Take a tour of a small mudroom and laundry room with navy cabinets. This mudroom laundry combo was completed on a budget, is stylish, and packed with storage!
Stuck with a small laundry room closet in a hallway, it took some creativity to carve out a mudroom laundry room layout. But, it worked, and with a little ingenuity, you might be able to create a mudroom and laundry room in your home, too!
Mudroom Laundry Room Layout
Our washer and dryer are located off the garage, in a closet with bi-fold doors. There is a small entry hall (approximately 4 ft x 5 ft) between the laundry closet and the garage door.
When the bi-fold doors are open, the guest bath door is partially blocked. It’s the only bathroom on the main level, so it’s used frequently. Therefore, the bi-fold door can only be open when loading/unloading the washer or dryer. The doors must stay closed the rest of the time in order to provide access to the bathroom.
Here’s a (very yellow) before photo that shows how the laundry closet doors block the bathroom door.
No good, right? So the first decision we made was to remove the closet doors.
Next, we reimagined the space as a mudroom laundry room combo. Instead of simply treating the entry as a hallway, we converted it into a mudroom by surrounding the space with functional double wall hooks.
The below layout shows how the floor plan changed. It may not look that different, but it feels so. much. bigger.
With the layout nailed down, I moved onto the design. The mudroom laundry room combo is visible from the kitchen, living room, and guest bath. It’s in a prime location. Therefore, our small laundry room had to be big on style and organization.
Small Laundry Room & Small Mudroom Ideas
First, we replaced the peeling linoleum with an affordable wood-look tile and installed a DIY board and batten treatment on the walls.
Plenty of antique brass hooks provide ample hanging space. We bring the kids in from the snow, the pool — or any other messy adventure — and have easy access to hang clothes or throw them in the washer.
I’ve said it before, always consider how you will use a space before decorating it.
- If the kids’ clothes are stained, we’ve got stain stick in the laundry cabinet.
- When their shoes are wet, it won’t damage the tile.
- If we’re loading up for a road trip, the hooks are handy for totes and bags to-go.
Even small spaces can be incredibly practical.
Always consider how you will use a space before decorating it.
Still, “practical” doesn’t have to mean “lacking in style.” I’ve filled the room with vintage floral paintings, mixed metals and deep navy to coordinate with the adjacent guest bath. Even though you are walking by a utilitarian washer and dryer on the way to the bathroom, the mudroom laundry room is cohesive with the rest of our home.
If you’ve been around here long, you know that I’m a navy girl. From our master bedroom to the guest bath vanity, you’ll find navy. It’s no surprise, then, that I incorporated the navy version of my Laundry Guide and Stain Removal art prints. I like the mix of modern graphic art, paired with vintage florals. Plus, it provides me an at-hand resource for stains and clothing care.
Organizing a Small Laundry Room
A canvas laundry bag, also featuring laundry care symbols, hangs on a hook by the dryer. I stick dirty dishcloths here until I have a load of linens to wash. The bag was a clearance find that I couldn’t pass up since it matched perfectly with the Laundry Guide print.
That laundry bag is just the start to the variety of laundry-focused storage in the space.
- A swing-arm drying rack (which was still in its vintage packaging!) is handy for drying delicates.
- The laundry cabinets are packed full of both laundry and cleaning supplies.
- A towel bar, attached to the base of the left cabinet holds hangers and keeps them within easy reach.
- We even had enough extra space to tuck in a slim laundry cart between the washer and dryer.
If you’d like to take a closer look at all the laundry room storage ideas, visit this post with 7 laundry hacks and tips.
Mudroom Laundry Room: Sources
So, would you like to recreate this look? Here are sources (or similar options) for most items in my mudroom and laundry room combo.
Walls, Cabinetry, & Floors
- Tile – Affordable Wood-Look Tile
- Walls – Fog by Porter Paint
- Board and Batten – How to Install Board and Batten
- Cabinets – Ink Pad by True Value Paint
Decor & Accessories
- Wall Hooks – Antique Brass Double Hook
- Drying Rack – Swing Arm Towel Rack
- Laundry Cart – 3-Tier Slim Laundry Cart
- Towel Bar – Ikea Bygel Rail
- Stain Removal Print – Craftivity Designs
- Laundry Guide Print – Craftivity Designs
- Gray Frame – Gray Frame with Matte
- Vintage Floral Art – Vintage Reproduction Botanical Art
Renovate a Mudroom and Laundry Room on a Budget
Our mudroom and laundry room makeover was budget friendly. Smart decisions such as:
- affordable tile flooring,
- DIY board and batten,
- painting the original laundry cabinets,
- vintage art from thrift stores and,
- printable laundry art
saved tons of money! Small spaces are great candidates for affordable makeovers. So, if you’re itching to redecorate, consider a laundry room or mudroom.
Tell me, do you have small laundry room? Does it feel cramped or packed with style and function? Let me know what you love — or hate — about your laundry room, and maybe we can solve a design problem, together!
If you liked this laundry room post, you might also like:
- Beautiful Vintage Laundry Room with Dark Green Cabinets
- How to Install Board & Batten in a Small Space
- 7 Tiny Laundry Room Storage Ideas (that are cheap!)
- How to Work with Brass Hardware
Melissa says
Our laundry “room” is a double-doored closet upstairs. That’s it; the washer and dryer take up the whole area. There’s a linen closet next to it where I store the laundry essentials. I’d like to liven it up, any suggestions? I’ll try to get a picture.
[email protected] says
This was actually a double doored closet, too! It might be weird, but I felt like I’d rather have it open to the space, than closed off. For one — laundry seems to be constant, so I just didn’t want to fool with doors all the time. Second, I thought the whole hallway {now mudroom} felt bigger without the doors. Send me a pic, I’d love to try to come up with ideas! ๐
Sabrina says
Wow Lora, this looks so beautiful! I love how the space is functional and stylish! You really did a great job with both!
[email protected] says
Thanks, Sabrina!
Alex Rosh says
This looks so wonderful! Love all the white and navy:) it’s beautiful and very practical:)) I’m currently working on mine so can’t wait to get it finished!!
[email protected] says
It’s a tiny bit more enjoyable to do laundry when it’s pretty and organized ๐
Becki says
Beautiful laundry room! Love the board and batten and the dark cabinets.
[email protected] says
Thanks, Becki ๐
Jeanie says
I love all of the extra little storage areas that you added. I’m tackling my laundry closet next month and will keep these ideas in mind! Pinning!
[email protected] says
Thanks for pinning, Jeanie!
Kristina says
Love the navy paint colour you chose!
[email protected] says
Thanks, Kristina!
Kelly says
Wow this loos great! What color and type of paint did you use for the navy cabinets? I’m thinking about repainting some bedroom furniture navy… ๐
Best,
Kelly
Sarah says
I love how the space turned out, Lora! The board and batten looks so nice and everything is so functional. Great job!
[email protected] says
Thanks, Sarah!
Chelsea Wolf says
Love the blue cabinets and vintage drying ‘rack’! Definitely more stylish than my current laundry situation. Can’t wait to read how you organized it all!
[email protected] says
Thanks! It’s nice to do laundry in a pretty space.
Shani | Sunshine & Munchkins says
I love that you carried the navy color into the laundry room. I’ve been wanting to re-do my laundry room/mudroom for a long time and I hope to get started this fall. First thing we’re doing is taking down the plain wire shelf that came with the house and putting up cabinets for more concealed storage space.