Some folks actually like their laundry rooms. It’s true. Just as laundry appeals to those whose day jobs are always works in progress – because it is at least one thing they can finish – so, too, the organization that a laundry room calls for can be a kind of beauty in itself. A friend says his laundry room is set up like his drum set. Everything is arranged where it comes to hand naturally. For people who feel good in an orderly space, the laundry room can be made very reassuring.
If you dread doing laundry, we can’t promise to turn that around completely. Yet, if you find your laundry room is less than fun, there are things we can do to at least move it in that direction.
What You Need and Where You Need It
Just because the laundry room is often an afterthought doesn’t mean it needs to stay thoughtless. Let’s consider the basics. A washer, a dryer, side-by-side or stacked; a place to store detergent and supplies; a flat surface for folding; and a recessed space for the hamper or basket. The trick is to arrange those elements in positions that work for you. Just because the space may be inherited or borrowed from another room – say a basement, a porch, or a bathroom – doesn’t mean you have to let that dictate the arrangements.
If your washer and dryer are not stacked, then above them is typically the handiest place to locate a cupboard for cleaning supplies. Cupboards and cabinets can blend with the walls or accent them, depending on how much room you are working with. Speaking of cabinets, when the laundry room is shared, say on a porch or in a bathroom, then cabinet doors to front the washer and dryer can make the space attractive when it is off duty.
Double Duty in Design
Particularly in historic homes, the laundry room in many cases evolved from a porch. If that’s where yours is positioned – or even if you can put it there – then the laundry room can serve the same brilliant, utilitarian purpose as what New Englanders call “the mud room.” It’s a casual, but organized vestibule for those moments between outside and inside. Wet shoes, soiled clothes, hats, and jackets all are dealt with here. There are places to sit, places to hang things, and even sometimes a place to “wash up.”
Folks from farm country never named this room, maybe because that’s just how you come and go, when your work is outside and on the property. Even for city dwellers, considering the transition from out to in can inspire a room where the laundry gear fits well.
How You Feel When You’re There
Your laundry room can be inviting even when you find the chore less so. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a window where you fold laundry? That’s a tip for where to place the surface you use for folding. If your laundry space is windowless, then cheerful or playful wallpaper or backsplash can accomplish some of that same diversion. That folding surface itself has possibilities. Some find it the perfect afterlife for a table they’ve inherited or the perfect off-duty spot for their kitchen island.
The shelving and storage possibilities for your laundry room can be far more than functional. The visual rhythm of compartments, drawers, or sliding baskets can sometimes set the whole tone for the laundry room, putting a feeling of order and control over the whole operation.
Even if laundry day is every day – as it is in some active families – there’s no reason it has to be a drag. The design of your laundry room can be a real gift to yourself and your routine. Let’s get together and talk about what’s possible. Connecting your vision with the finest concepts that design has to offer is our passion and our pursuit.