Photography: Are Media Syndication
If the housewives of yesteryear saw our laundries today, they’d be blown away by how stylish they are. What used to be an unlovely nook in the darkest corner of the house, or even a garden outhouse, has morphed into an opportunity for creative expression.
Kate Rogan of Rogan Nash Architects says laundries are a great place to add some colour to your home or show off an interesting tile. “We find people often want the laundry to look or feel less serious than the rest of their home.”
They’re primarily private spaces, so why not have some fun and make the chores less of a bore? Depending on your attitude to doing the washing, you might opt for bright, invigorating colours to energise you while you tackle the weekly wash. Or you might prefer a neutral colour palette to soothe you while you work your way through the ironing pile. Natural materials, wood grains and plants create a calming mood.
Whether your laundry is a dedicated room, a cupboard in the hall, or a corner of your garage, some must-have elements will help it work smoothly for you.
First and foremost, don’t skimp on storage. Aim for mostly closed cupboards and drawers to hide the clutter – maybe with a few open shelves if you can trust yourself to keep them tidy. Add pull-out laundry bins or hampers for sorting lights, darks and delicates, and store cleaning products and chemicals in a lockable or high cupboard out of reach of little hands.
Include enough bench space for folding clothes, trimming flowers, wrapping gifts and all the other activities that end up happening in the laundry. You’ll also need a big tub, ideally with a flexible gooseneck mixer to make easy work of cleaning everything from muddy football boots to small dogs.
Add a rail above the tub for clothes waiting to be ironed, or a hanging drying rack or indoor clothesline on a pulley system for easy indoor airing. If you prefer to use a folding drying rack, design a cupboard big enough to tuck it away out of sight after use.
Most of all, take this design opportunity to personalise your laundry for your own needs. “Think about what you need the most in the space,” says Kate. “Maybe you don’t want a dryer as you hang things on the line. Maybe you like to keep linen or the broom in a different room. Maybe you want to raise the washer and dryer so they are easier to reach.”
When Kate and her fellow architect and design partner Eva Nash designed Kate’s laundry, they made sure they included a spot for a distinctive Vitra Uten.Silo RE wall storage system Kate had coveted since she was a child. “One of my friends had it in their bedroom next to their desk,” she says. “I have wanted to have one of my own all of this time.”
The luxury of a separate laundry
Kate and Eva have noticed there’s a move back to dedicated laundry rooms. “We have found that people like to have a separate room for the laundry, if space allows. Maybe it’s because there are so many great examples on Instagram and people get inspired.”
If you’re lucky enough to be designing a home from scratch, think carefully about where you position the laundry in the floor plan. In Kate’s home, the laundry room adjoins the kitchen scullery, an arrangement that she finds practical. “It just makes sense. When you’re in the kitchen, you’re busy with family life – so it seems efficient for them to be close together.”
If possible, make sure your laundry has an external door giving easy access to the washing line and a window for natural light and garden views (if you install a pull-out ironing board, position it so you have a view out the window while you iron). Laundries often double as a mud room or back-door entry to the home, in which case you’ll need hooks and cubby holes for sports gear, school bags, shoes, umbrellas and other items you don’t want cluttering up your front entryway.
Laundries also often end up home to practical-but-not-pretty household items unrelated to their primary function of washing clothes and linens – think the step ladder, vacuum cleaner and brooms and mops. Make a list of all these essentials, then measure them if necessary to make sure there’s a cupboard big enough to store them.
Cupboard love
Not everyone has the space, or the desire, for a separate laundry room. In a smaller house or apartment, it’s often more practical to tuck the washing machine, dryer and laundry tub away in a cupboard in a hallway, family room or bathroom. This works particularly well if you have small children, as you can keep an eye on them while you pump through those endless loads of tiny clothes and bedding.
Stack the dryer over the washer to make room for a sink with a cupboard underneath and open storage above, or have them side-by-side at floor level with a bench running across the top and storage above. If your space is particularly tight, consider using a combined washer and dryer, and if you can’t vent the space to the outdoors, go for a condenser or heat pump dryer to prevent moisture build-up.
Make sure the space is well-lit, with lighting that automatically turns on when you open the cupboard doors and choose quiet appliances so you don’t have to listen to them churning away while you’re trying to relax.
Multi-tasking spaces
Many new-build homes, especially townhouses, are designed with the laundry in the corner of an internal-access garage. This arrangement has the advantage of lots of space to set up drying racks on a drizzly day, but you might find you want to add more storage customised to your needs, whether it’s a set of modular cupboards or industrial open shelving.
Invest in a wheeled caddy or washing hamper for easy transportation between the house, the garage and the washing line. You may wish to store your clean linen in a cupboard indoors.
Make sure lighting is adequate to the task, and if you’re likely to be spending a lot of time there, brighten up the space with a bold feature wall, wallpaper or decals.
The $1K Glow-Up
Budget-friendly ideas for a quick laundry refresh:
- A new coat of paint is the fastest, cheapest way to transform your laundry space. For added drama, paper one wall with a bold wallpaper or DIY some colourful tiles behind the tub
- Add practical accessories for maximum space efficiency, whether it’s a clothes rail over the sink, a hanging shoe rack, over-the-door hooks or a wheeled trolley for extra storage
- If you’re renting, splash out on stylish laundry accessories that you can take with you when you go. Think of a colourful rug for the floor, fancy caddies for your laundry powder or some hanging plants
- If you’re redoing the laundry as a follow-up to a kitchen makeover, consider repurposing some of the kitchen cabinetry.
The $5K Makeover
Hacks for a mid-range makeover:
- If your laundry is functional but tired, refreshing the surfaces while retaining the layout will give it a new lease of life without busting the budget. Kate suggests saving money by choosing less-expensive materials, such as stainless steel for the benchtop and melamine for the cupboards
- Replace dated tapware and light fittings with sleek modern designs
- Install mosaic-print vinyl flooring. It’s durable, disguises the mud and is easy to clean
- Replace your tired washer and dryer with new appliances, maybe in a new black or graphite grey finish instead of the standard whiteware. Look for low water, energy-efficient and smart-tech features such as remote operation from an app, auto-cycle select and a steam refresh cycle. Oh, and our personal favourite – the ability to add items after the wash has started.
5 Ways to Make Laundry Day Easy
- Prevent back strain by installing your washer and dryer at eye level instead of on the floor. Install a pull-out shelf underneath to sit your washing basket on while getting the laundry in and out.
- If you’re building a multi-level home, add a laundry chute to deliver dirty washing directly to the wash basket.
- Keep a small basket handy for the solo socks that invariably emerge from the washing machine alone. Eventually, their partner will appear, and you can reunite them.
- Clean your machine. Even your washer needs a wash itself every once in a while.
- Keep a luxury hand cream by the tub to restore your skin.
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