Baskets or bins. Containerize everything. It'll look tidy if all the containers are the same type or same color plus it'll make things easier to use. For instance all floor care in one basket will make it easy to run through your house cleaning all your floors at once, all light bulbs in one basket, etc.

Firmly planted in the like not having doors on my L/R cabinets. I ordered them, the cabinet maker was making them. The day the cabinet guy came to install the cabinets themselves, I liked the look of no doors, and decided I didn't want them. Too difficult to access things, etc. I had all kinds of reasons. Mainly, doors were more decorative than functional in the laundry. I wasn't going for decorative per se in the L/R, function was my main objective.

Any event, I dealt with the "stuff" by finding like baskets in different sizes for maximum storage. I store most everything in the L/R from leather cleaner & polish, candles, vacuum bags and much more including usual laundry neccessities, yet didn't necessarily want to "see" it all.

Of course, you can see that its storage over the w/d, just not everything can be fully seen. Heck, even if I had doors, you would know it was storage, no?

I like the ease and look of no doors. There are cons I guess, but since there's a pocket door on the L/R, if I don't want anyone to see inside the L/R, I can always pull it closed.

However, in all the other rooms in my home where there is cabinetry, there are doors and I would not have them without.

Doors! Like betteratthelake said, it's a pain dealing with those cute little baskets. Also, my laundry room is DUSTY. Doors help keep it out of the cabinets. Leave the doors open on laundry day.

Sherry

Another vote for doors. After about 20 years of shelves, we installed two cabinets above the w/d. I love that I cannot see the contents. Sometimes when doing lots of laundry, I will leave open the cabinet with all of the supplies, then close it back up when done. I tried many times to get the shelves to look good - for me it just didn't work out -- although I have seen some very creative shelving here!

I like door because I hate looking at clutter. I've got enough to do around here every day without constantly straightening my laundry room shelves . . . but that's just me.
Lynn

I like both. The products for normal washing are on the shelf and easy to reach while other specialty products are in the cabinets in labeled bins or turn tables.

Doors for me too. I just don't care for the "open shelves with a bunch of baskets/containers" thing in ANY room. Maybe it's because I have a small house in general as well as a very small laundry room so even the baskets-on-shelves ends up looking far more cluttery than a couple of closed cabinet doors, and things DO get dusty, and I have many better things to do with my energy than clean my cleaning products. :-) Our laundry machines are stacked and the two cabinets are vertically stacked next to them so it's not exactly a major endeavor to open a door less than a foot away from the washer to get the detergent (which we decant from the big bottle into a quart size because our front-loader machine only takes a tiny squirt, it's easier to control the amount that way especially with my clumsiness).

Besides, the inside of the cabinet doors gives me a place to put info on laundry stain removal, what product to use for what around the house and how to use it (for DH's reference, mostly), that sort of thing. I was able to get some REALLY cute cabinet knobs on eBay that always make me chuckle, too.

I have both in my laundry/pantry. The food items on an open shelf with doors above the laundry machines. Yes, the pantry shelf is a little cluttery looking but it is very accessible to kids(DH included).

I like the look of baskets - another idea is to make a cafe curtain over the shelves out of a cute fabric. It could be pushed to the sides or closed.

SMiles:)

I'm having a hard time picturing cabinets without doors. . .

My laundry room is pretty darn plain compared to most I've seen on here but I just have a white shelf above the washer and dryer and have a basket that holds my goodies. I also have a sink with a cabinet covering that. (has a door)

I'd say if you have a lot of stuff and have the money then go with the doors. All that's in my basket is a small container of Charlie's Soap, Charlie's all purpose cleaner, shaklee ... gosh, I forget the name of it..(brightner stuff!)and my iron. I store cat litter below in the cabinet and other odds and ends. I think cabinets are more attractive but for the money it wasn't as important to me.

Let us know what you decide!

There's a whole lot of dust in laundry rooms. I'd like a combination, like Mustang's has. Not too much dusting to worry about!

I like doors, but that's because I don't decorate the laundry room. It's pure storage, and we jam as much into our cabinets as possible. Right now we have shelves and darned if all of the various types of cleaners don't come tumbling off the shelf to bonk me on the head every time I reach for something. With doors, I can keep things a bit more contained -- but I'm a stuff the closets and shut the door quickly kind of girl. :)

I have both, because I used cabinet supplies that we brought from another house. I wish the two cabinets had door, though. This photo shows the laundry room looking pretty neat, but I can tell you that it is anything but lately. :( Not shown in the photo, I have wire hanging shelves and cubbies. This are is also starting to look junky, but it is all so functional.

I like doors because my laundry room is dusty. BUT, I often forget what I have behind the doors so they get crammed full of stuff & often duplicate cleaning products. I love the LOOK of no doors, but the practicality of hiding things behind doors.

Mustangs and newhomebuilder you have very pretty laundry rooms. Mustangs--where did you get those labeled jugs w/spoons?

Fortunately, I don't have much of a dust problem in the laundry room and I hope it doesn't look too cluttered because I have to leave the door open for the kitties to get to the litter box.

Thank you Hilltop. The canisters were from Big Lots. I had the labels made at the wall words booth at the flea market.

If my laundry room had any hope at all of looking like Mustang's gorgeous one, I'd go with "Both", too. That's my favorite laundry room of all time! Unfortunately, I do have to deal with dust . . . not to mention a sadly missing cleaning fairy. I don't do nearly a good enough job cleaning to go without doors ;~P
Lynn

Hi marti8a, I know Lynda Reeves from House and home loves doing laundry Rooms, here's a link that she did a while ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: What's the dirt on Laundry rooms

Mustangs, that's amazing with the litter box in there also. What litter do you use???