Your Laundry Room Design Should Work for Your Pets Too
Your laundry room works harder than almost any other space in your home. Now imagine it working for your pets too.
If you are a pet parent, your laundry room is already ground zero for muddy paw towels, fur-covered blankets, and that pile of dog beds you keep meaning to wash. So why not design the space to actually embrace that role? With a few smart upgrades, your laundry room can double as a full-blown pet care hub—one that looks magazine-worthy while keeping the chaos contained.
These 10 ideas go beyond the basics. Each one is practical enough to tackle this weekend or add to your next renovation plan, and stylish enough that your laundry room will finally earn a spot on your Pinterest board.
Let’s get into it.
1. Built-In Dog Wash Station With a Tiled Surround
This is the single biggest upgrade a pet owner can make to a laundry room—and the one you will use the most. A raised, waist-height wash tub with a tiled surround and handheld sprayer turns bath time from a dreaded chore into something that actually feels manageable. No more kneeling over the bathtub. No more chasing a soaking wet dog through the hallway.
The beauty of putting it in the laundry room is that the plumbing is already there. You are tapping into existing hot and cold water lines, and the drain hookup is usually straightforward. Choose subway tile or a patterned ceramic for the surround to make it feel like a design feature rather than a utility add-on. Glass splash guards on the sides keep water from soaking the rest of the room when your dog inevitably shakes mid-rinse.
For smaller dogs, a raised tub at counter height with a ramp or pet steps works perfectly. For larger breeds, a step-in shower pan raised about 12 inches off the floor gives them room to stand comfortably while keeping the water contained. Add a non-slip rubber mat to the floor of either option. A tethering clip on the wall is a small addition that makes a massive difference—it keeps your dog in place so you can actually focus on scrubbing instead of wrestling.
Pro tip: A pot-filler style faucet mounted to the wall saves counter space and looks incredibly polished. Pair it with a coiled hose sprayer for full coverage.
2. Hidden Cat Litter Box Cabinet With a Decorative Cutout
If you have a cat, you know the litter box is the necessary evil of pet ownership. It is ugly, it smells, and there is never a good place to put it. A custom or repurposed base cabinet in the laundry room solves all three problems at once.
The concept is simple: a standard cabinet with a decorative cutout on the side panel—an arch, a circle, or even a cat silhouette shape—that your cat walks through to access the litter box inside. The front door of the cabinet opens for easy cleaning and litter changes. From the outside, it looks like any other piece of cabinetry in the room.
The enclosed space naturally controls odor because the cabinet’s air volume acts as a buffer. For extra ventilation, you can add a small USB-powered fan or a charcoal filter inside. Place a textured mat just outside the cutout to catch litter tracked out on paws before it spreads to the rest of the floor.
One important detail: make sure the cutout is big enough for your cat to pass through comfortably—about 8 to 10 inches wide works for most cats. And keep the litter box easy to access for daily scooping. A beautiful hidden litter box that never gets cleaned defeats the purpose entirely.
Pro tip: If your laundry room connects to a garage, install a small access panel on the garage side of the cabinet so you can clean the box from outside the living space without even entering the laundry room.
3. Pull-Out Pet Food and Water Bowl Drawer
This is one of those ideas that makes people say “why didn’t I think of that?” A pull-out drawer built into your base cabinetry holds your pet’s food and water bowls in recessed cutout holes. At mealtime, slide the drawer out. When dinner is done, slide it back in. The bowls vanish completely.
No more tripping over bowls in the middle of the night. No more water sloshing onto the floor every time someone walks past. And in multi-pet households, you can create separate drawer sections for each animal to prevent food stealing and reduce mealtime drama.
For the truly committed, some versions include a small wall-mounted faucet above the drawer position so you can refill the water bowl without carrying it to the sink. It sounds like overkill until you have done it once—then it just feels obvious.
The drawer itself should use a waterproof liner or a stainless steel tray insert to handle inevitable spills. Choose bowls that sit flush with the drawer surface so they do not wobble or tip. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls work best and are easiest to keep sanitary.
Pro tip: Label each bowl position if you have multiple pets on different diets. A simple engraved tag or label on the drawer front keeps everyone’s meals straight.
4. Built-In Dog Crate That Matches Your Cabinetry
Wire dog crates are functional but they are not winning any design awards. A built-in kennel enclosure that matches your laundry room cabinetry replaces that eyesore with something that actually looks intentional.
The idea is straightforward: use the under-counter space or a dedicated lower cabinet section as a dog den. The front gets a stylish crate-style gate—either decorative metal bars or a mesh panel that matches the room’s hardware. Inside, add a washable cushion or bed. Your dog gets a cozy, enclosed space they actually want to be in, and you reclaim the visual real estate that a wire crate was eating up.
The laundry room is an ideal location for this because dogs often find the consistent background noise of the washer and dryer soothing. It also keeps the crate out of your main living areas while still being in a space the family passes through regularly—so your dog does not feel isolated.
If you want to go the extra mile, an arched opening (instead of a standard rectangular one) adds a touch of character. Think of it as a little doghouse built right into the wall.
Pro tip: Murphy-style fold-down dog beds are a brilliant option for tighter laundry rooms. The bed flips up flush against the wall when not in use, freeing up the floor space you need to access front-loading machines.
5. Wall-Mounted Pet Command Center
Every pet household has the same problem: leashes in the kitchen drawer, treats in the pantry, the flea medication somewhere in the bathroom cabinet, and the vet’s number written on a sticky note that has long since disappeared. A wall-mounted pet command center in the laundry room puts everything in one spot.
Start with a section of wall near the door—especially if your laundry room connects to a mudroom or backyard entrance. Mount sturdy hooks for leashes, collars, and harnesses. Add a small floating shelf for grooming tools, a treat jar, and daily supplements. Below that, a closed cabinet or labeled basket holds pet medications, vet records, vaccination paperwork, and first-aid supplies.
The key is making it look styled rather than cluttered. Choose matching hardware for the hooks, use attractive containers instead of plastic bags, and keep the color palette consistent with the rest of the room. A pegboard system is another great option because it lets you rearrange and add hooks as your pet supply collection grows.
This is especially useful for multi-pet or multi-dog households where different animals have different walking gear, different medications, and different routines. When everything has a designated home, the morning walk prep goes from a five-minute scavenger hunt to a thirty-second grab-and-go.
Pro tip: Add a small chalkboard or dry-erase board for tracking vet appointment dates, medication schedules, and grooming reminders. It becomes the family’s pet care dashboard.
6. Dedicated Pet Laundry Drying Station
Pet towels, bed covers, blankets, and plush toys take up a massive amount of dryer capacity—and they shed hair into the lint trap like nothing else. A dedicated drying station in your laundry room solves this by giving pet items their own air-dry zone.
Mount a fold-down wall rack (the accordion-style ones work great and collapse flat when not in use) specifically for pet items. Pair it with a ceiling hook or small wall shelf that holds a pet-specific blow dryer or grooming dryer for post-bath drying. Add non-slip tile or a rubber mat underneath to catch drips.
This setup has two big benefits beyond convenience. First, air-drying pet bedding extends its life because high dryer heat breaks down the waterproof liners on most pet beds. Second, it keeps pet hair contained to one area rather than mixing into your family’s clothing lint cycle.
If you have the space, adding a small wall-mounted towel warmer takes this from practical to luxurious. Wrapping your dog in a warm towel after a bath is the kind of small thing that turns a stressful experience into a positive one—and a warm, relaxed dog is much easier to dry and groom.
Pro tip: Hang a mesh laundry bag on a hook next to the drying rack. Toss small items like bandanas, toy rope pulls, and washable collar covers into the bag so they do not get lost in the wash.
7. Smart Pet Door With Collar-Activated Access
If your laundry room has an exterior wall or a door leading to the backyard, a smart pet door is a game changer. Modern versions use a sensor on your pet’s collar to unlock the door, so only your animals can come and go—not the neighborhood raccoon.
The genius of this setup is that it turns your laundry room into a transitional zone between the outdoors and your clean home. Your dog comes in from the yard dirty and muddy, but they enter the laundry room first—where your wash station, towels, and cleaning supplies are already waiting. They get cleaned up before ever setting paw on your living room floors.
Most smart pet doors can be controlled via app, so you can lock and unlock them remotely, set schedules (no midnight adventures), and get notifications when your pet goes in or out. The directional sensing technology on higher-end models can tell which way your pet is heading, so you always know if they are inside or outside.
Position a dog bed or mat right next to the pet door so your dog has a natural landing spot when they come inside. This also helps with training—they learn that the laundry room is the first stop, not a sprint to the couch.
Pro tip: If a wall installation is not feasible, pet door inserts for sliding glass doors or screen doors offer the same functionality with a much simpler installation process.
8. Dual-Bin Pullout Hamper: Pet Laundry vs. People Laundry
This is the idea that every pet owner needs but almost nobody thinks of. A dual-bin pullout hamper system built into a cabinet—one bin for human laundry, one for pet items—keeps fur-covered blankets, towels, and bed covers separated from your clothes before they ever hit the washing machine.
If you have ever pulled “clean” clothes out of the dryer only to find them covered in pet hair because everything got washed together, you already understand why this matters. Pet hair clings to fabric in the wash and transfers to other items. By separating at the hamper stage, you eliminate the cross-contamination before it starts.
A simple two-compartment pullout system fits inside a standard base cabinet. Use canvas or cloth liners for each bin so the liners themselves can be washed. Label the bins clearly—even something playful like “Ours” and “Theirs” with a paw print adds personality.
On wash day, the pet bin goes in first with a pre-rinse cycle to remove excess hair, followed by your regular laundry. Or if you prefer, run them as completely separate loads. Either way, your work shirts will thank you.
Pro tip: Add a lint roller hook or small shelf near the hamper for quick touch-ups before tossing clothes in. Removing surface hair before washing makes a noticeable difference in how clean everything comes out.
9. Pet Supply Storage Tower With Airtight Food Bins
Pet food bags are the laundry room’s biggest eyesore offender. A 30-pound bag of kibble sitting on the floor, half-open with a chip clip holding it shut, is not exactly the aesthetic you are going for. A dedicated pet supply storage tower or cabinet system fixes this permanently.
The bottom of the tower holds large pull-out airtight bins—the kind with a sealed lid and a scoop inside—for dry food. These keep the food fresh longer, prevent pests, and look infinitely better than a torn bag. If you have multiple pets on different diets, use separate bins clearly labeled for each animal.
Middle shelves hold everyday items at eye level: treats, supplements, grooming supplies, poop bags, and cleaning sprays. Use clear containers or matching jars so you can see when you are running low. Upper shelves store seasonal or less-used items like winter coats, holiday bandanas, travel carriers, and backup supplies.
The organizational principle here is the same one professional organizers use for pantries: heavy items low, daily-use items at eye level, infrequent items up high. When everything is visible and accessible, you actually use it—and you stop buying duplicate flea treatments because you forgot you already had a box.
Pro tip: Add a small pull-out drawer with a built-in measuring scoop for consistent portion control at feeding time. It sounds simple, but it keeps your pet’s diet on track and reduces waste.
10. Slip-Resistant Heated Flooring for Post-Bath Comfort
This is the luxury upgrade that sounds indulgent but genuinely improves your pet’s experience—and yours. Electric radiant floor heating installed under slip-resistant porcelain or luxury vinyl tile makes your laundry room warmer, safer, and more comfortable for wet, freshly bathed animals.
Cold tile plus a wet dog equals a shivering, anxious pet who learns to dread bath time. Warm flooring changes the entire dynamic. Your dog dries faster on a warm surface, stays calmer during grooming, and starts associating the laundry room with comfort rather than stress. Over time, that means less resistance at bath time and a smoother routine for everyone.
From a practical standpoint, heated floors also prevent the moisture and mildew buildup that can happen in rooms with frequent water exposure. The warmth helps evaporate residual water faster, keeping the space dry and hygienic between uses.
Choose a textured, non-slip tile rated for wet areas. Large-format tiles in a warm gray or natural stone look are on trend for 2026 and create a clean, spa-like feel. The radiant heating system itself is relatively affordable for a small room like a laundry area—and most systems can be controlled with a thermostat or smart home integration so you are not heating the floor when it is not needed.
Pro tip: If a full heated floor installation is not in the budget, a heated mat placed in the dog wash zone gives you 80 percent of the benefit at a fraction of the cost.
Your Laundry Room Deserves a Pet-Friendly Upgrade
The best laundry room designs reflect how you actually live—and if you’re a pet parent, that means making room for the four-legged family members too. You don’t need all ten ideas at once. Even one smart upgrade can completely change how the space works for you.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s a space that works harder so you don’t have to. And that’s exactly what we’re all about here at Sweet Purrfections, helping you create a home where style and pet life actually coexist.
Save this post for later, share it with a fellow pet parent, and follow along for more ideas that make life with pets a little more beautiful.
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