The most forgettable room in the house is the laundry room. It’s not very exciting and nobody wants to go in there because it’s a really small room with dust bunnies all over the place. Going in the laundry room means we’re about to do a very unpleasant chore – laundry – either folding or washing. So what color do we paint the room that nobody likes?
Do we just leave it Contractor’s Beige? Do we paint it some leftover color from one of those mystery cans in the garage? Do we paint it some fantastic hue hoping that great color will make the laundry get folded faster? Well, all joking aside, there are a few options and I’ll tell you how I choose color for laundry rooms.
In most cases when I design color for a home the color that goes in the laundry room is the same as the foyer or hall color. These two areas of the home I usually keep fairly neutral so I can come in with stronger colors in the rest of the home. So the lonely laundry room gets the leftovers which is fine.
What if you don’t want beige in your laundry room? It’s a good idea to still keep it a fairly neutral color but try to give it just a little pizzazz. Pulling a color that you see in the flooring is a really good idea to tie in the look of the room. Since laundry rooms really aren’t that big, giving it a monochromatic look would make it appear somewhat larger.
Another option is pulling a color from your countertop. This laminate happens to be gray which is a really good choice since gray is a fairly trendy color now and so very versatile. Gray will also look amazing with your black or white appliances.
Still not exciting enough for you? How about trying one of the ever so popular coastal colors? A soft blue or green may be the color that is perfect for this room. Between the soothing color and the hum of the machines, you’ll be asleep before your spin cycle starts.
If you want to go for drama and you really can’t decide on a color, brown is always a good stand by. It’ll go with just about any cabinet, flooring or countertop color. It’s also good to hide any scuff marks that may appear on the wall from those cumbersome laundry baskets.
Now this last color comes with a funny story. I had a client that wanted a really bright pink in her house and she was bound and determined to have it even though I suggested it wasn’t the best color choice for her home. For the most part I try to work in a color if the client is crazy about it but the rest of her house was soft neutrals and this bright pink really had no place in her home.
She decided that she wanted this bright pink in her laundry room which was the room right off from her very light gray kitchen. Do pink and gray look great together? Yes, they do but this pink was so bright and so obnoxious compared to the rest of her home she couldn’t take it any more and wanted to repaint it. I suggested she use the remainder of her foyer color after she primed her very pink laundry room.
I’ve also had clients say that they wanted a really bright happy color for their laundry room. They wanted a cheery color for a room that was so annoying to be in that perhaps the color would make them feel good while folding away. Great color counteracts a room that otherwise, is very ugly and both laundry and color can find a harmonious place in the home – the laundry room.
I might be more traditional. Love the tan HC-80 look 🙂
I tend to agree, but sometimes like to do experiment!!
And the laundry room is a great room to experiment with color. The door is usually shut so if you choose a scary color (see the pink?) it doesn’t really matter. Have fun with it!
What color do I paint the outside door of the laundry room? Our only access to the laundry is from the outside. We pride ourselves on being the #houseofmanycolors and I want to get a laundry room door first. It is NOT common to the neighbors or outside people.
Thanks
#DrMorq
I like them all – well, maybe not the pink but the tan is a pretty choice to!
Personally, we alsways remind our clients that they spend a good amount of time doing their laundry. You want to paint with something that will last and with stand mosture build up, as well as have an evironment that is peaceful. We suggest using a semigloss & go for something outragous! It’s not like the inlaws are going seeing it!!
I think the colors are great, just make it sure to use a high quality paint, because no matter how good the color is, if the paints aren’t good its still useless in my idea.
inspirational speaker
Not sure if you have to splurge for a high quality paint in the laundry room Fadi. If this room has windows where UV can fade your color, perhaps but for the most part, l would save the high end paint brands for the core of the home. It’s just a laundry room 🙂
Great article. I grew up during the 70’s and my parents actually had an ORANGE laundry room. Good old Brady culture !
LOL, Think Avacado Green will make a comeback?
No Chris! Let’s move forward with color not go back 🙂
Bite your tongue Chris!!!
LOL, says the lady who can’t decide between a black and white car! 😉
Don’t get smart Missy … funny though 🙂
That shade of green has made a comeback here in Florida Chris!
Avocado green? Really Paul? Where is that color being used? Paint color or decor? Avocado green … LoL, bad flashbacks!
Say it aint so Paul!
Avocado today, Harvest Gold tomorrow : O
An orange laundry room? Did they work for Home Depot? LoL! Christian, that’s a perfect example of putting a fun color in an otherwise very un-fun room. I bet it worked for them 🙂
Well your parents would be in style now Christian!
I like all colors except the last one. I hate pink.
Exterior Building Restoration
I agree Tanya. My client thought she’d like a pink laundry room but it was just a little too much. Now purple IMO would have been better!
Donna,
Depending on the local of the Laundry Room & if/how it will effect the rest of the area, I ask what the favorite color is of the person who does the laundry the most. One client in particular selected a medium bright lavender…she loves it! Says it is her favorite room in the house???
Wishing you a brightly colored day,
Mary Nolte
PS – she hung strings on the wall and uses clothes pins to hang her childrens’ artwork on the “clothes line”. Adorable.
I think you should paint the laundry room any color you want to considering that the appliances will either be white or black. However, if you have one of those amazing appliances in custom colors than you’ll have to rethink your hue.
My client that chose the pink LOVED the color but it was a little too close to her kitchen and very distracting. Play around with a color you like, it’s just a gallon of a paint 🙂
Thanks Mary!
Berry Fizz looks fun! I have to recommend these choices to our customers.
Thanks great post topic!
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I forgot to mention also, Sherwin Willaims offers great advice on their site for choosing colors and using a room visualizer- Very helpful for those who cant decide.
That’s fine to an extent but the color will view very differently in your home where you’ll have very specific lighting. Not a fan of those visualizers for that reason.
Donna & Paint Artist,
I rarely use the visulizers anymore. The virtually painted room quite often turned the client off to a great color instead of making them convinced to go with it.
I just did an exterior consultation that would need to be submitted to the NYC Historic Landmark Committee for approval. After working too long with the visualizer I had told the client not to include it in her application.
The only thing that I felt was very helpful was getting to the color families we were using…it would not have been helpful if the client did not get the concept of only using it as a guide…just my 2 cents since I am still feeling the anxiety LOL
Mary
PS – I always recommend painting samples.
And that’s a great 2¢ worth Mary! The visualizers are excellent just to get you in the right ballpark.
And that’s what those visualizers are intended for – just to use as a guide to get the “feel” of what the room may look like. There is no way they can correctly capture the lighting conditions in the room which is HUGE! Poor lighting can change that pink into a much darker hue or too much light may give it a neon appearance.
I also ALWAYS recommend sampling out the color before you commit but don’t paint on the wall!!! There are several paint sample boards you can use or even order larger paint sample chips that are very helpful. Great points Mary, thanks!
Great point on the counter tops! We actually do quite a bit of remodeling work for customers and we’ve used this approach in the past for bathroom remodels. Sometimes customers just are unsure on paint color, and using other elements within the room can help make that decision!
It such an easy way to choose color for any room – from kitchen, bathroom or laundry room. Just pull out colors right from the counter top. Of course there’s other factors to consider but for the laundry room where most people have an laminate, it’s a great idea!
Try more color combination, the one listed above also looks great but you definitely need to color your cabinets as well right now it don’t match with the walls.
I think a warmer hue would look better and would match the cabinets. Don’t you think so Shana?
Yes, exactly and please post the pictures.
I wish I had AFTER pictures for this Shana but I don’t – sorry 🙁
A light, sort of beige grey seems to go well in laundry rooms. Brighter, less earthy tones seem to be off putting.
Ha! I was just reading one of Donna’s articles on Grey, think it is making a comeback?!
It really looks stunning. I like to do experiments with colors.
I’m all for experimenting with color … just don’t go crazy because was you see from the pink laundry room, it was a fail. Stick to the classics and you’ll be ok.
Donna,
What is your opinion of the pink if the person really loves it? Just wondering?
I usually tell people to “go for it” if they love it (and there is a door to the room) but caution them on how it will look compared to the rest of the house…
I love the dark chocolate color, but then again, I would. 😉 Great color options. I am sure there is one there for every taste. Now, if I only had a laundry room….
No laundry room Christine? Where do you keep your machines?
Laundromat???
Well that too Mary but some people, such as myself, have machines but not a laundry room. I just have a tiny space big enough to house a washer and dryer on the second floor. I can’t even paint in there if I wanted too! 🙂
In the unfinished basement. They were in the fourth bedroom, but we banished them to the basement when we converted the room to its rightful state as a child’s bedroom when my third child was on his way. One day, Donna, one day….
My parents had the laundry area in the basement and it’s such an unsightly place to do a chore that you don’t want to do in the first place! Well Christine, you know who to call when you’re ready to have a “real” laundry room 🙂
Thanks so much!
Great post! Been reading a lot about painting my home. Thanks for the info here!
Hi! I love reading all the comments! What are thoughts on paint color for a laundry room that is right off my red hallway? Will certain colors clash? The red color is dark and rich. The laundry room is small and usually the door is closed – but not always (I have children that use it) 🙂 I’d love to hear any ideas. Thanks!
At Pro Painters Toronto, we always recommend going for a lighter colour, especially for small rooms or lower-lit areas (such as a laundry room in the basement). A lighter colour can make a smaller looking room look more spacious. Also, a darker colour in a low-lit area is very unappealing. Wicker Basket or Vintage Pewter from the Colour Stories Collection of Benjamin Moore are great colours for a laundry room. Especially if the house is going for sale, we find that the lighter colours offend less people and can increase the value of your house or condo.
i really like the dark brown…it makes it feel cozy
Terrific article. Some great ideas in the comments section. Check our gallery out at http://www.propainterstoronto.com to see some of our laundry room painting jobs