plant was grown from a free spider baby I got from my neighbor’s plant, and I put it in a cute pink plastic pot. Buy a few plants and you can take cuttings from them to grow more plants.

Favorite Collections

Make your laundry room look nice by adding in items you love! Is there anything you collect that could be displayed on an open shelf or the bench top? Shop your home first for pretty containers, trays and even framed photos or art work.

Also check out… 5 Tips For Decorating Your Shelves

Pretty Storage

Make some of your storage decorative by using pretty baskets. It amazes me what a difference it makes to remove that visual clutter (see below)! I used these rattan baskets from Kmart below for grocery bag storage. Konmari your grocery bags anyone!

It reminds me of this Marie Kondo quote which I think is key for making a room like nice…

By eliminating excess visual information that doesn’t inspire joy, you can make your space much more peaceful and comfortable. The difference this makes is so amazing it would be a waste not to try it.
Marie Kondo