When designing or renovating a laundry room, one of the most important decisions is choosing the right colour for the walls and cabinetry. The colour scheme can dramatically impact the overall look and feel of the space. Additionally, the right colours can make the laundry room feel more inviting, spacious and efficient. When selecting laundry room colours, there are several factors to consider including practicality, mood, resale value, and coordination with the rest of the home’s colour palette. Taking the time to choose the most suitable shades will result in a laundry room that is both stylish and functional for years to come.
Factors to Consider
Practicality
One of the top priorities when picking laundry room colours should be practicality. Laundry rooms tend to get dirty quickly, so being realistic about wear and stains is important. Very light or very dark colours will show every speck of dust and dirt. Mid-range neutral tones like tans, greys and greens are great choices that will hide minor messes well. Glossy or shiny finishes should also be avoided, as they highlight grime. Matte or eggshell paints are better suited for laundry rooms. Additionally, mould and mildew can be an issue in humid laundry rooms. Choosing mildew-resistant paint will help walls stay looking fresh. Being practical about the laundering activities, messes and moisture levels in the room will lead to colours that withstand busy laundry rooms.
Mood
Although laundry is a chore, the colour scheme of the laundry room can impact motivation and energy levels. Cool colours like blues, greens and purples promote calmness and relaxation. These hues may help make folding and ironing feel almost therapeutic. Conversely, warm colours like reds, oranges and yellows energize and uplift. They can help make laundry tasks feel more upbeat. Neutral tones like tans, whites and greys create a balanced, subtle backdrop. Consider the mood wanted in the laundry room when making colour choices. Cool tones for unwinding while laundering, warm shades for energized productivity or neutral hues for a soothing sanctuary.
Resale Value
For homeowners who may sell their home eventually, choosing trend-proof laundry room colours is wise. Instead of bold, dramatic colours that future buyers may not appreciate, it is smarter to select more neutral shades. Simple whites, tans, greys and other muted tones have widespread appeal. They give buyers the flexibility to accessorize the laundry room with their own personal colour preferences down the road. Timeless white cabinetry and soft grey walls make for a laundry room nearly any buyer can envision making their own with just a few colourful accents. Staying relatively neutral preserves resale value.
Coordination
The laundry room colour scheme should coordinate well with the rest of the home’s aesthetic. Having a cohesive flow from room to room provides a polished, pulled-together feel. Colours should not clash but rather complement each other. One easy coordination approach is selecting a main colour from another living space and using that as an accent colour in the laundry room through artwork or accessories. Or pick a neutral wall colour that easily partners with the home’s existing palette. However, the laundry room does not need to completely match other rooms exactly. Small creative touches of personality are still encouraged. Just ensure the overall scheme aligns with the home’s style.
Best Laundry Room Colours
Whites
Crisp, clean white is a laundry room classic. White offers a fresh, open look that makes small laundry rooms appear more spacious. It provides flexibility to add pops of any colour through accessories down the road. White reflects light well, improving visibility which is useful for sorting and treating stains. The endless variety of white and off-white shades like almond, pearl, buttermilk or snow means finding a hue that complements the home’s colour scheme is simple. White is easy to keep looking neat and bright if maintained well. The right white paint with some shine resistance helps laundry rooms stay spotless.
Greys
From charcoal to silver, greys are versatile neutrals that work beautifully in modern and contemporary laundry rooms. Cool grey tones are soothing and provide contrast against black or stainless steel appliances. Warmer greys like beige with undertones of brown or taupe create a more vintage laundry room aesthetic. The lighting in the room can actually change how grey paint colours appear throughout the day. Grey stands up well to laundry room wear-and-tear and hides dust or dirt between cleanings. Adding glossy or glass finishes in grey laundry rooms adds nice depth. Overall greys are sophisticated laundry room hues.
Tans and Khakis
Earthy tan and khaki laundry rooms lend a casual, relaxed feeling. Lighter shades keep the space bright and cheerful. Darker camel or mocha tones give a more intimate, cozy effect. Tan paint absorbs light well, so it hides grime better than white. Khaki green-browns pair nicely with wooden cabinetry for a rustic laundry room. Neutral tans work with any colour decor. Add some barnwood accents and distressed signs for a charming farmhouse tan laundry room. The natural, inviting warmth of tans and khakis make them excellent down-to-earth laundry room colour choices.
Yellows
Yellow laundry rooms infuse happiness and positivity into a typically dreary chore. Bright goldenrod or lemon shades create energy. Soft buttery yellows are uplifting but more mellow. Yellow enhances lighting and visibility like white does. It also hides dirt well. Too much intense yellow may feel overwhelming in a small laundry room though. Consider using it mainly on accent walls or laundry cabinets. Yellow combines beautifully with grey tones. Partner yellow walls with white trim and flooring for a fresh modern laundry room. This sunny colour is ideal for laundry rooms wanting a cheerier vibe.
Blues
From powder blue to navy, blue laundry rooms are always in style. Light blue is soothing but also provides nice contrast against white appliances. Dark blue laundry cabinets or accent walls feel bold and sophisticated. Blue colour schemes inspired by vintage French laundry rooms or coastal cottages are quite popular. The vast variety of blue hues makes matching or complementing surrounding rooms effortless. If the laundry room has a window, blue walls connect it with the outdoor view. Blue is associated with cleanliness and water so it makes an apt colour choice for laundry spaces. Overall blue laundry rooms have enduring, versatile appeal.
Factors When Choosing Colours
Lighting
A laundry room’s lighting impacts how paint colours appear. Rooms with warm yellow lighting and natural sunlight showcase some paint colours better, while cool white fluorescent lighting washes colours out. Testing paint swatches at all times of day ensures colours look as desired. North facing rooms with limited natural light may opt for brighter, lighter colours to make up for the lack of sun. Well-lit laundry rooms can get away with using deeper, bolder shades without appearing too dark and gloomy. Consider the room’s lighting conditions before finalizing a colour scheme.
Room Size
Bigger and smaller laundry rooms should use colour differently. Bold colours can feel lively and luxe in large laundry rooms but may overwhelm cramped spaces. Small laundry rooms benefit from light colours like white, tan and light grey to open up the room. Strategically painting only one accent wall in a vivid colour prevents a tiny laundry room from feeling closed in. Large laundry rooms can be more adventurous with darker paint, colourful patterned tile or two-tone colour schemes that would make a small room feel chaotic. Colour can creatively make a laundry room feel more spacious or cozy up a cavernous one.
Flooring
The laundry room flooring must be factored into the overall colour scheme so everything coordinates. Floors could be matching, contrasting or complementary to the wall colour. For example, white subway tile floors pop against navy walls but grey wood floors blend with light green walls. Durable porcelain tile in whites and greys are excellent laundry room flooring options that pair with nearly any wall colour. Natural stone or wood floors require more maintenance but provide warmth. Remember floors may fade over time so select wall colours accordingly. Planning flooring and walls together ensures a cohesive laundry space.
Storage
Laundry rooms require plenty of cabinets and shelving for storage. Coloured storage units make a significant impact. White cabinets keep things light and airy while darker woods or coloured cabinets provide contrast. Matching cabinetry colour to the walls creates a seamless built-in look. Open shelving in complementary accent colours adds cheer. Whatever cabinetry and storage features are needed, incorporate them into the early stages of colour selection. Their scale and colour choices will inform the room’s overall palette.
Windows
Natural light affects colour so laundry rooms with windows need colours suitable to the outdoor light. North-facing rooms may need lighter colours to compensate for cooler grey-blue natural light. South-facing rooms with warm sunlight can use deeper shades without appearing too dark. Rooms with western sunsets may incorporate reds, oranges or yellows to match. If there is a beautiful outdoor view, neutrals allow the landscape to take centre stage. For windowless laundry rooms, bold or mood-enhancing colours make the space feel vibrant. Consider the room’s access to outdoor light when selecting a colour palette.
Creative Laundry Room Colour Ideas
Here are some creative ways to implement colour in laundry rooms:
Two-Tone Walls
Paint upper and lower walls separate colours to add visual interest. Try light blue lower walls with crisp white upper walls and trim. Or pair duskier navy below with a coordinating tan or grey above. Two-tone walls keep laundry rooms from feeling flat and monotonous.
Patterned Wallpaper Accent Wall
Peel-and-stick wallpaper allows easy application of patterns to create a focal accent wall amid plain surrounding walls. Geometric, floral or abstract designs enliven sterile laundry rooms. Waterproof wallpaper works in humidity.
Vintage Signage
Decorative tin signs in fun retro fonts add playful pops of colour on whitewashed brick or wood plank accent walls. Recreate an old-fashioned laundromat vibe.
Framed Artwork
Hang some vibrant artwork depicting pops of bright flowers, fruit or scenic landscapes. Frames inject colour without the commitment of painting entire walls.
Window Treatments
Select brightly coloured curtains, roman shades or blinds to tie in accent colours with the walls. Avoid heavy fabrics that could get moisture damage.
Floating Shelves
Mount floating shelves against bold accent walls to display colourful laundry baskets, containers and accessories. Use shelves to creatively organize smaller laundry room.
Choosing a Colour Scheme
Stick to a Neutral Base
Achieve pops of colour against a foundation of whites, greys or tans which feel clean and modern. Neutral bases provide flexibility to change accent colours later if needed.
Select One Dominant Colour
Choose a main laundry room colour visible on walls or cabinetry. Then layer in pops of 1-2 accent colours through tiles, window treatments, art and accessories. Prevent chaotic colour schemes.
Consider Undertones
Undertone is the subtle colour that influences the main colour. Cool blues, greens and purples have blue undertones. Warm yellows, reds and browns have gold, red or orange undertones. Choose accent colours with similar undertones.
Contrast with Dark & Light
Pair a darker dominant colour with light accents or vice versa. For example, deep navy walls with crisp white cabinetry and light wood shelving. Contrast creates visual interest.
Complement with Harmonizing Colours
Colours next to each other on the colour wheel complement each other. Blue and green or yellow and violet pair attractively. Accent walls in one tone beside cabinetry in its complement colour.
Repeat Colours
Unify laundry rooms by repeating one or two main colours through lighting, tile, window treatments, organizers and accessories. Repetition creates coherence.
Maintenance Considerations
Cleanability
Laundry rooms need easily washable surfaces. Matte or satin paint finishes clean better than flat paints. Glossy paints resist marks but show them more. Use semi-gloss or satin. Washable matte emulsion paint works for walls.
Humidity & Moisture-Resistance
Laundry rooms have high humidity. Look for mould/mildew resistant paint. Ceramic, porcelain or vinyl flooring withstands moisture better than wood floors. Proper ventilation helps control condensation buildup.
Durability
Laundry rooms have heavy activity and wear. Paint with scrubbable finish resists marks. Cabinetry finishes must be waterproof and durable. Choose nylon or polyester carpet; avoid cotton which moulds. Invest in quality materials.
Easy Repairs
Despite best efforts, repairs will be needed as laundry rooms age. Paint touch-ups should seamlessly blend with existing colour. Floors may need re-grouting or re-caulking around cabinets. Make fixes promptly to prevent bigger issues.
Dehumidifier & Ventilation
To keep laundry rooms looking fresh, use dehumidifier to control moisture. Ensure proper ventilation to allow damp air escape. Let rooms fully dry between loads. Proper drying inhibits mould growth on walls and ceilings.
Fans & Vents
Ventilate laundry rooms to outside air using ceiling exhaust fan or louvered door. Allow moist air escape rather than getting trapped. Fans help dry rooms between uses and prevent humidity damage.
Conclusion
Choosing colours for a laundry room requires balancing style, mood, practicality and coordination. While personal colour preference is important, laundry room colours should also be easy to maintain and keep clean while resisting moisture and humidity. Bright whites, soothing blues and warm tans or khakis are smart, popular choices. Greys work in any style of laundry room, from modern to farmhouse. Pops of accent colours can be added through artwork, organizers, window treatments and flooring. Consider room lighting and size when selecting a colour palette. Look at cabinetry or shelving colours as part of the overall scheme. With some planning, laundry rooms can feel bright, uplifting and harmonious through strategic use of colour. The right hues make doing laundry feel a little less tedious.
Summary of Best Laundry Room Colours
| Colour | Benefits |
|---|---|
| White | Bright, clean, versatile |
| Grey | Sophisticated, soothing |
| Tans & Khakis | Warm, relaxed, earthy |
| Yellow | Cheerful, energizing |
| Blue | Peaceful, fresh |