our best tips for creating a laundry room and butler’s pantry

Some of our best tips for creating a laundry room and butler’s pantry!

If you’ve been with us for a while, then you know that once upon a time, our kitchen looked like this. And this wall here is where the house stopped. {We have the full story here, if you’re curious.} I have no idea why we stood like that outside with shovels… I think it was our last resort to freak out since we couldn’t get our faces right our our excitement contained. 

We slowly added on, starting with our basement, then the pool room, and finally, our primary suite. With that primary suite came a very helpful hallway that includes a bit of a butler’s pantry and our laundry room.

We love the peek of it from here, compared to what that view used to be. This is the zoomed out view from that first before photo, if you will. 

This space works really hard for us, and when people ask us what we recommend for a small room like this, we have a few tips, and we thought we’d share some tips that you can apply in your own way with your own homes. 

1. Make the Hardworking Spaces Fun.
They say the devil is in the details, and we think that adding beauty to the rooms that work hard for you will only motivate you day in and day out. We say make these spaces expressive, from the cabinet color to the backsplash, wallpaper, and more. 

It seriously helps motivate me to step into a pretty space when I have work to do, and I know it’s going to be well worth it when it comes down to those details. I swear, I get more laundry folded, because I want to keep that space looking pretty. So don’t be afraid to add your own details. 

Maybe you can do something small, like placing those laundry pods in a great container. Or hang some vintage art that looks oh-so-fun there. Or maybe you’re in a rental and can add some peel-and-stick wallpaper to make it feel better on the inside. 

Add your own touches, and you’ll be shocked at how it transforms the space. 

2. Be Intentional 
With how you use the room. We added this door so it slides shut, leaving space for a door without taking up the whole room. Real estate is valuable, after all, and we’ve seen way too many poorly designed spaces with doors left swinging. We added opaque glass so it still lets light through but doesn’t have to be open due to washer and dryer noise or messes we don’t want guests to see. My point? It helps to truly plan the little spaces and smaller details so you can fully utilize all your home’s real estate. 

3. Get Clever With Your Storage.
Cabinetry was clearly key in this smaller space, and we loved designing it wisely to hold a lot, from the drawers to the ceiling storage. But another important element was this George and Willy drying rack. {See more of our faves here.}

The way this was designed, we also added the crawlspace entrance on this floor. It had to go somewhere, and it made sense to place it here. 

We also used shelving in our butler’s pantry to store extra cups, glasses, and more, alongside the freestanding cabinetry. Adding this lighting from kichler + tile certainly helped anchor the space. 

4. Let it Work for you in Multiple Ways. 
We have a fridge in our laundry room because it makes sense to have it located there. From food storage to cabinetry for cleaning supplies and laundry elements to the butler’s pantry, where it holds our additional china and Tupperware, mixer, and so much more… we have all these working elements to come together so that it all works on multiple levels in our home, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Curious about more details in this space? Check them all out here. These are just a few of our favorite elements that have been game changers in our space. We hope this helps if you’re getting organized this year or looking for a fresh start. Have an inspired day!