For many of us, doing laundry is our most dreaded chore, so it’s hard to get excited over a laundry room. We can pretend all we want, but at the end of the day, they are just not as sexy as a sleek kitchen or as spa-like as a primary bath.
Oftentimes, laundry rooms are dark, hot, noisy, and small.
But how many times a week do you go into your laundry room? Once a week on laundry day? If your household can pull that off, I envy you. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that adults spend, on average, 17 minutes per day doing laundry – coming only behind food and drink preparation (37 minutes) and interior cleaning (29 minutes) for household activities.
Should we be putting more thought into how to make our laundry rooms better? Unlike the primary bath, the laundry room will never be described as “spa-like.” But perhaps we can make it a better functioning, more cheerful space. So, whether you are in the process of designing a home or have an outdated laundry room that you want to remodel, here are points you should consider…
In addition to the washer and dryer, there are other key elements and functions that a laundry room should include:
Laundry tub or sink
Wrinkle reduction/Shrink prevention
Laundry basket
Folding zone
Storage
LAUNDRY TUB/SINK
A laundry tub is ideal for pre-soaking or hand washing dirty clothes. However, if you are opting for a more elegant solution go with a sink—maybe a cool farmhouse sink. And if you can incorporate a window into this space, even better!
WRINKLE REDUCTION & SHRINK PREVENTION
If you don’t like to iron and are concerned about your clothes shrinking, a hanging rod is a must. At minimum, there should be 6′ of hanging. Ideally, you would have one lower 3′ rod and a 6′ upper rod.
LAUNDRY BASKET
How about a laundry basket to hold items waiting to be washed? Even better, multiple baskets—one for each member of the household, one for sheets and one for towels.
FOLDING ZONE
An area for folding clothes is often a luxury in many laundry rooms. Ideally, you want at least 5′ of counterspace – enough to easily fold towels. When working with limited square footage, you might consider a countertop above front loaded appliances that allows adequate space for folding.
STORAGE
Then there’s the storage. It starts with where you store your laundry detergent and dryer sheets. Certainly, wire shelves are sufficient for these supplies, but the open shelves make the room feel cluttered and messy. Cabinets are more elegant. Be sure to make the cabinets over the washer and dryer 18” deep so you can easily reach them over the appliances.
While laundry rooms might not be sexy, they are one of the most important, frequently used rooms in the home. If we have the opportunity to make these chore rooms a little less institutional, and a bit more inviting, shouldn’t we?
Adapted from Housing Design Matters Blog