Most laundry rooms get built as an afterthought: two machines, a shelf, a bare bulb and a door that hits the dryer. Then they get used every few days for decades. A laundry room remodel fixes the things that make the room awkward, like nowhere to fold, nowhere to hang shirts, detergent stacked on top of the dryer and a floor that would be ruined by one leaking hose.
Salt and Cedar Home Remodeling is a locally owned remodeling company in Nashville. Kitchens are the core of our work, and a laundry room uses the same skills on a smaller footprint: cabinets, counters, tile and a layout that makes the most of tight space. Alec plans the room with you and runs the project himself from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
This page covers what usually goes into a laundry room remodel, how to make a small one work harder, how much space you need, and what has to be planned first when the hookups or the vent are involved.
What goes into a laundry room remodel
Cabinets and storage
Upper cabinets over the machines keep detergent and cleaning supplies off the dryer and out of reach of small children. A tall cabinet can hold an ironing board, a broom and a vacuum. Base cabinets with drawers work well where there is space beside the machines. The same choices you would make in a kitchen apply here: door style, paint color and hardware.
A counter to fold on
With front-loading machines, a counter can run right over the top of both, which turns dead space into a folding surface. The counter needs enough clearance above the machines for vibration and for the hoses and vent behind them. Where the machines are top-loaders, the folding counter goes beside them instead.
A utility sink
A sink is useful for soaking, hand washing and cleanup. It needs a drain and water lines, so if there is not one already, adding it is plumbing work. That plumbing is done by a plumber Alec brings in, the same as in a bathroom.
Flooring and tile
The laundry room is one of the most likely rooms in the house to see a leak. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl plank both handle water well. A tiled wall behind a sink or along the counter gives you a surface you can wipe down.
Hanging space and lighting
A hanging rod or a short run of open shelving lets shirts go straight from the dryer onto hangers. Good overhead light, and lighting under the upper cabinets, makes it far easier to see stains and sort clothes.
Doors and the way through
Many laundry rooms double as a mudroom or the path from the garage into the house. In those rooms the layout has to leave a clear way through, and the door swing matters. A door that bangs into the dryer can be rehung to swing the other way, or swapped for a pocket or barn-style door where the wall allows it. Hooks, a bench or a cubby by the garage door can take shoes and bags so they do not pile up on the floor.
How to spruce up a laundry room
Not every laundry room needs to be gutted. If the layout already works, smaller changes can make a big difference:
- Paint the walls and any existing cabinets a lighter color so the room feels bigger.
- Add upper cabinets or shelves to get supplies off the machines.
- Put a counter over front-loaders to give yourself a place to fold.
- Replace the light with a brighter fixture, and add under-cabinet lighting.
- Change the floor to something that can take a spill.
- Swap the hardware on doors and drawers to match the rest of the house.
If you are not sure whether your room needs a refresh or a full remodel, that is a good thing to talk through with Alec at the first visit.
Size, layout and whether it is worth it
What is the ideal laundry room size?
There is no one ideal size, because laundry rooms range from a closet behind folding doors to a full room off the garage. What matters is that the room fits the machines with space behind them for the hoses and the dryer vent, room in front to open the doors and stand while you load, and, if you can, a counter for folding. In a laundry closet the focus is on stacking machines or adding shelves above them. In a larger room you can add a sink, a tall cabinet and a hanging rod.
Is a laundry room worth it?
For most households it is used several times a week, every week, so small improvements add up. A room that has a place to fold, a place to hang clothes and storage for supplies saves steps every time. A floor and a layout that can handle a leaking hose also protect the rest of the house.
Hookups and the dryer vent
Moving the washer and dryer to a different wall means moving the water lines, the drain, the dryer outlet or gas line and the dryer vent. Those decisions come first, because the cabinets and counters are laid out around them. A dryer vent should run as short and straight as practical to the outside, and the layout should leave room to reach the connections behind the machines. If plumbing needs to move, a plumber Alec brings in does that work.
How a laundry room project runs with Alec
It starts with a visit. Alec looks at the room, the machines, the hookups and the vent, and asks how you use the space. He helps you choose the layout, cabinets and finishes before anything is ordered. You get a free estimate that lays out the work and a schedule for it.
On the job, any plumbing changes come first, then the flooring and the cabinets, then the counter, tile and finishing details. At the end, Alec walks the room with you before the job is called done. You deal with Alec the whole way through.
A laundry room is often done alongside other work. If you are also thinking about the kitchen, read about kitchen remodeling. For the cabinet side of the work, see kitchen cabinets, and if the laundry is in the basement, basement finishing covers the rest of the space. When you are ready, tell us about your laundry room.
Why homeowners call Alec for a laundry room
- One point of contact. Alec runs the project himself from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
- Kitchen skills on a smaller footprint. Cabinets, counters and tile are the core of kitchen work, and a laundry room uses all three.
- Plumbing handled properly. Where water lines or a sink are involved, a plumber Alec brings in does that part.
- Locally owned in Nashville. We serve Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Nolensville, Hermitage and Bellevue.