The laundry room is often the smallest room in the house. They are often overlooked in design and stand on the more practical side of things. A space to wash and dry clothing. Nothing fancy. No bells and whistles. The thing is – with a small renovation – the laundry room can become a lovely addition to your home.

Even the most modest spaces can deliver great impact with well thought out design. The size and configuration of a laundry room certainly limits grand design but can serve a knock-out punch with a few modifications. And normally, the renovation can be accomplished on a small budget and a short time frame.

To provide a lift to the small space, go bold with wall color. A beautiful forest green paint – set against a white washer and dryer – provides a fresh feel and great contrast. Freshly paint the cabinets and shelving white for an additional pop. If green isn’t your thing, try navy or deep purple. If you prefer more subtle colors, go for them instead. But remember that the pop is in the bold.

Aside from painting, the walls of your new laundry room will also need attention. Don’t be nervous to put up a large print or a large clock for decor. Add cabinets and shelving. If you do add shelving, play around with the brackets. Add gold or silver or bronze brackets to provide subtle accents. Just make sure not to ignore your walls, they can seamlessly tie everything together.

Speaking of cabinets, don’t be afraid to move the original cabinets around the room. Balance functionality with style and add or remove cabinets according to need. Add shelving in between cabinets to create a custom built-in look and don’t be afraid to add a countertop on top of the machines (if the appliances aren’t top load of course) for extra space. This space is perfect for folding laundry, which is critical to the room’s functionality.

Floors can become a focal point of the makeover and there are many options to choose from. A custom penny tile, a sleek modern tile, or a big-block white tile are all good in both practical terms and style. Possibly here you want to add the bold color instead of the walls to create an interesting space. There is nothing to stop you – the possibilities are endless…

Now that you have a floor, it is time to throw down a rug on top of it. A plush rug or a jute rug or a colorful rug – decorative touches that are both design conscious and practical are important in creating your new space. And while you are rug shopping, also check out fun and practical baskets. Baskets are easy to store necessities and can be moved around the shelving spaces with ease. They can also hold a potted plant – yes, adding a plant or two in the space is also a good idea.

One thing that a newly renovated, modern laundry room must have is a utility sink. If your laundry room doesn’t already contain one, this is where the renovation may incur a cost. Until now, we have focused on inexpensive cosmetic touches to transform the space. Adding a sink isn’t cosmetic but utilitarian and necessary. The first thing to do is to call a tradesman and find out the costs associated with plumbing the room for a sink. Once you have that information, you can determine whether or not to proceed. If you can, it is a good idea to do so. It will make life a lot easier in your laundry room.

One of the tiniest rooms in the house is often overlooked when it comes to design. But it shouldn’t be. You spend a lot of time in it. Stamp your style on it with a quick renovation.