A Step-by-Step Guide to a Beautiful IKEA Laundry Room

Simple tips to make your IKEA laundry room more practical, stylish — and fun

Laundry is a necessity. For many, unfortunately, that means a tedious (and time-consuming!) chore with lots of sorting; loading and unloading; drying and folding. Rinse and repeat. If you don’t have a dedicated IKEA laundry room, those tasks become even less enjoyable. But fear not. As experts in IKEA designs, we’re here to tell you there’re plenty of things that can be done design-wise to make it a more pleasant experience.

“One of the keys is to know that laundry rooms have four primary areas and functions: Entry and prep; washing; drying; and storage and ironing. It’s important to allow sufficient space for each function so that your space —even if it’s small — doesn’t feel inefficient or cramped,” says IKD designer Daniel.

How do you accomplish this? Glad you asked. Start with IKEA’s SEKTION kitchen system (SEKTION works with laundry rooms) or IKEA’s GODMORGON series (if there’s a wardrobe component to the space) as the framework of your IKEA laundry room. We’ve designed very dynamic (and affordable) IKEA laundry rooms featuring IKEA RINGHULT cabinet doors; IKEA LERHYTTAN base cabinets and IKEA AXSTAD door style for the upper cabinets; for example, as well as IKEA’s gray-green BODARP door style paired with IKEA’s ENRYDA brass cabinet pulls, among many others.There are also cabinet fronts from third-party custom cabinet manufacturers, like Semihandmade’s (SHM) Shaker Night Sky, which work seamlessly with SEKTION.

The key is to maximize every inch of the space, such as choosing the right location for your washer/dryer; choosing the right IKEA cabinets; implementing organizational and storage strategies (such as using IKEA accessories); and lastly, by implementing practical, everyday ideas that will make your space — and your lifestyle — flow easier. For fun, you might even add a refrigerator or dog-washing tub to get extra function out of your IKEA laundry room.

The bottom line is simple: Your wardrobe is supposed to make you look and feel your best. Shouldn’t the laundry space that makes that happen look its best too? We think so. The following guide will help you achieve just that with your IKEA laundry room.

Let’s take a look!

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Know Your Space

You need to understand the purpose of your IKEA laundry room.

“When you begin an IKEA laundry room project, the first thing you need to determine is how you want to use the space and where you want to place things.That answer depends on your lifestyle; how much laundry you typically do or whether you care if guests see your dirty-clothes piles. These are all good reasons to put together a design checklist before you start your project,” says IKD designer Frank.

One thing to determine in your checklist is your laundry room location. Designers often say the best spot for a laundry room is off the kitchen. Why’s that? It’s mainly because homeowners spend most of their time in the kitchen so the laundry room is accessible. Makes good sense. However in multilevel homes the bedrooms (and the closets) are likely on different floors. That means a lot of trips going up and down stairs to do your laundry!

For those with larger families (or those with a lot of laundry) the layout can feature washers and dryers placed side by side. This works well even in smaller spaces. Keep in mind that laundry appliances are typically designed to fit within 60″ of width, although some manufacturers make smaller machines. If you have a sleek-looking washer and dryer combo consider the IKEA GODMORGON High cabinet, brown stained ash effect. Not only can you have its door mounted to open from the left or the right, but it will provide ample storage for towels, soaps and detergents. For those concerned about aging-in-place design options, a raised washer and dryer can also ease an aching back with less bending required.

IKEA Cabinet Options

Making the right cabinet selection makes a huge difference in your laundry room.

“Cabinets for laundry spaces come in standard sizes, similar to kitchen cabinets, with a depth of 24″ for the base and 12″ for the uppers, and a width from 9″ to 48″ going up in 3″ increments. This provides a lot of options for IKEA customers,” says IKD designer Daniel.

One option here is to try a color-coordinated design using IKEA SEKTION base cabinets for your laundry room. This could include a pull-out for trash or a corner cabinet with carousel to maximize space and storage. (You’ll want to allow at least 42″ of width between your IKEA cabinets and walls for greater clearance). Consider the new IKEA EHNET laundry room cabinet series items. These include 24″ (w) x 12-3/4″ (d) x 15″ (h) white wall cabinets with doors; a 60″ (w) x 12-3/4″ (d) x 30″ (h) EHNET upper storage combination; and a two-door EHNET wall cabinet, among others.

Custom-made cabinets can be any width — and the results are equally as dynamic. IKD customer Kyle from Litchfield Park, AZ, combined IKEA SEKTION cabinets with Semihandmade’s SSS Beaded/Desert Gray fronts, including upper and tall cabinets in his laundry room. The custom cabinets created additional linen storage and storage with the drawer base cabinets. Stylish and functional!

(Designer’s note: It’s important to know which IKEA products can be used in a ‘wet room’, such as the IKEA laundry room. Using the wrong product in a high moisture area can void the IKEA product warranty. IKD can help you select the right IKEA cabinets.)

Organizing Strategies

There are many organizational options available using IKEA cabinets

“Not everyone has the luxury of unlimited space or unlimited funds. DIYers can spend very little and still get the organization they crave. One family from Pittsburgh, PA recently completed a beautifully organized laundry space for less than $500 by incorporating smart, sensible strategies,” says IKD designer Daniel.

One of their strategies was stacking the appliances to free up floor space for seven roll-out sorting bins; labeled for whites, jeans, towels, delicates, darks and more. Now their kids know to sort their dirty clothes and to place them into the appropriate bin. Once Mom washes the items and folds them on a counter, she places them into numbered bins which the kids are expected to then take into their rooms and put away. Not bad, right?

Smaller laundry rooms require big storage ideas and too you’ll want to keep things tidy. Consider SEKTION pull-outs, corner cabinets and high cabinets to provide storage for detergent, laundry, etc. Or try an IKEA MULIG clothes bar over your countertops to hang clothes while you fold or the IKEA ALGOT BOAXEL wall upright/shelves/drying rack system for convenient and flexible accessory options.

Routine Matters

Having an efficient IKEA laundry room will help you build an enjoyable laundry routine.

“Using IKEA accessories, such as the IKEA BRANAS, and having a dedicated place for hand-washables and a place to dry non-dryer items is a good start. Creating a system that your family can follow will certainly make doing laundry more pleasant,” says IKD designer Frank.

One idea is separate loads for each person in your family — or better yet, (like the family from Pittsburgh, PA) let the kids do their own laundry (if they’re mature and responsible enough, of course). Another trick: Turn all your clothes right-side out before putting it in the washing machine. A couple of our designers tried this for a weekend and were able to fold a load of laundry in nearly half their normal time.

Another often-overlooked idea is to do a deep clean before you wash. (Wait a minute, this is a laundry story not a bath story right?) Yup. We often neglect the washing machines that clean our clothes. Get in the habit to use a damp sponge, some vinegar and a good vacuuming. And don’t neglect the lint traps. If they’re removable, you can clean them with a bit of warm, soapy water. If not, you can use cotton swabs to remove gunk and grime. Then you can store those cleaning items tidily in your IKEA BODORP cabinets and MAXIMERA drawers like IKD customer Steve did.

As you can see, the potential really is limitless in a laundry room layout. And it’s definitely not a space that needs to feel boring. Our design team is here to guide you through the product selection and design process for your IKEA laundry room. Just bring your ideas and we’ll collaborate to make your laundry room design come true.

Let’s get started!