This tiny laundry room expertly balances a bohemian style with practicality – these are the designer's tricks for creating the look

If you have a laundry room in your home, you'll no doubt have faced the dilemma of making this space as functional as possible – without compromising on its aesthetic appeal. 

So often, laundry rooms shy away from showing personality and are kept incredibly pared-back, with white goods dominating the space. This doesn't need to be the case however, laundry rooms can indeed be a great way to reflect your interior style and show personality while still serving as a highly practical space fit for daily use. 

Proving just that is the laundry room of English fashion designer Pearl Lowe, designed with deVOL Kitchens – a cozy and characterful space that maximizes its small square footage. Channeling rustic decor with classic farmhouse decor and furnishings, the space is incredibly charming, the exact opposite of what may naturally come to mind when you think of a small laundry room.

Blending old and new, the space features vintage decor items that add personality and depth, while the design has been carefully considered with practicality front of mind. 'There are laundry rooms, all neat, tidy, and orderly, and then there’s Pearl’s laundry room, all romantic and bohemian,' says Helen Parker, deVOL's Creative Director. 'Tucked away at the back of Pearl and Danny’s house was a spare small room with a high window, they decided to turn it into the prettiest little place.'

The space features deVOL's Real Shaker base furniture in Clerkenwell Blue across the parallel sides of its U-shaped layout. Providing plenty of laundry room storage, open cupboards store the washing machine and tumble dryer, while a standout meter-wide unlacquered brass sink and Heirloom sink cabinet add traditional charm to the space.

'It still has a washing machine and tumble dryer, and it still has storage and shelves, but in Pearl's inimitable style, it has become the most delightful spot for doing a bit of pottering,' explains Helen. 'A fabulous big brass sink and Carrara marble worktops ensure it is also practical and will look good forever. There is something quite special about these types of rooms as they create a new place to do different types of jobs away from the kitchen, no food here, just dogs and flowers and washing.'

Helen Parker

Helen is the Creative Director at deVOL, a leading kitchen design company that mixes classic and contemporary. Helen has been creative director at the company since 2011, passionate about the signature understated approach deVOL takes to designing kitchens. 

An earthy pink hue drenches the walls and ceiling, creating a cozy feel. We very often see stark whites and a neutral scheme in laundry rooms, but this space shows how effective a more experimental approach to color can be. 

Perhaps our favorite part of the space, however, is the cafe curtains that feature along the base cupboards. This vintage-inspired addition instantly establishes a nostalgic, cottage-core feel to the space, while the soft fabrics do wonders in maximizing the room's cozy factor. Plus, it's also a very practical way of easily storing products out of sight. 

'The deVOL aged brass rails go right around the mix of Heirloom and Shaker cabinets, making it easy to open or close the curtains and access your bits and bobs and your washing machine,' explains Helen.

Proving that you don't need to compromise on style in even the most functional rooms of the home, this laundry room sets the bar high. If you're looking to refresh your own laundry room, approach it with an untraditional view – embracing an experimental approach to colors and decor, bound to give you a more joyful experience when doing the daily chores. 

Below, we've rounded up some of our favorite decorative and practical items to help you add some rustic-inspired charm to your own laundry room.