Our Serene and Green Laundry | Mudroom Renovation
I’m excited to share a special part of our home—our renovated mudroom laundry room! Affectionately called the “Serene and Green Laundry Room,” this tiny but mighty space, nestled just off the kitchen, serves multiple purposes for our family. It’s our laundry room, our mudroom (checkered flooring mud laundry room, anyone?), and the side entrance to our charming St. Charles Colonial home. It’s the perfect spot for dropping off groceries, hanging winter coats, or storing muddy boots after a fun day out.
When we started designing this room, I had one clear goal: to create a space that was not only practical but also fun. I envisioned blending the practical elements of a small laundry mudroom with charming design touches! I wanted it to be a useful spot that fits our daily routines while also being a joyful space that brings smiles to our faces and delights our guests.
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One standout feature is the stylish checkered flooring. It adds a playful touch to the room and is super easy to clean—essential for such a busy space! We also prioritized maximizing every inch of the room. By integrating smart storage solutions, we combined the practicality of a mudroom and laundry room combination with delightful design details. As a result, this transformed space is now both functional and inviting, making it a joy for our family to use every day!
Functional and Versatile Design
We all know a laundry mudroom needs to be highly functional, and ours is no exception. With a couple of kids and two lively pups, our mudroom and laundry room combination had to be both stylish and practical, to work well for everyone in our family. While our small laundry mudroom room might be snug, we’ve made the best of it by choosing a vertical, stackable washer and dryer set—the amazing LG Tower. By replacing the original side-by-side duo, we opened up space for two open lockers, which provide plenty of storage for school and sports gear, along with a handy spot for our girls to hang their coats and backpacks.
One of my favorite features of our mud laundry room is the custom-made white oak bench seat below the lockers. It’s perfect for the girls to put on their shoes before school and also doubles as a place to fold laundry. Plus, the cozy dog bed beneath the bench gives our pups a perfect spot to rest at night. If you don’t have pets, that open area can be conveniently used to store shoes out of the way, keeping the space tidy.
To the left of the lockers, we have a panel without hardware that serves as our secret access panel. This clever addition allows easy access to the mechanicals in the mud laundry room without compromising the overall aesthetics of our green cabinetry. We’ve already had to use it a couple of times, proving it’s a must-have feature and a wise tip for anyone considering a built-in stackable washer/dryer combo.
Before:
After:
Green Cabinets and Smart Storage
I get asked a lot about our laundry room’s soothing green cabinetry, and I’m always happy to share! For our small laundry room, we chose green inset shaker panel doors with a beaded border, painted in Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray. Despite its name, this color leans more towards a warm and comforting blue-green. It’s a soft hue that doesn’t demand your attention but subtly makes its presence known. I think it’s an excellent choice for a room where we spend a significant amount of time doing chores.
While we did lose a closet in the renovations, we gained plenty of storage by extending our green cabinetry to the ceiling. This clever design allows us to store all our laundry supplies, cleaning products, pet supplies, and even some children’s crafting items neatly out of sight. To the left of our stackable washer/dryer tower, we added a tall cabinet for items like our vacuums and floor cleaners, including my favorite, the Tineco! We even had this cabinet wired with an outlet for easy charging—so convenient!
On the opposite wall, we installed a room-length peg rail. This handy feature runs the length of the room and provides a perfect spot for guests’ coats and overflow personal items like hats and bags. It makes it super easy to grab what you need on the way out.
With thoughtful touches like these, our mudroom and laundry room combination not only looks great but also works hard for our busy family!
Cost-Effective Checkered Flooring
Originally, I envisioned stunning marble checkered flooring for our green laundry room. However, like most renovation projects, unexpected costs arose, and we had to make some adjustments to stick to our budget. To achieve the desired checkered flooring look at a lower cost, I found these warm gray and white marble-look porcelain tiles at Floor and Decor for a fraction of the price. The catch? They were only available in 12×24-inch sizes.
Our subcontractor worked some magic by custom-cutting the 12×24 tiles into 12×12 squares, creating a classic checkerboard pattern. Although the installation ended up being slightly more expensive, the savings from choosing porcelain over marble were significant. Plus, we now have easy-to-clean, durable checkered flooring that stands up to the demands of family life.
In hindsight, I know it was a better choice for our family. This flooring not only enhances the aesthetic of our small laundry mudroom but also adds functionality to our mudroom and laundry room combination. It’s the perfect blend of style and practicality!
Budget-Friendly Amazon Finds
Speaking of budgeting, like most of my designs, this space showcases a mix of high and low-budget finds that fit perfectly in our green laundry room. For instance, our overhead lighting was an excellent budget-friendly find from Amazon, adding a touch of modern design to our traditionally styled mud laundry room. We also sourced a deep fireclay sink from Amazon, which we relocated under the window for a pleasant view while tackling household chores. It got an instant upgrade with a stylish gold drain and strainer, making it the perfect spot for handwashing delicates, filling watering cans, or rinsing off dirty shoes.
Finally, we installed a brass faucet from Amazon that I adore for its antique feel and pull-down sprayer. Can you believe it was under $100? These three upgrades helped me save on the budget while keeping the high-end look in our laundry mudroom combination.
Quartz Countertops and Brass Hardware
Last but not least, to complete the look in our laundry mudroom, we carried over the stunning Lumina quartz countertops from LX Hausys that we used in our kitchen. LX Hausys quartz is not only known for its durability and easy maintenance, but it also adds a touch of elegance. They offer some of the best faux marble-looking countertops I’ve come across.
For the hardware in this space, we selected a variety of fixtures from Top Knobs in a Honey Bronze finish, which is the perfect warm satin gold in my opinion. We mixed and matched sizes, using the Charlotte pull, a hollow round 1 3/16″ diameter Mushroom Knob, Bergen Hooks in the locker areas, and 2″ Cabinet Latches in the high-to-reach cabinetry. If you’re thinking of mixing metals, I found that this color complements antique gold beautifully!
These thoughtful choices not only enhance the functionality of our mudroom and laundry room combination but also add those charming design touches that make our small laundry mudroom feel inviting and stylish.
Adding Personality with Wallpaper and Accessories
As I mentioned, we didn’t want our serene and green laundry room to be just practical—we wanted it to be fun too! That’s why we chose a botanical print wallpaper that adds a delightful pop of personality. Plus, it’s peel-and-stick, making it easy for anyone to DIY! The bright green leaves and cheerful design make the room feel lively and welcoming, sharing a piece of our style with guests as soon as they step into our mud laundry room.
To enhance the space even further, we added accessories like nesting wicker baskets, pretty soap, and an LED cordless lamp. These elements serve a functional purpose while providing those perfect finishing touches that tie the room together. This is where you can truly let your personality shine and have fun with your space! By incorporating these charming details, we’ve transformed our mudroom and laundry room combination into a place that is both inviting and joyful!
Final Thoughts
We absolutely love how our laundry room renovation turned out, and we hope you do too! This space is more than just a spot to do laundry—it’s a true reflection of our family’s style and needs. It supports our busy lives while remaining a beautiful and serene green laundry room to enjoy. If you’ve ever dreamed of remodeling a small laundry mudroom, I hope this post provides you with inspiration and mud laundry ideas to make it your own. Whether it’s incorporating charming details or smart storage solutions, your mudroom and laundry room combination can be both functional and stylish. If you’re looking for help designing your space, I’d love to help!
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Tami O’Malley Design is proudly serving the Chicago suburbs—from St. Charles to Geneva, Campton Hills, Wayne, Bartlett, Barrington, Wheaton, Winfield, Naperville, Hinsdale, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, and more. We offer full-service interior design and consultations. Whether you’re ready to renovate, build new, or furnish a room, we’ve got you covered. We provide expert guidance on everything from 3D rendering to paint selection and lighting. So, you can feel confident that your unique style and vision will shine through in every detail. Let’s connect, and together we’ll create a space you’ll truly love!
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