When it comes to designing your new house or your remodel project, let’s face it – the laundry room probably doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. It doesn’t deserve design attention because you’ll be having so much fun when you’re in there (at least I don’t think so) but considering that it’s a space that you’ll spend time in pretty much every day, I think it justifies a second look.
There are lots of great ways to make this room of your home functional, efficient, and even fun (believe it or not!). Here are some laundry room essentials that you can consider to help design the best space that you can.
Functional Design
Your laundry room design should revolve around the main function of the room – washing and drying clothes. So, I think the best place to start is with whether or not you have a front-loading or top-loading washing machine. I know this has been a hot topic in recent years. Everyone switched to the front-loaders when they were new, and then soon after had buyer’s remorse when the issue of musty smelling clothes just wouldn’t go away. According to Michael Blabaum of Shumway Appliance in Milton, front-loading washing machines of the past just didn’t have the proper airflow needed. The dampness of the front-loader with the door closed created an environment for the musty/mildew type of smell that people just couldn’t seem to get out of their clothes. Blabaum talks about how in recent years, the manufacturers have come a long way in remedying the problem. The addition of fans and venting in the newer models of washing machines has made the issue almost non-existent. So, the moral of this story is – don’t be afraid of the front-loaders!
Personally, one of my favorite parts of having a front-loading washing machine and dryer is the fact that you’re able to put a countertop over the top and use it as a folding station – I’ll talk more about this in a minute. Regardless of which type of appliances you have, make sure that your set is placed in a spot in your laundry room where you feel like you have enough space to complete the tasks at hand without being too crowded.
Folding Surface
One of the essentials of a laundry room is a flat surface for folding. Like I mentioned above, if you happened to be a fan of the front-loaders, then putting a countertop right over your washer/dryer set is the perfect way to maximize the space in your laundry room. It doesn’t get more convenient than that for folding. Think about your countertop height though if you do this. A standard washer/dryer set will put a countertop height at about 42” give or take, depending on the model of your appliances. Standard countertop height is 36”, so this will already be a slightly taller countertop than you might be used to. Will your washer and dryer be on a pedestal? If so, then putting a countertop over the top would be too high to be functional for most people. So, this might come down to deciding on which is the most important – the added height of a pedestal under your appliances or the countertop space located conveniently over the washer and dryer. I am only about 5’ tall myself, so you can probably guess why it was an easy decision for me to go with the countertop instead of the pedestals.
Sorting Clothes
It’s also essential to think about clothes sorting in your laundry room. Do you have enough floor space to put a stand-alone basket sorter in the room? If you’re a little tight on space, thinking about creative ways to store your laundry baskets can be a great solution! Creating cubbies in your lower cabinets, specifically to fit laundry baskets is a solution that not only helps you sort, but keeps the floor in your laundry room picked up and organized too.
Hanging and Ironing Clothes
In the blog we talk a lot about making sure to design your house around your lifestyle. This is the perfect time to reiterate that point because personally, in my family we do very little ironing and hanging up of clothes (I’m sure that some of you are cringing at the thought). We hang some things, of course, but so few of our clothing items go on hangers, that I don’t have a designated space in my laundry room for hanging or ironing. If you’re the same way, then you can probably skip this too. However, so many people would love to have allocated space for this right in the laundry room.
An inspiring idea is to put a tension rod in between two upper cabinets in your laundry room. As long as they are high enough for you to reach and have enough space below, this can be the perfect area to hang clothing as you fold away. An ironing board is also easy to incorporate in your design. So many cabinetry options include a built-in ironing board that you can fold out from under your countertop, or even fold out from a recess in your wall, often times behind your laundry room door.
Laundry Sink
A sink in your laundry room can be extremely handy for so many tasks. I think of a laundry sink as the one you’d use for anything that you just don’t want to have to use your kitchen sink for. The list ranges from washing mud off of shoes, washing out pet or kid accidents, pre-washing stains in clothing, filling up dog water dishes, washing out paint brushes, etc. Depending on how you think you’d use yours, incorporating a deep utility sink in your laundry room is a popular idea!
Storage
A laundry room can be a great area to maximize storage space in your home! Cabinetry, countertop area, and open shelving are all perfect ways to give you more options for storing some of those household items that otherwise wouldn’t have a special spot to go. For example, I like using our laundry cabinets for pet leashes and medication, flower vases, extra cords, or even batteries and small tools that you use around the home often. Especially if you have open shelving, there are so many stylish bins these days that not only help keep you organized but are also functional at the same time.
Personalize with Style
One fun thing about a laundry room is that it’s a room of the house where I’d tell you to let loose with your style. Maybe you have a bright paint color that you totally love, but just couldn’t make the decision to use it on a main area in your home – use it in the laundry room! Let this be your space to incorporate the neat wallpaper that you just saw on Pinterest (did you know that it’s coming back in style?!). Choose that bold flooring that would make you happy every time you see it. What it comes down to is that this room doesn’t have to conform to any standards in terms of style or décor. Make it your own. Make it a room that makes you smile when you walk in, even if the thought of folding clothes doesn’t.
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