Room Guide: Laundry Rooms That Work For You

For many people, laundry day is the most dreaded day of the week. Sorting, washing, stain fighting, folding - it can be an exhausting task. But what if your laundry room could take some of that dread away by simplifying this household chore? Visbeen Associates designs laundry rooms for living - functional, cheerful and organized so that wash day becomes just another day of the week. According to Wayne, here are few key elements of a successful laundry room...


1. Systems: Develop a system for the coming and going of your laundry and make sure the storage in your laundry room properly adapts to that system. Baskets, cubbies, hanging space and plenty of counter space for folding are key elements of an effective laundry system, so be sure your laundry room accommodates.

The Wainsborough's laundry room has ample storage space and having a front-loading washer/dryer allows for additional counterspace.

Inverness' laundry room includes closed cubboard space, open shelving for cute touches and even a space for hanging clothes above the washer & dryer. This proves you don't need to have a lot of space to include key elements of a successful laundry room!

2. Multi-use: If you can have your laundry room serve multiple functions, it will be a more effective space. You can literally "multi-task" and get multiple chores done at the same time as doing the laundry when you have a home management system built right in. For some of our clients, we have incorporated sewing space so that their clothes would never again be lost in mending never-never-land. Or we have built in pet accessories into the space so that they aren't taking up floorspace. Constantly tripping over a doggie bed under toe can make any task less enjoyable!

The laundry room for Two Creeks is a great example of multi-use. This room has a built-in doggie bed in the corner to keep the home's kanine out of the working area.

Sunset View's laundry space not only displays great storage solutions, but the wrapping paper station under the open shelving also shows another way of creating a multi-functional space. Why not get your wrapping done while waiting to switch a load?

3. Windows: If your home allows for it, we recommend having a window in your laundry room. No one wants to feel cooped up while they are working, so why not have a nice view of the outdoors while you sort and fold? And if you are able to put a window, that means that your laundry would be on an outside wall of the home, making it much easier for venting to go to the outside. Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency!

Pemberley's laundry room has a large window, allowing for ample daylight to illuminate the space at the same time as providing a great view of the home's beautiful surrounding landscape.

In this laundry room, using the sink also means being able to enjoy the outdoors through the window.

4. Workspace Adjacency: The age old question of where to place the laundry - do you put it on the main floor, next to the master bedroom or upstairs by the other bedrooms? Our answer - place it near where you work. If you spend a good portion of your time cooking, place it near the kitchen. If you spend the majority of your time in your upstairs living spaces, then place it near your favorite spots upstairs. Your laundry experience will be more efficient and enjoyable if you do not have to travel so far from where you work to the laundry room.

The Stafford's laundry room keeps in mind all of the key elements of a successful space - ample counterspace, systematic storage, a place for hanging clothes and it is located on the main level of this home, close to the kitchen and with a great view of the backyard pool. This homeowner can complete the laundry chore, enjoy the view and still keep an eye on the kids playing out back - a true multi-tasker!

We cannot talk about laundry room placement without including Two Creek's laundry room. This room is located on the main level of the home with a dutch door to the back hallway directly across from the home management center and a pocket door to the right which leads to the pantry connected to the kitchen. A great way to stay connected to the kitchen workspace without guests being able to view directly into the laundry room.

So with just a few key elements, instead of your laundry putting you to work, you can have a room that works for you!