How To Design an Efficient Laundry Room
We can all agree that no one loves doing laundry. However, on average a typical family of four will spend several hours weekly sorting, washing, drying, folding and ironing between 7-10 loads of laundry. At Coastal Closets & Showers we recognize that a thoughtful, well-designed kitchen makes your everyday tasks a little more enjoyable, so why not take the same idea and transform it to your laundry room design. When you spend up that much time is one space, you deserve to have a modern laundry room that caters to your needs that you can enjoy.
At Coastal Closets & Showers we have worked for years designing custom spaces for homeowners all along the Treasure Coast. Through our experience, we have found a few tips and tricks to designing a custom laundry room with all the efficiency and comfort that you need.
Most people spend more time in their laundry rooms than they do their bathrooms weekly, yet the bathroom takes on more significance when it comes to home design. In homes where space is limited, laundry rooms are being integrated into the bathroom or kitchen, and due to busy, multitasking lives, some laundry rooms also double as a home office, craft room or mud room.
It’s time homeowners begin to put effort into the space they spend so much time to make it not only aesthetically appealing but also functional just the way you would want your kitchen or bathroom. When it comes to laundry room ideas, start by visualizing your materials like water-resistant ceramic counters and stone floor tiles, which are a smart alternative to standard, run-of-the-mill tiles because they are easy to clean and durable.
In addition to a washer and dryer, consider adding these five great elements when you design an organized and functional designer laundry room.
Custom Cabinets
Laundry room cabinets not only provide you with storage for your detergent, dryer sheets and cleaning supplies, but they can also add a decorative feel similar to that of the rest of the house. With custom storage solutions, you can expand your working space for folding and ironing.
Our interior designers can help you determine specific door and drawer fronts to match the style of any room in your house. Our designers can also provide you with custom design ideas to make your laundry area space of its own from shaker-style cabinets finished with easy-to-clean, high gloss paint to create a chic cottage look.
If your laundry room serves as a multipurpose room, you can have custom door fronts installed to cover your washer and dryer when they are not in use. In addition to custom storage for pullout laundry baskets for dirty clothes and wall mounted ironing boards, you can also request deep shelves to serve as a linen closet to maximize your laundry room storage.
Clothing Rods
Just as you would implement in a custom closet, installing clothing rods within your laundry rooms provides yours with a place to hang shirts and delicates directly from the dryer to prevent wrinkling. For those who prefer to air-dry certain items, installing a double hanging rod in a custom build laundry room design will provide you with additional storage when your not drying your clothes. If you have limited space in your laundry room, installing a pullout valet rod will allow you the same luxury.
Custom clothing rods are the perfect addition to any laundry room.
Counters and Cubbies
We have all considered at one time or the other how beneficial it would be to have different countertop heights to perform different tasks in the laundry room. Waist height countertops make the perfect height for folding and organizing clothing after you’ve taken it out of the dryer without straining your back. Installing a 36-inch height sink in your laundry room allows more for a more function and efficient space. Rather than soaking an item in the kitchen sink or going back to the kitchen to wash your hands, your laundry room sink will be much more convenient. Installing low cubbies in your custom laundry room allows for each member of the family to be able to retrieve laundry themselves encouraging the kids to spend a little more time perhaps doing their own laundry.
Slat Walls
At Coastal Closets & Showers we frequently install slat walls as garage storage for vertically hanging yard tools and sports equipment. However, we have found it makes the perfect storage for laundry rooms as well. Slat walls work particularly well for laundry rooms with limited space. Slat walls allow you to hang dirty laundry bags, cleaning tools like brooms or mops, and you can also store laundry supplies in various sized baskets that hook into the wall.
Decorative and Task Lighting
Lighting is an important element to create the finishing accent element to any room. Our designers at Coastal Closets & Showers will help you choose the right lighting fixture for not only your style but also your needs. Task lighting such as under-cabinet or shelf lights will provide functional use since they illuminate specific work zones. Lighting tends to be one of the last things homeowners consider for their laundry room when in fact it can finalize your space.
Imagine your ideal custom efficient laundry room and then give us a call at Coastal Closets & Showers for your in-home consultation! For answers to more of your questions visit our Custom Home Solutions Q & A.
