Photography by Sophie Piesse
This is an example of a small contemporary utility room in Raleigh with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, green walls, medium hardwood floors, a stacked washer and dryer, brown floor and white benchtop.

The Homeowner custom cut/finished a butcher block top (at the same thickness (1") of the granite counter-top), to be placed on the farm sink which increased the amount of available space to fold laundry, etc. Note: the faucet merely swings out of the way. 2nd note: a square butcher block of the proper desired length and width and thickness can be purchased online, and then finished (round the corners to proper radius of Farm Sink corners, finish with several coats of clear coat polyurethane), as the homeowner did. Photo taken by homeowner.

Brunswick Parlour transforms a Victorian cottage into a hard-working, personalised home for a family of four. Our clients loved the character of their Brunswick terrace home, but not its inefficient floor plan and poor year-round thermal control. They didn't need more space, they just needed their space to work harder. The front bedrooms remain largely untouched, retaining their Victorian features and only introducing new cabinetry. Meanwhile, the main bedroom’s previously pokey en suite and wardrobe have been expanded, adorned with custom cabinetry and illuminated via a generous skylight. At the rear of the house, we reimagined the floor plan to establish shared spaces suited to the family’s lifestyle. Flanked by the dining and living rooms, the kitchen has been reoriented into a more efficient layout and features custom cabinetry that uses every available inch. In the dining room, the Swiss Army Knife of utility cabinets unfolds to reveal a laundry, more custom cabinetry, and a craft station with a retractable desk. Beautiful materiality throughout infuses the home with warmth and personality, featuring Blackbutt timber flooring and cabinetry, and selective pops of green and pink tones. The house now works hard in a thermal sense too. Insulation and glazing were updated to best practice standard, and we’ve introduced several temperature control tools. Hydronic heating installed throughout the house is complemented by an evaporative cooling system and operable skylight. The result is a lush, tactile home that increases the effectiveness of every existing inch to enhance daily life for our clients, proving that good design doesn’t need to add space to add value.

Make a closet laundry space work harder and look better by surrounding the washer and dryer with smart solutions.
Inspiration for a small transitional single-wall laundry cupboard in Charlotte with wood benchtops, light hardwood floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer, beige benchtop and green walls.

Three apartments were combined to create this 7 room home in Manhattan's West Village for a young couple and their three small girls. A kids' wing boasts a colorful playroom, a butterfly-themed bedroom, and a bath. The parents' wing includes a home office for two (which also doubles as a guest room), two walk-in closets, a master bedroom & bath. A family room leads to a gracious living/dining room for formal entertaining. A large eat-in kitchen and laundry room complete the space. Integrated lighting, audio/video and electric shades make this a modern home in a classic pre-war building. Photography by Peter Kubilus

How fun is this laundry room? Just by incorporating some punch of color, the space is enlivened and becomes less of an eyesore. The backsplash is equally as brilliant in bouncing light about, being the appliances are placed inside of a closet.

Fun and playful utility, laundry room with WC, cloak room.
Design ideas for a small transitional single-wall dedicated laundry room in Berkshire with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, pink splashback, ceramic splashback, green walls, light hardwood floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer, grey floor, white benchtop and wallpaper.

A high performance and sustainable mountain home. We fit a lot of function into a relatively small space when renovating the Entry/Mudroom and Laundry area.

This laundry also acts as an entry airlock and mudroom. It is welcoming and has space to hide away mess if need be.
Photo of a small contemporary galley utility room in Other with a single-bowl sink, wood benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, green walls, concrete floors, grey floor, wood and wood walls.

A sliding barn door conceals this washer and dryer when not in use. Its upstairs location keeps laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms. Photographer Greg Hadley

Pedestal mounted laundry machines, ample folding space, and a long hanging rod make laundry a pleasure in this home. Photo by Scot Trueblood
Design ideas for a small beach style galley utility room in Miami with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, green walls, ceramic floors and a side-by-side washer and dryer.

Laundry room with built in shelves
Inspiration for a small transitional galley laundry room in Tampa with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, granite benchtops, green walls, porcelain floors and a side-by-side washer and dryer.

European Laundry
Inspiration for a small contemporary galley utility room in Melbourne with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green walls, dark hardwood floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer, brown floor and white benchtop.

Butler's Pantry between kitchen and dining room doubles as a Laundry room. Laundry machines are hidden behind doors. Leslie Schwartz Photography
This is an example of a small traditional single-wall utility room in Chicago with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green walls, medium hardwood floors, a concealed washer and dryer and black benchtop.

Hardworking laundry room that needed to provide storage, and folding space for this large family.
Inspiration for a small arts and crafts single-wall utility room in Portland with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, green walls, slate floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer, brown benchtop and wood.

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Magnolia Cottage has a wide front hall with a space saving laundry closet. Stacked washer/dryer and folding space
Small beach style single-wall laundry cupboard in Charleston with quartz benchtops, green walls, medium hardwood floors, a stacked washer and dryer and grey benchtop.

Design ideas for a small contemporary single-wall laundry cupboard in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz benchtops, green walls, light hardwood floors, a stacked washer and dryer, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Taryn DeVincent
Design ideas for a small country laundry room in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green walls, travertine floors, a side-by-side washer and dryer and beige floor.