9 must-see modern laundry ideas

This Palm Springs inspired space hits the well-designed laundry trifecta. It’s functional, beautiful, and – because it has been combined with a butler’s pantry just off the kitchen – it saves space, too. Homeowner Rebecca says including a combined laundry and butler’s pantry in her home was a must. “As a mum, I’m forever washing and cooking so having [the laundry and kitchen] close together makes multi-tasking more efficient,” she says.

Block alumni Josh and Jenna, who have been restoring a homestead in regional Victoria, recently unveiled their all-new laundry, featuring a palette of warm neutrals. “We aimed for a colour palette that compliments the landscape,” says Jenna. The laundry also doubles as the washing station for produce grown in the kitchen garden, so ensuring that the flooring, benchtops and cabinetry were durable and easy to clean was essential. 

Part laundry, part mudroom, this timeless farmhouse laundry, designed by Terri Shannon of Bloom Interior Design and Decoration, is a lesson in combining form and function. Located in a working farmhouse, this laundry also serves as a busy thoroughfare into the home. Clever design means that dusty boots, coats and hats all have a place by the entrance, while laundry items are hidden behind gorgeous shaker-style cabinets painted in Dulux Sepal, a serene duck egg blue.

Think your laundry is too small to be beautiful? This gorgeous laundry, complete with rattan bi-folding doors and a sheer sink skirt will change your mind. “It was important for me to open the door and love the way it looked,” says homeowner Helen who enlisted the help of Alexandra Mason from Studio aem to create her dream small laundry. It’s the little details that make this space shine: the brass hardware, the Spanish ‘Blossom’ floor tiles and the dainty sink skirt, which was made from repurposed bedroom curtains.

Cabinetry painted in Dulux Koyla gives this elegant laundry in a renovated home on Sydney’s lower north shore an uplifting atmosphere – which is what you want when you’re powering through piles of washing. “The scale of the rooms had the potential to feel cold and cavernous, so we used colour to add character and evoke different moods,” says the homeowner. The blue cabinetry is complemented by an Atlantic Stone splashback and benchtop from SNB Stone, while textured floor tiles laid in a herringbone pattern add warmth to the space.

When a laundry serves as a second entry, it’s important to include plenty of storage to keep the room organised and tidy. Hay & Co nailed the brief, creating custom shaker joinery for this Hamptons style home in Sydney’s northern beaches. The galley-style layout features a washing machine and dryer mounted at hip level and feature floor tiles by Tiles by Kate. 

Once worn-out and lacklustre, this laundry is now stylish and inviting, thanks to a budget-savvy makeover by homeowner Hayley Little of Instagram’s @mumlittleloves. Working with the existing layout, Hayley opted for Kaboodle cabinetry to introduce both personality and functionality to the space. She opted for a duck-egg blue colour scheme and new blinds in a pretty print. “Everything has a home and we can find things quickly and put them away easily,” she says. 

When Block favourites Andy and Deb were tasked with creating a laundry that didn’t look like a laundry, they opted for smart storage solutions, strategic lighting and hidden functionality to bring the space to life. “The cupboards next to the washing machine are large enough for washing baskets to be hidden away,” says Deb. Other hidden gems include a fold away ironing board and a deep bench to keep large-capacity appliances tucked away. 

It’s compact but there’s plenty to love about this monochromatic laundry in a refined Georgian-meets-Hamptons-home in Sydney. First, there’s the stacked washer-dryer combination, which frees up valuable floor space. A pull-out bench, for folding laundry straight out of the dryer, keeps the arrangement practical. Then there’s the dedicated washing cubbies, so each family member can take ownership of their own laundry. A corner nook above the bench is the perfect spot to air delicates, and then – when the hamper is finally empty – simply grab a cold beverage from the wine fridge and cheers to all your hard work.