The Room: 3 Laundry Rooms That Make Dirty Work Look Good

Moody Blues

If there’s a common theme to each of these laundry rooms, it’s this: beautiful and practical makes for a great space to get the heavy lifting done. This home from designer Randall Boisvert of Covet Interiors sits on the shores of Kootenay Lake in Nelson, B.C.: it was created for a homeowner whose laidback lifestyle doesn’t diminish his love for a well-designed space, as boldly illustrated in this duo laundry and mud room (also a finalist for our 2026 Western Living Design 25 Awards). The room serves as the practical drop zone/entry that keeps the main entrance clear of visual clutter, with custom red oak millwork from Forest Designs that incorporates integrated hooks to quickly hang towels or anything else at hand. Lake-inspired blue  zellige tile brings a watery glitter to the backsplash, echoing the shifting tones of the nearby lake. And sturdy Dekton counters in Laos—a rich  and muddled dark grey—offer the perfect balance to the polished  concrete floors.

Spin Cycle

You know it’s a smart design when a basement laundry room manages to feel as bright and airy as this one (even more so when you learn this fact: the ceilings are just seven feet!). The space from Vancouver’s Measured Architecture was formerly a mechanical room, and now serves both as a workhorse of a laundry room (the homeowner is an avid cyclist, and can enter straight from a ride through a back door to discard muddy gear right into the washer) and a tucked-away spot for the family cats’ litter box (hidden behind a pretty cutout in the cabinetry). Millwork of Douglas fir plywood has been whitewashed to keep the space bright, as have the original brick walls. Drying racks from Pulley Maid mounted to the wall offer a space-saving alternative to bulky stand-up models, and a pretty and durable Corian counter (in soothing Seagrass) brings just enough soft colour to the space to make laundry day a lovely one.

Pretty Practical

Don’t let the elegant, thoughtful materials fool you: this laundry room is ready to work. “We wanted you to walk into a space that felt very layered and warm and offered texture,” says designer Rosemary Cappellano of Winnipeg’s Dlux Design and Co., who worked on the space with fellow designer Alexandria Lee. “And then when you dove into what was happening, there was a reason for all of things we incorporated in the room.”

The room is enveloped—millwork and ceiling too—in a warm green (Sherwin-Williams’s Link Gray), which is paired with leathered Arabescato marble counters. On the walls, there’s more warmth: a creamy woven wallpaper that would feel just as at home in a bedroom. And functionality is all within reach: hanging rods and a pull-down drying rack accommodate everyday garments, while mesh linear drawers provide the perfect drying option for delicate items. Roll-out hampers streamline sorting, a deep sink is perfect for pre-soaking clothing and additional pull-outs neatly organize detergents and laundry care essentials. “Our goal was for it to function in a high capacity in terms of its function,” says Cappellano, “but when you walk in, you can still have a very lovely experience.”

READ MORE: 5 Smartly Designed Laundry Rooms We Love