Getting the Most out of Your Home – Part 5 -a Functional Laundry Room
The laundry room doesn’t have to be the dark room where you go to do the dreaded laundry anymore! In fact, there are lots of ideas that you can implement to turn the room into a bright and organized clean-up center, even if it’s in the basement or in a small room next to your master bedroom.
For this final piece in our 5-part series on Getting the Most out of Your Home, we’re going to look at some of the easier suggestions to make your laundry room or area a more pleasing place. And, we’re going to assume that your home already has a dedicated laundry room, whether it’s in the basement, next to the master bedroom or a nook next to the kitchen.
Organization, good lighting, and fun paint and accents are 3 of the top ideas on many designers’ lists. Let’s start with organization. If possible, arrange the work surfaces and appliances to facilitate the flow of your tasks: sorting, washing, drying and folding. Handy tips include placing a clothes rod to the right of the dryer to hang clothes, and shelves above the washer and dryer for all your laundry products. It’s also nice to have a sink nearby for pre-soaking or hand-washing delicates.
Along these same lines, the experts suggest thinking in terms of wet and dry zones. For example, put the laundry sink next to the washing machine to streamline plumbing lines and keep wet tasks together. For dry items, consider putting a clothing rod next to the dryer so that items can either dry, or await ironing or the bedroom closet. If you have the space, consider putting an ironing board close to the clothing rod and installing a countertop to fold clothes as they come out of the dryer.
Let’s move on to lighting. If your laundry room is in a basement or a dark room, make sure you pay full attention to lighting so that you feel like you’re in a dungeon as you do the dreary task of the laundry. Needless to say, you need good lighting over work areas so you can see what you’re doing. You can’t match socks or check clothing for stains in the dark! Under-cabinet fluorescent tubes or LED under-cabinet fixtures are often suggested to illuminate countertops.
Finally, think about the area’s décor. You’ll find the chore much more pleasant if you have a laundry room that makes you happy. Consider using wallpaper, a bright backsplash or other accessories to let the room reflect your style. If it fits your personality, include lots of color and fun materials, such as unique cabinet hardware.
Hopefully these ideas will help you make your laundry space an easier place to go when the time comes for cleaning up the family’s clothes. If you’d like to read more of our ideas on Getting the Most out of Your Home, click here.
We also have a rockstar Pinterest board with everything you can think of for Laundry Rooms. Check it out at: https://www.pinterest.com/OsgoodTeam/best-laundry-rooms-ever/
See our entire series on Getting the Most out of your home
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