With just a few IKEA pieces and clever ideas, one woman created a custom-looking laundry room that actually makes sorting clothes enjoyable.
Doing laundry may never top anyone’s list of favorite chores, but one IKEA hack is proving that the right setup can make wash day more bearable.
For many of us, the laundry room isn’t just for clothes. It’s also ground zero for everything from small repairs to household storage. That’s why creating a space that works hard and stays organized is such a sanity-saver.
Home organizer Laura Glos (@cozynized) shares her laundry room ideas, turning an ordinary utility room into a stylish, clutter-free haven.
Her secret? A mix of IKEA TROFAST storage system and KNOXHULT kitchen cabinets, cleverly reimagined for laundry duty.
“I use sorting baskets with clear labels — whites, darks, towels, you name it,” Glos says. “Everyone in the house puts their laundry straight into the right basket. It saves time, spares my nerves, and keeps the laundry room tidy.”
Ideas for the Perfect, Stress-Free Laundry Room
Glos’s vision for the space was simple: create a functional, efficient, and beautiful utility room that worked as hard as it looked.
By stacking three IKEA TROFAST units and combining them with sleek KNOXHULT wall cabinets and drawers, she designed a laundry station that’s practical and chic. She made a notch in the KNOXHULT countertop to fit it around the edge of the TROFAST.
The TROFAST bins, typically found in kids’ playrooms, became the ultimate laundry sorting system — one for whites, another for darks, and others for delicates or bulky towels.
With neatly printed labels and consistent color tones, the setup gives off a minimalist yet cozy aesthetic that feels more “boutique laundrette” than basement corner.
Label Your Sorting Bins
Make your labels for your bins, designing them to match how you sort laundry. You can order pre-printed labels, print them on your computer, or use a vinyl machine. For example, you may have a bin for whites, one for darks, one for delicates, and so on.
If you don’t need nine bins for sorting, use the extras for storage. Or, depending on how many people are in the household, you might need a couple of bins to handle certain categories, like bulky towels.
Softening the Utility Aspect of the Laundry Room
To finish, Glos installed MOSSLANDA picture ledges, styling them with framed laundry guides and small décor items to soften the space. A bead of caulk sealed the counters for a crisp, custom look.
What Laura Used For Her Utility Room Makeover
- 3 IKEA TROFAST (39” x 17 ⅜” x 22”) with the tall storage boxes (16 ½” x 11 ¾” x 14 ¼”)
- 1 IKEA KNOXHULT wall cabinet (15” x 12” x 30”)
- 1 IKEA KNOXHULT wall cabinet (24” x 12” x 30”)
- 2 IKEA MOSSLANDA shelves (21 ¾”)
- 1 IKEA KNOXHULT base and counter (48” x 24” x 88”)
- 1 IKEA KNOXHULT set of drawers (15” x 24” x 36”)
- Labels for bins
- Caulk
- Basics — saw, tape measure, pencil, drill, screw gun
Adapting the Utility Room Plan for Your Space
The big bonus when it comes to DIY IKEA projects is that you get plenty of opportunities to create custom looks for less. Plus, since many of IKEA’s pieces offer various configurations and sizes, you get to maximize your space.
For example, in Laura’s utility room, the pieces she uses from IKEA come to about $771. The breakdown is $246 for the TROFAST units and bins, $20 for the picture ledges, and $505 for the KNOXHULT cabinets and drawers.
However, there are a bunch of different sizes and shapes for all of these pieces. Therefore, you can create the perfect layout no matter if you’re dealing with a tiny utility closet or a large laundry room. The KNOXHULT kitchen planner is a great place to start to determine what pieces can fit in your space.
Check out the hack, and follow Laura Glos @cozynized for more inspiring interiors, clever hacks, and design DIYs.
Got an IKEA hack of your own? We want to see it! Submit your project here or tag us on Instagram @ikeahackersofficial.
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