Let’s face it: there’s a time and a place for home projects that feel like a labor of love, hard-fought for over the course of months. A laundry nook doesn’t have to be one of them. If getting more organized and streamlining your storage situation is top of mind, it really can be as simple as taking stock of your space, sight lines, and, sometimes, stashing a washing machine behind an under-cabinet skirt. Whether you’re looking to have your washer and dryer hidden away by the week’s end, or seeking inspiration for the floor-to-ceiling laundry nook buildout of your reno dreams, we found examples to get you started.
The homeowners of this San Francisco cottage tucked away their washer and dryer within space-conscious storage that maximizes the square footage under their ground floor staircase.
Have Fun With It
A wall of austere, ash-toned floor-to-ceiling wood paneling in this Atlanta guesthouse holds a laundry nook done up in Spoonflower wallpaper so cheery that you can’t help but to smile.
Take a Cue from the Weekend Warriors
When it came to hiding the washer-dryer combination unit in this Victorian rental apartment, a marbelized velvet fabric panel by Beata Heuman proved to be a no-fuss solution.
Write Your Own Rulebook
Some might see the nook in this Michigan vacation rental as an obvious pantry or cleaning cupboard, but thanks to generous cabinetry throughout the kitchen, it makes a bigger impact as a literal laundry closet.
Or Take a Fresh Approach to Time-Tested Advice
While there’s something to be said for an artfully arranged shelfie, it’s no secret that clutter can often shrink a space; that’s why this L.A. guest suite hides away the fridge, a snack bar, and washer-dryer in two floor-to-ceiling cupboards that bookend the open kitchen—and could totally pass for a pantry.
Go Bold
Interior decorator Lizzie Green, who was tasked with overhauling this apartment in North London, didn’t have any wiggle room to move the utility room away from the entry. So instead, she seized the opportunity for a unique greeting and turned it into a scene setter. By drenching the woodwork in a punchy mint green hue called Arsenic by Farrow & Ball, hiding the washer-dryer behind tongue-and-groove cabinets, and carving out a coat closet, the tiny space works overtime. “As you walk in, it’s like: Wow, but also it’s just where the washing machine lives,” explains Green.
Get Creative with Cupboards
This arrangement by Studio McGee offers extra flexibility with two stacked doors (if you only want access to the bottom machine, you can quickly open just the one cupboard). The designers also carved out extra room for a small shelf of essentials at the tippy-top.
