The Best Laundry Room Makeover on a Budget

11 Materials
$1800
6 Weeks
Advanced
It’s reveal day! And we are so excited to share our laundry room makeover with you!Clearly, a lot of planning and good old fashioned work has gone into to this modern, cottage laundry room.While there have been challenges, mistakes and deadlines, we are so pleased with the results.Not only does it look amazing, but it’s so much more functional.Welcome to week 8 of the Fall 2021 One Room Challenge.If you’re new here, WELCOME!You can learn more about us here.For those returning visitors, thanks for staying with us during this round of the One Room Challenge.In fact, we hope you’ve been enjoying the weekly progress and are as excited to see this space as we are!Just as a reminder, you can easily navigate through each week of this Modern Cottage Laundry Room Makeover.
  • Week 1: 12 Ideas for Creating a Functional Laundry Room You’ll Love
  • Week 2: Installing Tile: Practical Tips for the Beginner
  • Week 3: How to Make a Simple Laundry Room Fold Table
  • Week 4: How to make a Broom Closet in the Laundry Room
  • Week 5: How to Update a Laundry Room Light Fixture
  • Week 6: 8 Tips for Beginners: Installing a Simple Tile Backsplash
  • Week 7: 14 Useful Laundry Room Organization Ideas You need to See
  • Week 8: Final Laundry Room Reveal – You Are Here!
Let’s reflect back to what this laundry room looked like several weeks ago. Laundry Room Makeover Ideas
Before Laundry Room Makeover
If you remember, this laundry room was cold and sterile.It featured white laminate cabinets that had clearly seen better days.Also a stained and damaged white laminate countertop.Then there’s the tile floor, chipped and more white.One more item that made the room feel cold and unwelcoming was the florescent light.It was just plain boring!So, my vision was to bring in some style, better function and make it feel inviting.With all this in mind, I still needed to be mindful of the budget.So, I’d like to share budget saving tips for updating your laundry room.Certainly, it can still be beautiful without spending an arm and a leg.
How Do You Makeover Laundry Room on a Budget
Before you begin a project like this, make a list of the improvements you’d like to make.Then do your homework and see what that will cost.Decide how you want to spend your budget and what you will DIY.We’ve put together 17 ideas that can refresh and update your laundry room.
Paint . . .
Certainly, there’s a lot that paint can do without much cost to transform a space. It’s definitely easy on the budget, and you can still get dramatic results.One of the first updates we made to my laundry room was to give it a fresh coat of paint in Sherwin Williams Pure White.That alone really brightened up the space.If your cabinets are in good condition, maybe a fresh coat of paint will be all you need.
Add a Touch of Wallpaper
Generally speaking laundry rooms are small, so why not add color and pattern to your laundry room with wallpaper.In fact, even a portion of a wallpapered wall dramatically affects the feel of my laundry room.We partnered with Photowall for this project and I love the texture and color this wall mural added to my laundry room.
Add Texture with Wainscotting
Certainly, adding details to a wall with molding or paneling adds texture and interest to any room.Not only does this beadboard wall add that cottage charm I wanted in my laundry room, but it also creates an opportunity to make it function like a mudroom.Before this wall was just a blank wall, unusable space.Now it not only holds our coats, jackets and handbags, but I also created a space to hang my ironing board.This project was fairly easy and Steph and I were able to install it in an afternoon.
Makeover Laundry Room Storage
Definitely one of the most important elements to consider when remodeling a laundry room is storage.In fact, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t want better storage options in their home.While I had cabinetry in my laundry room, I wanted it to function better.So I chose to look for new cabinetry to fill that need.To help this fit into my budget, I chose flat pack cabinets.They are well made with plywood boxes, dovetail drawers, solid wood doors and came with soft close hinges and slides.Installing them yourself will help keep the cost down.I made a little mistake when ordering my cabinets.You see, I intended the upper cabinets to go to the ceiling for even more storage.When we went to install them, I was shocked that they weren’t tall enough.But when a project gives you lemons, make lemonade.Right?So we made these cubbies that are built exactly the same way as the built in wall shelves.Just tipped on their side and framed out with molding.It all turned out good!Not only did I get my extra storage, but it also looks pretty with the natural grass baskets.You’ll find useful storage ideas for your laundry room in last weeks post.
Incorporate Mudroom Storage
If you don’t have a mudroom in your home, why not add one to your laundry room?Not only did we incorporate lots of hanging storage along the long wall, but we also added shoe storage with Ikea’s Trones shoe storage containers.They fit perfectly between the door wall and the cabinets.
Update Knobs and Pulls
Certainly, one of the easiest updates you can make to your laundry room is to change the hardware.
Beautiful hardware like this Carrione marble pull is like a piece of jewelry for your cabinets.They are absolutely gorgeous!This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Affiliate Associate I earn from qualifying purchases never at any additional cost to you. See our disclosure for details.
The Candler knob in gold champagne definitely adds a touch of class to my laundry room.A special thanks to Amerock for partnering with us on this project.
Add a Broom or Utility Closet
In the previous layout, this space was filled with cabinets and a small countertop.I knew that the space could be better utilized if we installed a broom closet.Now I have 2 additional shelves for other cleaning supplies.Plus I have a home for my vacuum cleaner as well as brooms, mops etc.
Update Laundry Room Lighting
Updating your light fixture can really make a dramatic change in your laundry room.It’s easy to do and can be easy on your budget too.For instance, I found this chandelier at the thrift store for $10.And with a little paint and some vintage crystals it looks brand new.You can find all the details for this light fixture makeover here.
Create a Folding Station
If you can add anything to your laundry room, I’d highly recommend a folding station.This is the first time I’ve had this luxury and I LOVE it. This simple laundry room fold table was made from a thrifted table, so it’s definitely easy on the budget.
Freshen Up the Floor
There are lots of ways to update a laundry room floor.For example, you can paint, stencil, vinyl tiles and tile.I chose to install new tile.And doing it ourselves saved money.The tile itself was fairly inexpensive, around $200 for the entire room.However, if we were to hire out the labor it would have been between $1500-$2000.So, if you’d like to learn how to install tile yourself, then see our practical tips.
Add a Sink
Certainly having a sink in your laundry room is handy.While my laundry room was already plumbed for a sink, so it was a no brainer to install a new sink.If you can find the space, I’d highly recommend adding one to your laundry room. It certainly makes your laundry room more functional.
Add a Backsplash
Your laundry room can instantly feel refreshed with a new backsplash.I fell in love this this tumbled marble tile.In particular, I felt it had the cottage vibe I wanted in my laundry room.If a tile backsplash is not in your budget, consider an alternative like the vinyl decal tiles we installed in my mother-in-laws kitchen.They are super easy to install.In fact, the entire project can be done in an hour or two.

Search for Remnants

Because I use the sink in my laundry room to clean out my paint brushes and clean up from projects, I wanted a durable countertop.Having quartz in my kitchen, I knew that would be the ideal surface.However, when I priced out my tiny area it was nearly $1300!Certainly, way out of my budget.So, I began searching for remnants through the online classifieds.And I found several options that would work.Would you believe I only paid $375?Which included the fabrication, sink and installation.I’m not sure how the guy made any money.But I’ll tell you, I am happy with it! Let’s stay connected! Follow us on social media!
Add a Rug or Runner
Clearly, adding a rug or runner is an easy and affordable update anyone can make to their laundry room.I chose this natural sisal rug, in keeping with my modern cottage style for my laundry room makeover.
Makeover Your Laundry Room with Open Shelving
Adding open shelves in your laundry room not only adds more storage, but it provides an opportunity for making it pretty.These shelves were easy to install with iron brackets and basic lumber from the hardware store.
Update Laundry Room with Plants and Art
As I started to plan out my decor for my laundry room makeover, I came across a couple of blue pots that I had.My laundry room gets morning sunlight, so why not add a couple of plants?And if your laundry room is in a dark basement, add artificial plants.Certainly, you can find realistic artificial plants nowadays.Would you believe that beautiful pink orchid is artificial?Plants definitely warm up any room and make it feel inviting.Another element I knew I wanted to add to my laundry room was some floral art.As a matter of fact, I’ve been collecting oil paintings from vintage markets and thrift stores.I found 2 in my stash that were perfect for my modern cottage laundry room makeover.
Beautiful Storage and Organization
Place your detergents, fabric softener etc., in pretty containers.Not only is it beautiful on your shelves, but it also makes it so handy to use.I filled an old decanter with detergent.And and old vase with liquid fabric softener, then added a cork.The wood box is filled with dryer sheets.
Old canisters are great for storing powdered detergent or laundry cleaning boosters.And the little aqua bucket is for lint.Pretty storage for everything! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See our disclosure for details.
  • Beadboard panels
  • Wallpaper mural Photowall
  • Porcelain Gray Marble Tile
  • Botticino Marble subway tile – Floor and Decor
  • Shaker Cabinets
  • Quartz Marble Countertop
  • Stainless steel undermount sink
  • Matte black faucet
  • Iron shelf brackets
  • Wood shelves
  • Laundry basket
  • Palm leaf square basket – At Home
  • Wall mount broom holder
  • Black hooks
  • Trones shoe storage – Ikea
  • Orchid
  • Galvanized Canisters
  • Small blue bucket
  • Wood box
  • decanter
  • decanter
  • Black and white marble board
  • Apothecary Jar
  • Watering can
  • Hanging jute wall basket
  • Jute braided runner
  • Amber glass spray bottle
  • The Laundress stain brush
  • Paint – Sherwin Williams Pure White
  • Carrione Marble Pull
  • Candler Champagne Gold knob
  • Turkish towel
  • Floral art printable
  • Galvanized wall vase
  • Pink rose
  • Greenery pick
  • Hobnail soap dispenser
This completes the Fall 2021 Once Room Challenge.Thanks so much for following along!We’re truly grateful for your support and kind words of encouragement along the way!It’s almost hard to believe what this space looked like just 8 weeks ago.Perhaps more than that, it’s hard to believe that we tackled this entire project ourselves without hiring out any work! Certainly, we hope you’ve found 1 or 2 ideas you can use in your home to makeover your laundry room.I know Steph is anxious now to give her laundry room a mini makeover and freshen up her room.Now we’d love to hear from you!What would you like to change in your laundry room?What ideas resonated with you?Comment below, we love to hear your thoughts and ideas.If you’re new here, WELCOME! We love having new readers and friends!You can learn more about us here.Let’s stay connected! Subscribe to our FREE newsletter so you don’t miss any inspiration for your home.Please PIN and save for later, and share with your friends! Sharing helps grow our following!Thanks for stopping by and as always here at Sunny Side Design WE HOPE TO BRING YOUR HOME TO THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET!
Be sure to follow us on Pinterest for even more home decor and DIY ideas.To see what we are working on before it’s on our blog, follow us on Instagram.You can also find our video tutorials on our YouTube channel.
Suggested materials:
  • Flat pack cabinets   (AWA cabinets)
  • Wallpaper mural   (Photowall)
  • Floor tile   (Floor & Decor)
See all materials
Sunny Side Design
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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