Mud & Laundry Room Combo Decor Ideas

All White

• Decorate the mud and laundry room in white if you want the entry area to have the serene, ethereal atmosphere of a high-end spa. Select a white washer and dryer and easy-to-clean white tile for the floor. Paint shelving or other furnishings white to match. Store shoes, scarves, detergent, stain remover and mud room items like mittens or hats in white crates or baskets. Remember to swap the cover of the ironing board for a plain white one.

Cottage Blue

• Splash a mud and laundry combo room with bright cottage-blue accents if the area is bland and needs a face lift but not a full makeover. This decor strategy works particularly well if you like bright colors and rustic-cottage style. For example, replace curtains and window shades with matching bright blue shades. Replace worn-out laundry baskets or hampers with bright blue ones or line them with blue fabric. Put a blue foot-wiping mat next to the spot where you store shoes.

Rustic Look

• Give the mud room and laundry area the appearance of being part of a rugged lodge home by decorating it in a rustic style. Install wood paneling. Remove window curtains if possible to maximize the amount of sunlight that streams in. Line laundry hampers with red plaid fabric in an homage to the classic pattern of flannel lumberjack shirts. Install coat hooks made from driftwood. Mount a weathered antique canoe paddle on the wall as art. Create storage for boots, hats and umbrellas from rough-hewn planks, and include a handmade wood bench to make footwear changes easy.

Yellow

• Invigorate a dim or dingy entryway and laundry room by repainting the walls a tangy, lemonade-yellow color. Yellow works particularly well with white or wood furnishings and fixtures. Add a low-maintenance potted plant or two. Replace the ironing board cover with a cute, yellow polka-dotted cover. If you have room, put in a multipurpose bench -- with a yellow cushion -- where you can sit to take off your shoes or fold clothes. Hang a yellow valance in the window.