9 Utility Room Wallpaper Ideas Experts Say Will "Bring a Little Extra Joy" to Your Home's Most Practical Space

There are certain rooms in any house that tend to get neglected in terms of their decor and design. These are usually the areas that are hidden from the 'public' or reserved for the humdrum chores that go hand-in-hand with daily life.

Yet, it is often these spaces that can benefit the very most from some thoughtful details, designed to transform them into destinations you actually look forward to spending time in as opposed to purely practical places. This is where some stand-out utility room wallpaper ideas can come in.

If, like me, you long for a laundry room and are seeking ways of lightening the load on a multitasking utility room, let our collection of utility room ideas, featuring some clever uses of wallpaper, help get you started.

1. Energize the Room With a Riot of Color

Want to leave your laundry room feeling vibrant? Color has such a huge role to play in how we feel within a space, so select shades that induce energising, positive vibes and don't be afraid of clashing hues either.

"We push our clients to be brave with selections in their utility room," picks up Becky Asleson, owner and principal at Maple & White Design. "Not many people enjoy doing the laundry. Using a wallpaper that makes you smile can add a moment of joy to a mundane task."

This space, designed by Meg Kelly of Clella Design, is full of wake-up colors — red within the lively wallpaper design and fresh blues and greens in the soft furnishings.

Becky Asleson

Becky Asleson is the founder and principal of Maple & White Design, a design firm that creates beautiful spaces to bring joy to everyday life. Maple & White is the manifestation of Beck’s lifelong dream to bring beautiful interiors to life.

2. Use Bold Botanical Patterns as a Welcome Distraction

While doing laundry might not necessarily be something you actively look forward to, there are ways of making the task a little more enjoyable — and surrounding yourself with wallpaper ideas you love is one of them.

"Laundry is a chore that we all have to tackle regularly, and utility rooms often get overlooked when it comes to design," says Lauren Kavanagh, a self-confessed pattern pro and art director at Hovia. "My advice is to make the space feel fresh and fun. Adding an unexpected touch of excitement can bring a little extra joy and satisfaction to the task. Bold tropical prints or vibrant geometric patterns are great wallpaper choices to liven up the room."

Interior designer Jodi Peterman, owner of Elizabeth Erin Designs is also a fan of lively and bright patterns. "Forget the safe little prints — go for something bold," says Jodi. "Big-scale murals, abstract patterns, or even a moody, dark floral work well because laundry rooms are pass-through spaces. You’re not sitting in there for hours, so it’s the perfect place to have fun with a design risk. If you do end up going with a large-scale pattern, pull out a color from the paper to accent the ceiling."

3. Increase the Sense of Space With Pastels

Utility rooms tend to be on the smaller side and, if this applies to your own space, you will no doubt be keen to find out how to make the most of a small laundry room.

"Lighter-toned patterns such as soft florals, geometrics or vertical stripes create the illusion of a more open and airy space, making them ideal for smaller laundry rooms," explains Orna Fathers, founder and lead designer at Grace This Space Interiors.

"Lighter colors can help open up smaller, darker rooms, while larger spaces allow for bolder designs that make a statement," adds Sarah McCann, product and trend expert at Voyage Maison. "For smaller areas, consider embracing their cosy charm by choosing a country-inspired motif or a simple block print."

4. Embrace 'Quirky' If You Want to Expand Your Space

It is tempting, when dealing with practical spaces, particularly those that lie on the smaller side, to play it safe with color and pattern. However, in both laundry and utility room design, you have the chance to play around and be a little more creative. "Since laundry rooms are personal spaces that guests rarely see, they offer the perfect opportunity to experiment with bold and playful prints," points out Orna Fathers.

Bobbi Beck's creative director and interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz agrees, saying, "Small spaces often offer an opportunity to do something a little more quirky or unique with wallpaper, especially if you don't spend a lot of time in there, so don't shy away from choosing something more interesting than what you typically might go for."

This compact room, designed by San Francisco-based interior design firm Tineke Triggs, features an eye-catching black and white fossil design wallpaper to keep the space bright yet interesting. "If covering the entire room feels overwhelming, using wallpaper on a feature wall behind shelving or appliances can create a focal point while keeping the rest of the space visually balanced with paint or tile," suggests Orna Fathers.

5. Pick up the Cabinet Color in Your Wallpaper Design

In any room, it pays to take a holistic approach when it comes to the decoration scheme, so choose laundry room wallpaper ideas that, in some capacity, tie in with the colors and finishes you are using elsewhere in mind.

"Tying a color from the wallpaper to the cabinets or tile backsplash helps add a level of cohesiveness," explains Becky Asleson.

In this room, created by Otta Design, the wallpaper features the tiniest of nods to the blues and oranges used elsewhere, without being 'in-your-face' about it.

6. Bring Together Bold Units and Subtle Wallpaper

There is no reason why you need to stick to tame paint colors for a laundry room and its cabinets, in fact, selecting brighter shades will lend happy vibes to the space.

That said, a balanced approach is never a bad thing

This space was designed by Bishop Studio. The hot pink units supply the happy vibes, while the neutral geometric wallpaper grounds the whole look.

7. Let Whimsical Designs Whisk You Away

In the rooms that are used for those rinse and repeat tasks that must be done, but which we don't necessarily look forward to, a few whimsical design flourishes really can help lift your mood.

In her own laundry room makeover, Amber Guyton, the interior designer behind Blessed Little Bungalow, chose this gold sun-patterned wallpaper to give her a cheerful feeling. The design is 'Ayo' by Justina Blakely.

Along with strong, imaginative design, you could also consider a mural-style wallpaper to help you drift away to somewhere you'd rather be.

"To add a fun and creative touch to the space you could try adding a textured effect wall mural to the space in a playful and colourful design," suggests Paula Taylor, color and trend specialist at Graham & Brown.

Paula Taylor

Paula Taylor is a color and trend specialist at Graham & Brown, a renowned and well-established supplier of wallpaper since 1946. Paula predicts and foresees colour trends for the company, often anticipating new trends up to 18 months in advance. This then allows her to evaluate new ranges and predict the popularity of each.

9. Create Drama With Dark, Bold Pattern and Color

Even if your's is not a sprawling laundry room, don't be afraid to spice it up using a dramatic design and take note too of wallpaper trends based around heritage designs which can have a substantially dramatic effect.

"When designing laundry rooms, I love to infuse a sense of fun and treat them with the same design intention as a powder room," says interior designer Alykhan Velji, creative director at Alykhan Velji Designs who recently launched two wallpaper collections with ROLLOUT. "These compact spaces are ideal for bold choices, and dramatic wallpaper is my go-to for creating visual impact.

"I believe the bolder, the better — transforming a utilitarian task into a more enjoyable experience," continues Alykhan. "Fully enveloping the room in wallpaper amplifies the effect, giving the space a cohesive and elevated feel. While durable vinyl options are great for high-traffic areas, I’m more drawn to selecting patterns that truly complement the room’s character.

"In my own laundry room (above), a dark, moody wallpaper creates a striking contrast against the painted cabinetry, adding depth and a touch of drama."

FAQs

Is Wallpaper in a Utility Room a Good Idea?

While beautiful, on-trend wallpapers are a brilliant way to inject instant character and charm into all kinds of spaces, some homeowners are wary of using in them in areas prone to high levels of moisture and humidity.

"It’s a great idea to include wallpaper in a laundry room but it is important to make sure there is good ventilation," advises Susan Petrie-Badertscher, principal at Petrie Interior Designs. "You don’t want any steam that may accumulate (due to washing lots of loads of laundry) to cause condensation on the paper. Vinyl wallpaper is your best option."

"I would recommend purchasing a more durable wallpaper, such as a paper-backed vinyl, as these tend to be naturally water-resistant and more durable, which is important in high traffic spaces where lots of things will be getting moved around," adds James Mellan-Matulewicz. "They're also better for withstanding high levels of humidity and heat.

"When you're installing the wallpaper, I would recommend letting it acclimatise to the room for at least 24-hours first," continues James. "Once installed, give it another 24-48 hours to settle, keeping the room's temperature and humidity levels stable during this time. This helps prevent the wallpaper from shrinking or peeling away from the wall after being installed."

And, finally, Jodi Peterman has a little more advice on using wallpaper in a laundry room.

"People always focus on moisture resistance, but another thing to watch for is dust and lint. If your wallpaper has a lot of texture, like grass cloth or a raised pattern, it’ll trap lint and be a pain to clean. A smooth, wipeable finish is always the way to go."

In rooms reserved for those less-than-glamorous household tasks it really does pay to use some joyful colors within the scheme. That way you can crack on with your chores feeling happy rather than harassed.