One of my blogging goals this year is to share more home content, and since everybody seems to be in organization mode these days (thanks, Marie Kondo!), I thought this would be the perfect time for this post! Today I’m sharing how my husband and I maximized the space in the smallest room in our house – our mudroom/laundry room!
Our mudroom/laundry room is about 46 square feet, and with the washer and dryer taking up a chunk of that space, we had even less room than that to work with. Since this room is right off of our garage, we also enter and leave the house through it, in addition to doing our laundry in here. I wanted to create a space that was functional for both of these tasks without making the room feel crowded and cluttered. Here’s how we did it:
Take advantage of corners
I knew I wanted some sort of hall tree for the room that could serve as a catchall for shoes, jackets, and bags. We went with a corner model, which fits perfectly into the corner of the room and doesn’t take up a large amount of wall space. We try not to let tons of shoes and jackets pile up in this area by keeping just a few of our most-used items here, which we swap out as the seasons change. We also keep a bowl on the shelf, which holds car keys, wallets, and sunglasses. It definitely helps to have a dedicated spot right next to the door for these essentials, and it has reduced the number of lost car key incidents!
Look for multi-functional appliances
When we first moved into our house last year, we were in the market for a new washing machine and dryer. We shopped around and looked at reviews for tons of different models, but what ultimately sold us on the set we chose was the built-in sink functionality of the washing machine. Since the space in our laundry room is limited, installing a utility sink wasn’t really an option. I love the fact that there’s a basin under the lid of the washer with a water spout so that I can wash delicate items by hand or soak pieces of laundry that have stains – all without taking up any extra room!
Keep items off the floor
A lot of our laundry gets hang-dried, so we needed a spot to be able to hang up clothes. For years I’ve used collapsible drying racks, but that wasn’t really an option in this laundry room since they sit on the floor and take up a lot of space. We decided to install two wall-mounted accordion racks and two valet hangers. These options allow us to hang 22 pieces of clothing at a time (more if I’m hanging smaller pieces) without taking up any floor space. And the best part is that they can both be collapsed into the wall when we’re not using them, which helps make the room feel bigger once the laundry is put away.
We also have cabinets above the washer and dryer where we store laundry detergent and cleaning products (as well as other miscellaneous items, such as dog leashes). If you don’t have built-in storage, I recommend installing some inexpensive shelving to keep items organized, easily accessible, and off the ground. And just because something is functional doesn’t mean it can’t look nice and match the look of the rest of your home! I love the idea of using decorative shelving in a laundry room rather than utilitarian-looking wire shelves. If you do go the decorative route, make sure that the shelving you choose will be able to support the weight of whatever you’ll be placing on it, such as heavy laundry detergents. This option has a great look to it and supports up to 50 pounds.
I hope this inspires you to get creative in your own home by making the most of your smaller spaces! If you implement any of these tips in your house, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @sarahmarotta_
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