DIY Laundry room makeover: Budget friendly tips for small spaces
Is your small laundry area in need of a refresh? Check out our DIY Laundry Room makeover with budget friendly tips for a stylish new look.
Laundry is loads of fun said no one EVER! It can often be the last place you feel like spending time….like say, the dentist or maybe the gym…. However, when it’s functional AND pretty, well that’s a different story.
One of the first issues we needed to address in our new home, was the layout of the laundry room. To start with, the space was tiny. Furthermore, the washer and dryer were side-by-side with one long shelf on top.
Because I’m on the short side, there was no way I could access laundry soap way up there.
Could we just skip doing laundry altogether?? A girl can dream right?
Laundry room organization dilemma:
When dealing with a small space, it’s important to make it as functional as possible. What we needed was some kind of storage (that I could actually reach!) and a place to fold clothes.
Since there was no way the current layout would work for me, stacking the appliances was the way to go. Appliance stacking kits are available at home improvement stores and are brand specific. Always double check your washer/dryer brand before heading to the store. (you will need a couple of strong helpers too!)
Now, with the freed up space on the side, we had room to add storage and a counter for folding.
Budget friendly tips for a DIY laundry room makeover
1. Affordable storage: Repurposed kitchen cabinets
First, we needed some affordable storage. We headed to our local Habit for Humanity Restore, where we found some repurposed kitchen cupboards (including a countertop!) to put beside the appliances. In addition, we found a microwave cabinet for above the cupboards to provide extra storage above.
2. Add stylish function to DIY laundry room
Secondly, we needed some visually appealing function in the space. Because we had left over supplies from other projects, we were able to add some board and batten to the wall behind everything then mount a small wood shelf over the countertop for better accessibility to the laundry supplies.
Next, we needed to address was the lower cabinet. The brown colour wasn’t working for the space. Paint is your best friend here. It’s a low cost and low time investment that can transform any project from boring to beautiful.
What’s more, for such a small project, consider using left over paint you have on hand. Sample cans or mis-tints from your local paint/home improvement stores are another cost effective option.
We ended up using some left over deep grey paint from a recent project which coordinated well with the rooms nearby.
Furthermore, to keep it budget friendly, I decided to repurpose the old hardware as it worked with the new paint colour. (But this would be a great opportunity to modernize the style with something new too).
3. Cost effective countertop
The third thing we wanted to improve was the dated countertop that came with the cabinet. Because I didn’t want to replace it, I decided to give it a facelift with marble-look adhesive film. (It’s like a peel and stick wallpaper but stronger). The glossy finish is scratch resistant surface and easy to clean.
As this is the second project I’ve used it on, you can view the simple installation tips here on the Thrifted DIY bedside table makeover project.
4. Decor styling tips for the DIY laundry room makeover
The final step was to style up the space. I’m a big fan of seasonal decor so I found some white dollar store planters for my faux plants (there is no window in here so real plants wouldn’t stand a chance. In order to make the most of the microwave shelf, I found these pretty fabric storage baskets to store and hide quick grab items.
Next, to coral the sunglasses,I sourced a spinning pen/pencil organizer. Mine is from HomeSense/Winners (in the office organization section), but a rotating makeup brush holder would work well too.
To have a landing spot for cell phones/ipads I repurposed some white wire desk organizers, also from Winners/HomeSense. As an alternative, check out this pretty desk organizer with many useful compartments.
What about pretty laundry supply solutions?
Here’s how I added pretty details with these 2 simple projects: DIY detergent bottle idea and DIY laundry room jars.
Since our laundry room and mudroom are in the same room and both are tiny spaces, we had to get creative with our Small Mudroom makeover DIY.
Finally, we had a functional and pretty place to fold laundry. In the end, this weekend DIY project provided us with a whole new organized and stylish space. Who says small can’t be powerful 😉
Of course I still can’t reach the high cupboards unless I magically hit another growth spurt but that’s what step stools are for right?
For more inspiration, check out small laundry room ideas from Martha Stewart.
More Budget friendly DIY ideas
If you liked this DIY Laundry Room makeover, you might also like these other DIY ideas.
*Habitat for Humanity Restore is a non-profit home improvement retail store which sells donated, new and gently-used home furnishings, appliances and other renovation materials at a fraction of the original price. The organization helps build affordable homes for local families with the help of donors, community partners and volunteers. It’s a win-win. Happy shopping!
