Big or small, laundry rooms have taken on many roles.
Did you know on average Americans spend 8 hours per week in the laundry room? Clients have actually told me they don’t really need a dining room or a living room but they simply cannot live without a great laundry room.
In the days of multi-function spaces, the laundry room has become the star.
No longer relegated to the basement, these rooms have become integrated into the main levels of today’s home. More than just for “airing your dirty laundry” they double as mud rooms, the spot for your pooch’s crate, the arts and crafts space and sometimes the potting shed for house plants. With such a wide variety of uses, let’s look at 8 must have laundry room features.
The Ideal Laundry Room Must Haves:
1. Style and convenience: Laundry equipment can be stacked or set side by side. Front loading machines provide more design flexibility and can fit beneath a counter top for folding and sorting. They are also available in fashionable colors to coordinate with the design of the home.
2. Storage and More: Decorative hooks hold backpacks and sports equipment. Add a bench with storage for shoes, hanging rods for drip dry or swim suits and hand washables. Tall narrow pullouts store cleaning supplies and don’t require a lot of room. Install overhead cabinets to stash everything.
3. Good Lighting: Bright light is so important in every room but especially in the laundry. General lighting combined with task lighting (under cabinet lights for example) make it easier to sort black and blue socks.
4. Open Shelves: Storing laundry baskets on shelves make it easier to deliver clean clothes to their proper room. Bins for sorting laundry are always handy. The kids might actually help with this task.
5. Materials: Use durable easy to clean surfaces and materials which will hold up to water. You don’t want to have to worry about dripping or splashing.
6. Utility sinks: Remember those house plants? No longer ugly plastic laundry tubs, sinks come in a variety of materials and colors. A deep sink is perfect for soaking out stains or filling a bucket.
7. Activities Area: Budding artists need a space to create. Easy care surfaces and a sink for quick clean up are a must. A gift wrap center tucked into a closet or hung under a cabinet keeps everything organized. Counter tops set at a lower height make folding much easier.
8. Places for Pets: What better spot for your pup’s crate than tucked under a folding counter. Leashes can be hung nearby ready for a walk. If you can fit in a bench, the dog’s bowls can sit underneath.
Finally don’t forget the shut off valve!
Automatic valves can sense a leak or a broken hose and will cut off the water to the machine preventing costly water damage.
Don’t have a lot of room for a large laundry? Don’t worry, a hall closet may just be the perfect spot. New full size and super quiet stack-able washer and dryers fit right in and are just steps from the bedrooms. Love your laundry room? Let us know. Tell us about some of the features you feel every laundry room needs.
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