Setting up your first home together as a married couple is exciting. While you’re both dreaming of the perfect color scheme and stocking your new kitchen, there’s a hardworking room that deserves just as much attention — the laundry room. It may not entertain any guests, but it’s still a place you’d spend a lot of time in. Take the chance to blend your styles and build a system that makes daily life smoother for both of you with these modern design tips.

1. Maximize and Conceal Storage

Combining two lives means managing more things in general, from clothes to supplies. Keep your laundry room clutter-free from the start by ensuring you have a place for everything.

Install Custom Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinetry

Built-in cabinets create a polished look that hides the clutter of two people’s laundry and cleaning supplies. Go for shaker-style cabinetry for a timeless look or sleek, flat-panel doors for a more modern look.

Choose color choices that reflect your combined style. Instead of basic white or beige, pick hues with more personality, such as moody navy blue or calming sage green. Plan for your future, as well. For example, build an easy-to-access lower cabinet that could one day hold kid-safe products or pet supplies.

Use Vertical Space With Open Shelving

Use shelves to blend your individual styles, marking a place for each of your items. Choose materials that represent your shared taste, like reclaimed wood for a rustic vibe or painted shelves to match the room’s cabinets. For a cohesive look, use matching baskets or storage boxes. Display your favorite wedding or honeymoon photos alongside functional items to personalize the setup.

Integrate a Hidden Hamper System

Hampers are nonnegotiable for couples. They’re the easiest way to pre-sort lights and darks, ending the “Who mixed the laundry?” debate before it starts. You can each have a hamper or use two for your combined lights and darks. Keep your laundry sorted by color from washing to drying to prevent color bleeding.

Install tilt-out cabinets or pull-out drawers with built-in hampers to hide these laundry sorters. Choose ones with removable liners, making it easy for each partner to carry their own load to the washing machine.

2. Invest in Smart, Sustainable Appliances

Modern luxury is about performance, convenience and efficiency. The right appliances can save you time, money and energy — all crucial for newlyweds. Consider these smart, long-term investments to make your daily life together easier.

Select an Energy-Efficient Washer

New washers can offer superior cleaning while being better for the environment, especially those with an ENERGY STAR certification. Front loaders are typically the most efficient overall. They require less water and power than top loaders, and certified models use half those resources. The machine might help you save hundreds on utility bills over its lifespan — money that can fund a vacation and other shared goals.

Embrace Smart Home Technology

Smart, Wi-Fi-enabled appliances can make your new life easier, especially if you both have busy schedules. Centralizing essential operations to a shared app simplifies various chores.

For example, you can use it to start the wash cycle from your phone so it’s ready to go in the dryer the moment you walk in the door. The app can send cycle-end notifications and even modify wash operations for specialty loads. Some systems also have a “set it and forget it” feature that eliminates task guesswork and the risk of using too much or too little detergent.

Add a Dedicated Garment Care System

A garment care system like the LG Styler and Samsung AirDresser is the ultimate splurge item for your wedding registry. It’s a sleek, self-contained closet that uses steam and gentle heat to de-wrinkle, sanitize and refresh clothes without a full wash cycle.

This high-end appliance can protect the investment pieces like formal suits, delicate dresses and expensive outerwear in your combined wardrobe. Not only does it keep these items in great condition, but it also reduces costly trips to the dry cleaner.

3. Elevate Your Design With High-End Finishes

Thoughtful details can make your laundry room feel upscale and intentionally designed instead of like an afterthought. Bring your personal touches to the space with these tips.

Make a Statement With a Tile Backsplash

A backsplash protects your walls from the inevitable water splashes from sinks, stray detergent drips and laundry basket scuff marks. It can also define the mood of the room, depending on its color, pattern and texture.

Classic subway tiles are a frequent favorite style, while patterned ceramic ones are perfect for bold and adventurous couples. Think vibrant Spanish-inspired motifs, bold floral patterns and playful geometric shapes.

Upgrade Your Lighting and Fixtures

Poor lighting can make even the most beautifully designed space look dreary. On the other hand, good lighting is energizing. It makes it easy to spot the difference between black and navy blue socks, reduces eye strain in dim rooms, and creates a bright atmosphere that makes any task more pleasant.

Instead of basic fluorescent lamps, go for fixtures you both love, such as a modern chandelier and elegant sconces. Install an LED strip or a few puck lights under cabinets to flood countertops with light, making it easier to treat stains and sort laundry.

Add Personality With Color

Turn a sterile, often-forgotten space into a joyful one by covering its walls with color. Add pattern and texture with a peel-and-stick wallpaper. It’s a fun, forgiving DIY, as you can peel it back and readjust it if you don’t get it right the first time. Use a vibrant design to create an accent wall or get creative by applying it on unexpected spots, such as the ceiling or the lining of open shelves.

If you’re excited for a weekend of painting with your partner, go to the hardware store and pick out three to five of your favorite swatches. Lay them all out together to find a color or create a combination you’ll both love. Choose options with a satin or semi-gloss finish for moisture resistance and easy cleanups.

Laundry, Luxury and Life Together

Creating a fair and functional laundry system from the start prevents future headaches and makes household chores feel more like a team effort. Make thoughtful, intentional decisions to design a room that truly serves you. By putting a little love into this hardworking space, you’re a step closer to making every part of your new home a place you and your spouse will be happy to be in.