Feb
25
Make it Squeaky Clean: Why The Laundry Room Should be Your Next Remodel

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Even though our households depend on them, we don’t give much thought to designing laundry rooms. Building codes propose no standard laundry room size, shape, or layout, so many homeowners choose to fit them into whatever space they have left after other rooms are planned out. Some even delegate them to dark basement corners or garages, both of which are neither spacious nor pleasant enough to spend more than 10 minutes in a row. To make doing your laundry less of a chore, consider these amazing laundry room remodeling tips.

What is your laundry remodel goal?

First, you need to ask yourself why are you remodeling the laundry room in the first place and what features you want to add. The answers will show you the direction which you should go, the decisions you’re going to make, and most importantly, your budget. You may want to work in the space you already have, or relocate the laundry to another part of your house. Either way, you need to decide whether you’re going to keep it to buying new appliances and redecorating, or full-scale remodel that includes knocking down walls and relining the plumbing routes.

How do you imagine your space?

For many homeowners, a laundry room is so much more than a place to do laundry. People like to store many items there, especially because it’s more convenient than keeping them in the basement or outside shed. When planning the remodel, make sure to leave plenty of floor and vertical storage option, as you may want to use the space like a mudroom, storage closet for brooms and vacuum cleaners, butler pantry, HQ for sorting out your utility bills and tax reports, and even a home office.

 

What makes the ideal location?

An ideal place for a laundry room is somewhere you can reach with minimal effort. In general, this should be the floor that contains your main living area, ideally on the first floor. This is especially important if a family member has mobility issues or finds it hard to shuttle up and down the stairs, especially when carrying a large load of laundry. Depending on the home size, others like to position the laundry on the same level as their bedroom, main bathroom, gym, and other locations that generate dirty laundry. If these locations are on different levels of your house, make sure the laundry is the closest to one that generates the most dirty clothes.

Look for inspiring designs online

Create a laundry room inspiration board on Pinterest to see how others have solved their laundry room issues. Pay special attention to rooms similar in shape and size to yours, as there you can get ideas you probably didn’t think of. A simple bench with wall hooks doesn’t take much space but allows you to use the laundry room as the mudroom, as well. If you`re looking for professional insights on built-in upgrades and combos, click here for laundry designs that are both modern and functional, whether in the straight line or L-shaped configuration. If you have the whole room at your disposal, you may even go with a built-in U-shaped laundry, as it maximizes your storage, while giving you easy access to everything you need, from ironing boards to hanging racks. On the main floor, you can design the space with large windows, or at least employ an architect to help you find the best artificial light solution for your laundry room.

Choose what to do yourself and what to outsource.

No matter how skilled you are, there are still things you should delegate to professionals. You may have to move a gas line or electrical wiring, which is something you should never try to do yourself, as unlicensed work can put you in a lot of trouble if an accident happens. Another thing you should outsource is storage. Depending on the scope of your remodel, it may take weeks, so if you lack room for the laundry appliances, don’t hesitate to use a self-storage unit. If you want to save costs and DIY as much as you can, keep it down to demolition, laying tiles, installing drywall, and decoration.

Should you get a front-loader or top-loader?

If your laundry room remodeling coincides with the purchase of the new washing machine, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of both configurations and how each would fit into your new space. Front-loaders have faster spin cycles and are generally considered to clean better than most top loaders. On top of it, pardon the pun, a front-loader can be stacked with a dryer to free floor space or fitted under a countertop. Top-loaders, for their case, have shorter wash cycles than front-loaders, have a larger capacity than front-loaders of the same size, and allow you to add more laundry during the washing cycle.

Despite its importance, the laundry room is often the most overlooked space, and the one many people would remodel last. However, as a space that sees daily use, it can significantly improve the style and functionality of your home, while making doing laundry less of burden and more of a relaxing and mind-clearing chore.


By: Lilly Miller
Lilly is a graphic designer and a passionate writer. Loves everything about home decor, art history and baking. Shares home with two loving dogs and a gecko named Rodney. Based in Sydney, but world is her playground.


 

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