© 2026 TEW Design Studio
Some rooms scream, others whisper. The best laundry rooms move in silence.
A well-designed laundry room does more than house your washer and dryer. It absorbs the chaos of everyday life so the rest of your home can breathe. And when it doubles as a mudroom, the stakes become even higher. These small, hardworking spaces are the glue of the home, yet they are almost always the last to be thoughtfully designed.
Everyone has that drawer of things they’re not sure what to do with. Sometimes that takes form in a room. When a mudroom and laundry room are combined, it’s a recipe for overwhelm – a small space now trying to wear many hats.
In the Bent Pine renovation, we began with a cluttered and inefficient back entry that was functioning not as a garage, storage area, mudroom, or laundry room, but all 4 wrapped in one. We needed a space that worked as hard as it looks. By reworking the floor plan and refining how each square foot was used, we were able to reconfigure the space in a way that was more catered to how our client uses it. The space now feels calming, elevated, and thoughtfully connected, despite housing multiple functions that don’t traditionally coexist.
A primary focus was custom built-in storage solutions with doors to keep daily necessities organized and out of sight. Using consistent cabinetry, door hardware, and color drenching the space created a cohesive visual flow as your eye moves across difference elements, instead of dividing each area into fragmented zones.
The original walk-in pantry was removed to save space, and pantry functionality was preserved through thoughtfully planned cabinet placement.
Because this room was also functioning as a back entry, we knew this space would occasionally be welcoming guests. With that in mind, we added dedicated hanging areas for laundry delicates to keep laundry out of sight. A wet bar with dedicated wine storage was added at the back entry, a detail that feels unexpected in a utility space but entirely intentional in a home designed for living well.
No renovation unfolds exactly as planned. At Bent Pine, unexpected structural soffits and hidden plumbing were revealed during construction. The part of interior design that you don’t always see on Instagram is the problem solving and project management that goes on behind the scenes. We were able to coordinate with the contractor early on in construction to resolve these issues and make sure the final plan was not compromised.
We also created a custom half-door gate that pockets and hides easily into the doorway. This solved the concern of dogs running out without blocking off this room from the rest of the home.
Every home has a room quietly waiting to become something more. This was one of them. The rooms homeowners overlook most are often the ones with the most give. If you are ready to transform a hardworking space in your home, we would love to design it with you. Utility does not have to mean ordinary.
TEW Design Studio is a full-service interior design firm serving Raleigh, Durham, and surrounding North Carolina communities, specializing in residential, commercial, and hospitality interiors.
Our work blends durability, beauty, and livability because great design should last.
Let’s talk about how we can transform your space to better meet your needs. It all starts with a 15-minute Discovery Call so we can understand your design needs.
Check out our latest blogs to see what’s new at TEW!
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“The goal isn’t a room that looks good in photos but stresses everyone out to maintain. It’s one where the design works quietly and the people living there can exhale.” That line is from a piece I wrote for Kitchen & Bath Business this month, and you can read the full feature here. It’s about […]
This project just earned a Residential Specialty Award in the Regional 2026 Chrysalis Design Awards, and we wanted to share the full story behind it. The Chrysalis Awards recognize the best in residential remodeling across the country, honoring teams for design, craftsmanship, and problem-solving. This is our fifth Chrysalis Award in four years, and this […]
