Many of our clients complete a laundry room makeover as an adjunct project to a kitchen or bathroom renovation. Is a new laundry room on your home improvement wish list? If so, here are some key considerations as you begin the planning process.
Multi Purposed?
How will your laundry room function? Is it the entrance into the house from your garage? Does your laundry room also serve as your mud room, where you store and drop off the kid’s sports equipment, school bags and shoes? Or is it an overflow pantry space for kitchen items. Will the laundry room also act as “pet central” where you bathe your pets and store their items? Are you a gardener, who uses that extra sink in the laundry area for potting plants and cleaning up garden supplies? As you can see, the laundry room can serve many purposes!
Seen or Secluded?
Another important consideration is the location of your laundry room. Is it on the first floor, in the basement or on the second floor, where most of the dirty clothes are located? Will your laundry room contents and activities be seen by guests or closed off in a private area? Depending on when and how you do your laundry the location will be a factor. A second floor laundry can be noisy if laundry is done at night. A window may be on the wish list if you want natural light while doing laundry during daylight hours.
Other Considerations
Other important considerations for your laundry area include the type of washer and dryer you are going to install. Will you use the newer front loaders, or traditional top loading washer and dryer. Stackables are also an option if you are short on space. Will your dryer be electric or gas. Having the proper hook ups are key and those hook ups should be directly where the machines will be placed.
Countertop space is crucial if you have a large amount of laundry to fold, and remember, there are so many materials to choose from. Also plan for hanging space if you have a lot of non-dryables in your wardrobe.
Extra storage space for brooms and cleaning supplies, a large utility sink, and a wipe-able paint for the walls are also things to keep in mind. For more information on what you need to consider before taking on that laundry room renovation check out these additional articles:
