The living room and kitchen get the most attention when it comes to their design and appearance in your home. And unfortunately that means the laundry room — a utility area filled with piles of unsorted clothes and a collection of other junk — gets neglected. But you can bring organization and a little delight to your laundry room space, on the cheap, too.
Big, Bright Space
Many laundry room spaces lack natural light because they often don’t have windows at all. And dark laundry rooms can make them appear much smaller than they actually are. If your laundry room is currently sporting a dark coat of paint, switch things up and opt for a lighter shade that makes the space fresh and airy.
You can even pick up paint for free or at a deep discount. Recycling waste centers often take unwanted paint as an alternative to the paint ending up in a landfill. Some centers offer the unused paint on a first-come, first-served basis and others run giveaways at different times of the year. Call your local recycling center to find out more about free paint. Additionally, hardware stores and big-box retailers often return mistinted paint when it doesn’t work out for a customer and offer it to other deal-seeking customers at low prices.
A Shared and Organized Room
In some homes, the laundry room and mudroom share a space, which means this shared space can easily become a chaotic, unorganized mess. Floor to ceiling organization units can take care of your family’s clutter. It might not look like much at first, but the sale section at IKEA is a gold mine. Pick up pieces of damaged or mismatched items to create your own storage unit on the cheap. And then you won’t worry about stuff getting banged up and dirty from muddy boots and heavy backpacks.
For example, you can create mudroom lockers from sale TV stands. For more mudroom and laundry room design inspiration check out Angie’s List. Not only can you can find tips and tricks here, you can connect with handymen if your home project requires a little help.
Save Money, Eliminate Wrinkles
According to California’s Consumer Energy Center, the dryer is one of the most expensive home appliances to run. In fact, the dryer alone is responsible for 6 percent of a home’s total electricity usage.
While using a clothesline is a good alternative to running the dryer, the weather isn’t always favorable for stringing up your clothes outside. Instead, take on a simple solution and mount a cheap bath towel holder to the underside of a laundry room shelf. You can find these mounts at most retailers. Here you can hang your clothes and items that are prone to wrinkles without turning on the dryer.
DIY Double Duty
Your laundry sink is a valuable asset to your laundry room. Here you can work on stains, soak items and hand-wash your family’s delicate items. However, that same sink that comes in handy so many times is also a space hog, especially if your laundry room is housed in a tight, cramped space.
Luckily there’s a savvy solution. A do-it-yourself laundry sink cover. Forget hiring a contractor to take on the project, instead add some extra counter space to the room with a removable folding area above the sink. When the sink is in use simply take the cover off. And when you’re ready to fold, or “hide” the sink, slide the cover back on.
Don’t neglect a room that can be an asset for home organization.