How laundry rooms can be designed to spark joy

Don't throw in the towel on laundry rooms.

They're no longer an afterthought hidden away in a basement or half-heartedly placed in a hallway — in fact, they're being viewed more as functional spaces undergoing a design renaissance.

An increasing number of homeowners are infusing their laundry rooms with bold patterns, natural details, and enhanced features as they decide to remodel and invest in their property rather than move in a housing market with few resale options and high prices, industry professionals say.

Some experts call the trend “dopamine decor,” while others say clients “design for joy.” Since the pandemic, homes have become a source of cheer and escape, and this mindset has seeped into the most utilitarian of spaces: the laundry room.

People want something artisanal, “more unique and specially crafted for them,” said Barbara Miller, vice president of design sales at Neil Kelly, a remodeler with locations throughout greater Seattle and Oregon. “I think some of that is a reaction to the world. We want order and sometimes we need our home to be cozier and warmer and support us in an emotionally hard time.”

Laundry rooms are typically a blank slate that homeowners tend to hide more than highlight, designers say. That open canvas, often taking up a small footprint, makes it an attractive space to play with color, wallpaper, and tile — or bump up and expand the room’s functions.

Remodeling laundry rooms are “where I have the most fun,” said designer Tamara Day, host of “Bargain Mansions” on the Magnolia Network. “When you’re doing a chore, why not have a fun space to do it in that makes you enjoy the chore just a little bit more?”

The concept of “color drenching” means covering a space, from the door to the trim to the walls, in one color. The trend is gaining traction in laundry rooms and other parts of the home too.

“Color drenching is super fun, especially for small spaces because it doesn't break it up as much. It gives you the real impact of the color and it makes the room feel more seamless,” said Miller.

Veronica Sanders, a Dallas-based designer, has drenched kitchens in blue and bedrooms in orange. For the laundry room, she said color can be taken to another level with more daring shades such as ruby reds and bright pinks.

“Color is the new neutral,” Sanders said.

Designers say moody jewel tones are also a hit in the laundry room, and blues and greens are color-forward but safe choices that remain popular. An increasing number of cabinet manufacturers are releasing stock collections featuring shades of greens and blues, making a colorful space more cost-effective and accessible, according to Annelise Spano, design lead at North Carolina-based contractor CQC Home.

On the other end, warm natural browns are on the rise, designers say. Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025, Mocha Mousse, aligns with that shift. The color company known for its trendsetting annual choice selects its shades based on the current climate of fashion and home design. Pantone said Mocha Mousse embraces the natural environment and appeals to humans’ desire for comfort.

“I think it’s because of this need to connect with nature and the outdoors,” said Sanders. “Those are the colors you’re seeing with quite of bit of those browns, rich tones and tans.”

So-called biophilic design, an approach to architecture and interiors based on “biophilia,” the human tendency to connect with nature, has spiked since 2020, according to surveys by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The trade group, in a report on trends for 2025, said more than half of surveyed designers predicted organic and natural styles to be popular for the next three years.

Location is a prime consideration as homeowners look to enhance the functionality of laundry rooms. Most often, these spaces are in the basement of a home, near the garage entry, or in a small space off the hallway. Designers say homeowners now look to place their washers and dryers in their walk-in closets, secondary kitchens, or on a different floor.

Moving a laundry room comes down to ease of access. Designers say secondary laundry rooms are added to an upper level to keep homeowners from running laundry up and down the stairs. Some even opt for a secondary stacked washer and dryer in their walk-in closets, often seen with empty nesters looking to limit the use of stairs.

These walk-in closet laundry rooms can include a countertop for folding and cabinetry to hide the units.

Laundry areas off the kitchen are also on the rise, adding the laundry function in with second appliances in a scullery or secondary kitchen.

“We've been seeing again a lot of new kitchens and new utility spaces connecting those spaces. Basically, trying to keep a lot of that utility and dirty work per se behind a door so that you can have those more enjoyable spaces clean for when you entertain,” said Spano.

A scullery kitchen stores food and second appliances, such as sinks, dishwashers, wall ovens, and now, laundry appliances. More homeowners opt to keep countertop appliances, such as air fryers, toasters, and blenders, hidden away in these secondary kitchens.

“Shoving all the appliances in there you possibly can,” said Day.

For one client, Miller designed a built-in dog bath in a laundry room years before the owner even had a dog.

“She finally sent me a picture of her dog getting washed, which was very exciting,” Miller said. “Their laundry sink functions as a sink and a wash for a small dog.”

Another layer to staying put and remodeling is the idea of maximizing functionality. If homeowners don’t move to a space that functions better, they will create those spaces, professionals say. Utilizing laundry rooms for multiple custom functions is on the rise, especially with pet-friendly features, they said.

A 2024 survey by the design website Houzz found that 55% of homeowners undergoing a remodel said considering their pet was an important factor.

“If you have dogs and kids, that's going to end up being the drop-off” area of the house, said Spano. “Maybe you're going to create a dog bath, maybe it's a slop sink for boots. But regardless, we're listening to those needs and we're adding them, and it just makes it even more appealing for the next buyer.”

For her projects, Spano adds pet-friendly specifications to laundry rooms such as Dutch doors that open at the top and remain closed at the bottom, which can be useful for keeping watch over a dog.

A tiled, built-in hand shower in the laundry room can serve dual purposes, such as hosing down dirty shoes or bathing animals. Spano needed to design a large wash and sink basin at a specific elbow height so one client could wash her small show dogs.

Custom cabinetry and storage space can be curated for a laundry room, including built-in dog beds, shoe closets, and pull-out cabinets with laundry bins. Many homeowners prefer to expand a laundry room from a garage into a larger mudroom with built-in hanging racks, closet space, and seating — sometimes even ensuring outlets to charge children’s digital tablets.

“I've seen building custom cabinetry around the washer and dryer as well, making it feel more incorporated into the space instead of a free-standing unit. We can build it in and make it look more custom,” said Anna Leimann, lead project designer of Illinois-based remodeling company Advance Design Studio.