Our Favorite Before-and-After Laundry Room Makeovers

Separating lights and darks and hunting for errant socks aren’t the most glamorous tasks, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t tackle them somewhere lovely. Deploying colorful wall treatments, installing graphic tile and even rethinking your layout to make the most of light and square footage can all turn a humble task space into a mini-retreat … and the proof is in the makeovers.

In the absence of proper storage, detergent and drying clothes are on full display in this neglected space. An out-of-place towel ring and teeny-tiny trash can seem repurposed from a powder room.

In this reimagined room, unstacking the washer and dryer to create a new work surface actually increase’s the space’s efficiency. An ample wall of cabinetry, in turn, tucks supplies out of sight and offers the eye an uninterrupted surface. Graphic Mediterranean tile offers a punch of graphic style to counterbalance all the dazzling white paint. Accessories complete the scene: The warm natural materials of the wooden stool, window covering and woven overhead bins deliver a bit of organic texture.

This smattering of cabinets and appliances feels cramped and inefficient. Despite valiant efforts on the part of wallpaper fronds, decorative glass and a wine fridge, the room is tiring rather than tropical.