In larger homes, laundry spaces are often part of mudrooms and are frequently kitted out from top to bottom with personalized hooks, organized bins and ample shelving for storage. Front-loading washers and dryers sit side-by-side with a counter on top for folding or completing other tasks. A deep sink is nearby for scrubbing out stains or for other utility purposes.
In older, smaller homes, where space is at a premium, laundry closets are more prevalent. But even in those tight spots, designers and builders can reconfigure the layout, creating solutions to make this mundane task easier and even pleasant.
A tailor-made fix is all about how your family uses the space, according to Wilma Bowers, co-owner of Bowers Design Build. After detailed looks into a family’s traffic patterns, a bespoke redo really comes down to who does the household laundry and what’s going to work best for him or her.
“We gather general information about how [clients] live, including what their hobbies are,” Bowers says. “If you have three kids and one is a lacrosse player, one rides horseback, and the other is a field hockey player, and dad golfs and mom does yoga, you need a place for all that stuff.”
And in the case of the busy family with its assorted sports gear, a mudroom/laundry room just might be the answer.
A reconfigured space provides an organized drop zone for muddy boots and shoes, helmets and clothing and room to shed soiled layers in a contained spot where there’s no chance of tracking grime throughout the home. Dirty piles can be sorted immediately, ready to hit the washing machine for a heavy-duty load.
For the most part, experts say, no homeowner wants the laundry space in the basement. Moving the space to a home’s main floor is always most convenient. Of course, there are exceptions, like in smaller, older homes, where space is limited. But in larger homes, it’s practically a requirement that laundry rooms are easy to access.
Bruce Wentworth, president of Wentworth Inc., says a number of clients are looking for a secondary spot with a stackable washer/dryer combination in an upstairs closet setting. That way, smaller essential items can be laundered near the bedrooms. “Any time we’re reconfiguring a master suite, [clients] say, ‘Can you incorporate a washer/dryer closet up here for us?’” he says.
That auxiliary spot cuts down on the heavy lifting of clean and dirty loads as well as the travel time to return laundered items to their shelves. Then the main-level laundry room (or a basement space) still serves as the go-to for washing bulky items, like sheets and blankets, he says.
A basement-level laundry room and its appliances can still be beautiful, functional and out of sight. David Waguespack, director of project development at Case Design, recalls a recent project where the clients sought a hidden solution: a bright white basement bonus room where, behind the cabinetry, the appliances quietly performed on spin cycle.
Hiding functional elements in tricked-out laundry rooms is common practice. Along with additional storage, designers and builders install closet rods to fit any niche for hang-drying items as well as fold-down ironing boards and drying racks that pop out when you need them and collapse behind a door or cabinet when you don’t.
Many of today’s laundry rooms are as highly designed as kitchens and baths, but such renovations don’t have to break the bank.
“A lot of people want to remodel their laundry rooms to make them prettier, so one of the things that we struggle with is balancing the budget with making it prettier,” Waguespack says. “I always suggest we start with the basic materials.” Attractive but simple cabinets and a more common-colored granite countertop help keep costs down but still feel luxurious and on-trend with kitchens and baths.
Highly designed laundry rooms can stretch beyond the mudroom and are often dual-purpose spaces, Bowers says. For a homeowner with a green thumb, Bowers’ team provided a place to bring in fresh-cut flowers from her garden and arrange them in vases, thanks to ample counter space and a well-placed apron-front sink, which can do double-duty for hand-washing delicates.
For a laundry room that’s off the kitchen, experts suggest following the existing color palette. When it comes to highly trafficked zones, creating a seamless transition from one space to another is preferable to maintain flow. Tina Beauchain, co-owner of Beauchain Builders, sometimes uses granite remnants for cost-saving laundry room countertops.
But for spaces that are out of sight for guests—maybe even behind a closed door—adding color and personality is more acceptable. And experts agree that laminate countertops are a great option: They are durable and come in a rainbow of hues.
And if color is what you’re after, add interest behind orderly open shelving with a painted accent wall, patterned wallpaper or even a vase of fresh flowers. If you’re considering new appliances, spice up the space with a pair of fire-engine red or cobalt blue machines.
Beauchain is currently working on a mudroom/laundry room that will give the mom a space that’s “functional, but also fun and attractive. It’s conveniently off their kitchen, so it’s something a lot of people will see if the door happens to be open. Of course, if everything is folded and neat, she won’t mind people looking inside.”
