The laundry room doesn’t have to be relegated to the basement any longer. While basement placement certainly puts the dirty clothes out of sight and out of mind, it doesn’t do much in the way of convenience. No one wants to climb up and down stairs with a cumbersome laundry basket in hand. It’s also not very safe because it’s a tripping hazard. If you can, why not incorporate your laundry room into other areas of your home?

People have been moving the laundry upstairs for a while now and we don’t see that changing, but while first floor laundry is always a common choice, many people in 2 story homes are choosing to put their laundry area on the second floor closer to bedrooms. That is where most of the dirty clothes are collected and it makes putting clothes away easier as well.  However, other homeowners prefer the laundry on the first floor where they spend more of their time and can manage turning over multiple loads as they move through their day. These are important things to think about when you consider the best place for your laundry. Maybe when you add that suite or remodel a bath, you want to consider moving the laundry as well.

Hiding Spots

To keep your laundry appliances out of the way in a bathroom or perhaps an unused back room, install a sliding pocket door. Not only is it easy to close this room off from the rest of the home, but it also saves on space in a small bathroom where a full swinging door would hamper the ability to fully open the appliance doors.

Task-Based Design

An efficient laundry room is a smooth-running laundry room. No one wants to spend more time than they have to doing laundry. That’s why you should keep all your laundry essentials in one place. Many homeowners today may have a small shelf over their appliances to keep detergent and fabric softener but have to carry piles of laundry to a bedroom or living room in order to fold and sort it all. If you have the luxury of space in your laundry room, think storage: how can you maximize available space yet handle all your laundry tasks in one room?

Arrange your work surfaces to ensure the smooth flow of multi-tasking. For example, it should be easy to grab a load of towels from the washer, into the dryer, up onto a counter for folding, and onto shelves above for storage. Shelving above the appliances can store all your detergent and other supplies. If you have ample space, you can install a laundry sink for washing your delicates or pre-treating stains.

If you’re designing a room from scratch, think zones. Ideally, you should separate your laundry into a wet zone and dry zone. Place washing machine and sink side by side for ease of plumbing installation and streamlined tasks. Place the dryer, shelves, racks and an ironing board in another area.

With a little planning and good design, you can better accommodate this task and make it as convenient and enjoyable as possible.