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For years, the kitchen has reigned supreme as the ultimate renovation project. It’s the space where budgets stretch, timelines stall, and dreams of Calacatta marble islands come to fruition. But according to the 2026 Houzz & Home Study, there’s a shift happening behind the scenes. Or, should we say, down the hall. Gen Z homeowners see laundry rooms and closets as the big design opportunities. Thirty-three percent report remodeling the former and 24 percent are upgrading the latter, noticeably higher shares than older generations.
It makes sense, seeing as the study also reports more homeowners settling into their spaces long-term (44 percent now consider their house a “forever home”). An improved closet streamlines mornings; a well-designed laundry room makes the endless cycle of washing and folding feel more considered.
The good news: these are also some of the easiest spaces to upgrade without spending a fortune (smaller spaces typically require less materials). Not to mention, they’re the perfect tucked-away spots for experimenting. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.
Color-Drench It
In this walk-in closet designed by Karley Brown-Sgandurra and Joe Sgandurra, the husband-and-wife team behind The Eden Co., the plan was to contrast the renovated bathroom’s relaxed vibe. While one of the clients was onboard with Benjamin Moore’s punchy Split Pea color, almost everyone else was hesitant. But luckily, the unexpected choice was a hit. Which brings us to our next point…
Treat It Like a (Really Tiny) Room
When Brown-Sgandurra discovered a wallpaper from British brand Divine Savages that featured dogwood trees like the ones surrounding the house, it became the grand entrance to the closet, leading to its vibrant two-tone scheme. Because the duo didn’t treat any space in the home like an afterthought, the results don’t feel like it either.
Make a Closet the Laundry Room
Don’t have space for a dedicated laundry room? Turn the unused square footage under the stairs into a small-but-mighty washing station, hidden behind bifold doors. That was where Joanne Duong Bartels and Luke Bartels landed for their San Francisco home, which comfortably fit two people but needed to work for a family of four.
Choose Chic Versions of the Essentials
In designer Maggie Glendenning’s Utah home, the sculptural wall-mounted drying system in her bright yellow laundry room came from Europe. “I was trying to find a cute one, because I don’t like to put things on hangers and I didn’t want a [ceiling] hanging rack,” she explains. Baskets, hampers, hangers, and clothespins are other worthy contenders for an aesthetic upgrade.
Give Your Washer Dryer a Countertop
Brooklyn-based design firm Studio Dorion, paneled the bathroom–turned–laundry room in this Philadelphia rowhouse as a nod to its English farmhouse–style kitchen. Housing the washer and dryer underneath a warm wood countertop and dressing up the sink with a gingham skirt tone down the utilitarian aspects even further.
Embrace Printmaxxing
Out with quiet luxury, in with pattern on pattern (on pattern). In the California home of Kate Balsis, cofounder of Concrete Collaborative, terrazzo is a neutral. “Pretty much every hard surface is terrazzo,” Balsis says. “There are nine different styles in [the home] total.” Graphic tile in a similar colorway covers both the floor and walls in the laundry room, the epitome of putting fun in functional.