How to Remodel a Small Pantry and Laundry Space

Check the floor for gaps by the washer and dryer, if they are already in place. Look for spaces in walls or on the floor where pipes and drains are located. Check for any gaps around the baseboard areas that might allow heating or cooling to escape. Use concrete filler to repair gaps on a concrete floor. Caulk baseboards or add wood filler.

Paint the room, except the wall surfaces directly behind the washer and dryer. Wait to paint those wall areas after you remove the washer and dryer to install the new flooring and pantry cabinet; do this so you will not have to disconnect the machines twice or do without the machines for a long time while the room is under renovation. Paint the wall area from floor to ceiling using a bright color, such as lime green. Use white paint on the ceiling and walls, with crown molding at the ceiling level. Paint the crown molding to match the bold color on the wall behind the washer and dryer, as one option.

Install new flooring material after moving the washer and dryer to one side of the room. Take the machines out of the space into the garage as the best option, however. Pry loose old tiles or remove vinyl sheeting to install a new floor. Use vinyl sheet flooring or 9-inch square porcelain white tiles, for example. Wait a day or two before bringing the machines back in, allowing floor materials to dry. Purchase new machines, if needed.

Buy a pantry cabinet that's about 7 feet tall. Consider painting the pantry cabinet to match the washer and dryer. Use only two or three colors in the room for a neater look. Place the pantry cabinet to the right of the washer and dryer along one wall.

Install a folding table for managing clothes when they come out of the dryer. Buy a table or build a long counter top supported by brackets attached to wall framing. It's possible to build a surface that folds flat against the wall when not in use. Use a free-standing clothes hanging caddy made to hold shirts or trousers before taking them to a bedroom closet. Buy this hanging rod system in the laundry accessories at home-improvement stores for less than $40. Use screws to install support brackets to hold a couple of shelves above the folding table.

Install a large hanging light fixture suspended from the ceiling that fits well with the laundry-room design. Hang it from the center of the room if ceilings are 10 feet or higher. Use a fixture close to the ceiling for a standard 8-foot ceiling. Ensure the fixture has sufficient wattage to fully light up the room at once. Install bulbs that total at least 200 watts to make the room bright and cheerful. Use this light to check clothes for stains or repairs, and use it to easily find foods stored in the pantry.