19 Basement Laundry Room Ideas

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Laundry rooms located in the basement can be incredibly open and spacious areas and it can be hard to know how to maximize the room. The below tips will show you how to upgrade your laundry room.

The ideas range from simple DIY projects to more expensive home additions that will add value to your property as a whole. You’re sure to find several ideas that inspire you to get started modernizing your basement laundry room.

1. Countertop with Built-In Sink

Any laundry room can benefit from a large countertop with a built-in sink area. This allows you the space to fold and sort your freshly laundered clothes and to rinse any areas to remove stubborn stains. You can also wash out your laundry caps if you use them to measure detergent or fabric softener.

Countertop with built in sink
(c) quietwoodscreations.com

You can view for more ideas here: quietwoodscreations.com

If you don’t have the extra space for a large countertop area, you can simply add a sink to your laundry room. This is a great example of a sink with a single drawer where you can store your extra laundry supplies.

2. Colorful Wallpaper Pattern

A laundry room that’s located in the basement can sometimes have a dark and gloomy feel to it. The basement can sometimes be a cold and dreaded area for some people — but you can take steps to lighten up the mood.

Basement laundry room ideas with wallpaper
(c) southernhospitalityblog.com

For more ideas, you can view the other project here: southernhospitalityblog.com

By adding a fun and colorful wallpaper design, or one with a fun design to it, you can brighten up the laundry room. This is a cheap addition to your basement area and it can be just the touch that you’ve been searching for.

This is another example of using abstract wallpaper to make your laundry room pop. Even with built-in shelves, the wallpaper still stands out and adds a creative flair to the room.

3. Large Countertop Space

When you have a large family, it can seem like you’re constantly doing loads of laundry. You’ll have lots of towels to fold and clothes to hang each week. An open countertop area allows you the room to complete these tasks with ease.

Large countertop space

You can view the project idea here: pinterest.com

This particular countertop has a built-in lower shelf, where you can place leftover laundry hampers. This is a smart way to make the best use of your space — without making your laundry room feel cramped and crowded.

You can use a circular saw to quickly cut laminate shelves for the project.

4. Add a Coat of Paint

Adding a fresh coat of white (or another bright color) paint can brighten up the overall mood of your basement laundry room. The white color makes the area look bright and clean and it helps open up the space.

Basement laundry room with white paint
(c) projectpalermo.com

You can view for more ideas here: projectpalermo.com

Oftentimes, washer and dryer machines are also white. This way, your walls can suit the colors of your appliances and everything will have a cohesive and put-together look.

If you don’t like the look of an all-white laundry room — you can try a different color, such as a light blue. This adds a pop of color that succeeds in brightening up the entire room.

5. Additional Shelving

If you don’t have enough built-in shelf space, you can add an extra shelving unit (or two)! This gives you extra space to store your laundry supplies — such as detergent and fabric softener. You can also place your hampers on the shelf so they’re not underfoot.

Basement laundry room with shelf
(c) foxhollowcottage.com

For other project idea, check it out here: foxhollowcottage.com

This shelving unit has a built-in hanging rack — so you can hang items up that need to air dry. This is a quick and easy way to organize your laundry room if you find that items are strewn around haphazardly.

6. Rustic Laundry Room Design

If you want to go for a farmhouse look, you can design your laundry room with white planks and natural wooden built-in shelving. The black metal accents add the perfect contrast and offer you the ability to hang your clothing in the laundry room.

White rustic laundry room
(c) simply2moms.com

You can get the detailed project idea here: simply2moms.com

This is an ideal style for a basement laundry room — as it’s white and bright and adds some character to the place. Oftentimes, a basement laundry room will be a bit smaller and cramped — so you want to make the best use of the space as you possibly can.

7. Unfinished Laundry Room Design

You may not want to go through the trouble of finishing your basement laundry room — but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add any character to it. You don’t need to paint the walls or add more shelving if that’s not in your budget or timeframe.

Unfinished laundry room design
(c) updatemycape.com

You can view the detailed idea here: updatemycape.com

You can tie together your unfinished laundry room with a bright and colorful rug and a couple of freestanding laundry racks. You can gather all of the necessary supplies from your local Target or Wal-Mart.

If you want more inspiration for an unfinished basement laundry room — check this example out. You can arrange a couple of industrial shelving units to give yourself plenty of storage space.

Sometimes all you need to do is upgrade your basement door. Simple fixes like this can go a long way.

8. Built-In Drying Rack

If you have certain items that can’t be dried all the way and also can’t be hung up to air dry, you’ll need a drying rack. You can build one into your countertop space so that it’s conveniently tucked away when not in use.

Built-In Drying Rack
(c) wallsauce.com

You can check for more ideas here: wallsauce.com

You can turn this drying rack into a DIY project by removing your drawer and taking out the original insert and replacing it with a wire drying rack. This could be completed in an afternoon and you can put it to use during your next batch of laundry.

This example shows you how to add in multiple drying drawers — for smaller items that need to air dry.

9. Countertop Over Laundry Machines

If you’re working with a limited area of space, you can be efficient and build a countertop over your washer and dryer. This particular example also has built-in shelving for your hampers. This is a great way to maximize your space.

Countertop over laundry machines
(c) 100thingsdo.ca

You can view the detailed project here: 100things2do.ca

You can add a laminate countertop or opt for something more hearty like formica.

This design would only work if you have front load machines — as you wouldn’t be able to open the top with the counter over it. This gives you plenty of room for folding and sorting your clean laundry.

10. Stylish Tile Design

Similar to the idea of adding colorful wallpaper on an accent wall — you can add a bit of design to your basement flooring. This is a great option if you don’t have an open wall to work with.

Laundry room with tile design
(c) quietwoodscreations.com

You can get more ideas here: quietwoodscreations.com

Adding tile to your floor can be a great beginner-friendly DIY project. Tile is pretty easy to cut provided you have a good inexpensive tile saw.

There are many videos on YouTube to follow along with and you can purchase all of the required supplies from your local home improvement store.

Many basements have concrete flooring, which can be cold and add an industrial feel to your laundry room. If that’s not the style you’re going for, tile can bring new life to the space.

11. Stack Your Laundry Machines

When you have a limited amount of space available to work with, you can consider stacking your washer and dryer. Of course, this only works if they’re of the front load variety. This takes up more vertical space but it provides you with extra room to play around with.

Laundry room with lighting
(c) houzz.com

For more project ideas, check it out here: houzz.com

You can then add a sink and maybe even more drawers and shelves. Upgrade the look of your drawers by adding bottom mount drawer slides and drawer pulls. You can do something similar with your cabinet face frames.

This is especially helpful if you have a lot of extra supplies — such as extra hangers and dryer balls. You can hide them away so the laundry room stays organized and tidy.

12. Add an Animal Washing Station

If you have dogs who enjoy running around outside and coming home dirty — you may find it useful to build a low to the ground animal shower in your basement laundry room. This is often a convenient location for such a shower, so you can immediately toss the dirty towels into the washing machine.

Laundry room with line ceiling
(c) nestingwithgrace.com

View here for more ideas: nestingwithgrace.com

This may end up being a more expensive addition. However, if you have the budget and the need for such a shower, it’s a great thing to consider adding to your laundry room. You’ll need to tile the shower walls and floor, along with grouting the shower and doing finish work.

While you’re working on pet projects, here are some great dog fence ideas.

13. Painted Concrete Floor

If you’re tired of the plain concrete flooring in your basement, you can add a fresh coat of paintto it. You can choose a color that ties into the rest of your decor. This is a budget-friendly way to freshen up the space in a short amount of time – check out the project.

Laundry room with painted concrete floor
(c) myrepurposedlife.com

You can get the detailed project here: myrepurposedlife.com

This project is perfect for those who want a weekend project and even a beginner DIY-er can complete it successfully. You may find that you need a couple of coats of paint to cover the concrete completely.

14. Rolling Hamper Cubby

If you have hampers that have wheels for easy transportation, you may find it convenient to have a built-in cubby for them. This ensures they have their own designated storage space — instead of leaving them out in the open.

Laundry room with rolling camper
(c) houseandgarden.co.uk

You can view more project ideas here: houseandgarden.co.uk

You can also add a pole, either PVC or metal, to hang your damp clothes from. This helps to make the best use of your laundry room, even if it’s on the smaller side.

Here are my best basement pole cover ideas.

15. Natural Lighting

If you have a window in your basement, allow it to remain uncovered so you get plenty of natural light flowing into your laundry room. This helps with the overall mood of the space and keeps it bright and inviting.

Laundry room with natural lighting
(c) stylemepretty.com

You can view for more project here: stylemepretty.com

You’ll want to ensure that your window well cover doesn’t block the light from pouring in. If you’re a fan of doing laundry in the morning or afternoon, you’ll be able to enjoy the sunlight even when you’re downstairs.

16. Multifunctional Space with a Curtain

Basement laundry rooms often have large open spaces, so you have quite a few options when it comes to using the area. You can add in extra storage space or even a refrigerator to keep excess drinks and cold food items.

Multifunctional Space with a Curtain

You can view the project here: pinterest.com

This example shows you how to add a simple hanging curtain to separate one area from the other. This creates a stylish divider that you can set up yourself. You can purchase a curtain such as this one at your local Walmart or Target or even a home good store.

You can add a brightly colored curtain that adds a pop of color to your room. This basement laundry room adds a fully functional bar area with a built-in mini-fridge.

17. Ironing Area

Oftentimes, it’s convenient to iron your clothes after they’ve been dried. If you have the extra space, you can set up an ironing board so you can move from one task to the next in an efficient manner.

Laundry room with ironing area

You can view the idea here: pinterest.com

Open basement laundry rooms can be better than their upstairs counterparts. You’ll have a larger area to work with and you won’t feel cramped inside a tiny room.

If you find yourself with a smaller space to work with, you can add a fold-out iron that conveniently folds back into the wall. This takes up very little space when not in use.

18. Hidden Vacuum Storage

The laundry room is a great place to store your home cleaning supplies, such as a vacuum cleaner or your brooms. This drawer shows how you can hide your vacuum inside your laundry room.

Laundry room with storage
(c) houzz.com

More ideas here: houzz.com

You don’t want unsightly cleaning supplies to be lying around your house, so this is a great option for how to store them when they’re not in use. Adding a sliding vertical drawer allows you to maximize your storage capacity.

19. Hanging Storage Rack

You may not want to add in an entire shelving unit or a set of drawers. If you want a simpler option, you can add a wooden rack that allows you to hang your ironing board and broom.

Laundry room with hanging storage rack
(c) huntandhost.net

For more project ideas, check it here: huntandhost.net

This adds a minimal amount of bulk to your laundry room — which is especially helpful if your basement is on the smaller side and you’re worried about not having enough space. You can also use this rack as a place to hang larger coats that won’t fit into your closet.

How to Use a Circular Saw | RYOBI Tools 101

Get Started on Your Basement Laundry Room!

There are many ways to add stylish design elements to your basement laundry room. You can make the space work efficiently and conveniently by adding extra counter space or shelving. You also have the option to leave the area unfinished — as this is a popular style choice these days.

You don’t have to blow your budget to redesign your basement space. You have many budget-friendly and DIY options to upgrade your laundry room. Refurbishing your basement laundry room can add value to your home and it’s a worthwhile project to begin.

Raised with a fix-it and improvement mindset, my wife and I completely restored our Craftsman-style home. Learning how to DIY a variety of home improvement projects, I started SawsHub with my father. He's the fine woodworker, I'm the DIYer!