When you don’t enjoy doing the laundry, it can be difficult to want to put much effort into designing the laundry room. However, ensuring that it’s efficient and attractive minimizes the time you do spend there while making it a little more pleasant.
Choose the right appliances
Think carefully about what size washer and dryer to purchase. Stackable units are space-efficient but generally have less capacity, so be sure they’ll be enough to accommodate your needs or that you’re willing to spend more time doing smaller loads.
If you’re anticipating your household will grow in the future, take that into consideration.
Make room for a deep laundry sink if you can for handwashing delicate items, pretreating stains and washing very dirty items, including pets! Don’t forget about energy efficiency as well.
Design your storage well
Take an inventory of everything you may want to store in the laundry room beyond your appliances: detergents and other fabric care products; drying racks and ironing boards; wet clothes and shoes if it’s also your mudroom; folded clothes and linens; mops, brooms and other household cleaning supplies; trash and recycling bins; and so on. Then you can have your cabinets built to the correct dimensions.
While open storage is still trendy, it may not be ideal for the laundry space, especially around kids or pets.
Build things to last
You’re going to want high-quality, durable materials for your counters and other surfaces that can withstand heat and moisture. Make sure the counters are wide enough for you to fit your washer and dryer securely underneath for a cleaner look, and concealing them behind doors is a good idea for aesthetics, especially if they’re in a multipurpose room.
If you have the space, you can add a large island that can serve as a folding station as well as a crafting or project table or even a desk to create a home office or sewing area.
Remember to install enough electrical outlets to accommodate all the other devices you’re planning to use beyond the appliances.
