Looking for laundry design ideas to help you plan the perfect laundry space? Here’s how to design a functional and stylish room, no matter what size or budget you have.
Designing a dream laundry room is not just about having a functional space to wash and dry clothes; it’s also about creating an environment that is visually appealing and enjoyable to spend time in. A well-designed laundry room can make the mundane task of doing a load of whites, or matching and pairing 25 pairs of school socks more enjoyable and efficient, ultimately saving you time and energy. From clever storage solutions to stylish decor, every element of the laundry room plays a role in enhancing its functionality and aesthetics.
Laundry Design: The Challenges
At first glance, the laundry room can appear to be a pretty simple room to design, but creating a functional and stylish laundry can be more challenging than you might imagine. The key challenges in most laundry renovations are:
- Maximising limited space - the laundry is one of the smallest spaces in most homes.
- Multi-functionality - the laundry room is one of the most used rooms in the house with many distinct functions and requirements.
- Laundries need a lot of storage for numerous oddly shaped objects such as ironing boards, vacuum cleaners, brooms and mops, clothes airers, chemicals and pet supplies.
- Laundries are often poorly designed to start with and often need to be reconfigured to maximise the space.
The Laundry Design Essentials
In this post, we’ll share some laundry design tips we’ve learnt over the years working as laundry designers and renovators in Sydney.
Given how unpleasant doing laundry is, let’s make your laundry room a place where you truly like spending time!
#1 Well-planned Laundry Storage
Ample well-planned storage options are essential for an uber-functional laundry room design. Plonking in a few cupboards without planning what exactly you want to store is a sure fire way to end up with clutter in your laundry, which often spills over into other areas of your house. Your aim should be that all items have a designated home, that way you won’t end up tripping over mops and buckets and bags of dog food.
Start with a Laundry Storage Stock Take
The best way to avoid this pitfall is to do a stock take of what you currently store in your laundry (you might be surprised how many non-laundry items you have stashed away in there). Once you have that list pre-plan a space for each item. Remember you are not limited to waist height cupboards. Consider a mix of small and tall cabinets, shelves, and different sized drawers to suit your needs.
This approach allows for organized storage where things are within easy reach (and not under your feet). Shelves are a good option for storing your laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and other laundry essentials that you need within easy reach. At least one full length cupboard is usually a good idea for storing away brooms and mops so they don’t get under foot. Drawers are also often under utilized in laundries and create easy to access storage for smaller items such as pegs, shopping bags, baskets and odds and ends like replacement mop heads.
Remember, laundry design is about more than just laundry...
When designing your dream laundry, it’s easy to overlook all the non-laundry related things most of us use our laundry room for. For most of us our laundry does double duty as a bit of a utility room – it’s a home from the vacuum cleaner, mop and bucket, broom, dog food and dog washing kit, the Roomba charging station, clothes airer and ironing board. With designated spaces for each product, it becomes effortless to locate and grab what you need without any hassle, so don’t forget these items need a home in your laundry design too.
By pre-planning your storage needs you can create a laundry where everything is neatly organized and accessible. This also means your benchtop space will remain clutter-free for sorting and folding or keeping clean and folded laundry until it can be put away.
Practical Tips for Designing Laundry Storage:
- When planning storage areas for the items you use most frequently, such as detergent and fabric softener, consider placing them above waist level to prevent constant bending to reach them.
- Allow enough storage space so you can stock up on essentials - When it comes to things like detergent, cleaning products and toilet paper, having the space to store larger quantities means you can save time and money buying in bulk, reduce the frequency of restocking trips and ensure you don't run out of essentials.
- Don't forget storage for non-laundry related items such as the mop and bucket, broom, cleaning equipment, dog washing kit etc.
- Increase utility by adding drawers - most of us are used to cupboards in laundries, but incorporating some drawers into your laundry design can help you maximise the space and alow you to organize a range of things such as vaccum cleaner attachments, dog grooming products, replacement mop heads and re-useable shopping bags
#2 Designated Area to Sort and Fold Laundry
Having a designated area for sorting and folding clean laundry can greatly improve efficiency and organization in your laundry routine. It provides a dedicated space where you can neatly arrange your clothes, towels, and linens, making it easier to find what you need when putting them away. Additionally, having a designated area helps prevent clean laundry from getting mixed up with dirty clothes or cluttering other areas of your home, creating a more streamlined and clutter-free living environment.
Do I really need a sink in my laundry room?
With space at a premium in most laundries you may be wondering if you can do away with that laundry sink in favour of more workable benchspace.
A laundry sink is definitely a useful addition to any laundry area for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it can be used for pre-treating stains, soaking clothes, and hand washing delicates. Secondly, a laundry sink can be used to fill up buckets or clean larger items that won’t fit in your washing machine. Overall, a laundry sink can greatly enhance the functionality of your laundry area and make laundry tasks easier and more efficient.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that having a larger sink for your laundry isn’t always the best option. Instead, focus on ensuring that you still have ample bench space to work with, as this will greatly enhance the functionality of your laundry area compared to just having a larger sink.
Having a designated area for sorting and folding clean laundry can greatly improve efficiency and organization in your laundry routine.
Practical Tip for Maximising Benchspace for Small Laundry Design:
When space is tight, you don’t have to give up on a folding and sorting station in your laundry. Pull out benchtops are a clever way to create workable benchspace and can then slide back away when you’re done. We integrate market-leading Blum components into many of our custom laundry renovation. You can checkout some of their quality pull-out benchspace solutions here.
#3 Pull-out hampers or baskets for sorting dirty laundry
This is probably the number one request we get when customers are looking to design a new laundry. If you’ve ever been elbow-deep in a smelly dirty clothes hamper trying to fish out all the white clothes or found yourself sorting piles of colours, whites and towels on the laundry floor, you know why this is such a big one. Separate, pull-out laundry hampers makes it so much easier to separate different types of laundry, such as whites and colors, and makes throwing in a load of “darks” a snap. No more sorting, sifting or fishing. Furthermore, designated hampers eliminates the need for unsightly laundry piles in other areas of the house, promoting a cleaner and more organized living environment.
#4 Create workflow with efficient laundry design layout
In addition to incorporating pull-out hampers or baskets, an efficient layout can greatly enhance the laundry workflow. Where possible, try to position your dirty clothes hamper next to the washer, the washer next to the dryer and the dryer next to a folding/sorting station, allowing for seamless transitions between washing, drying, and folding. Furthermore, having storage space for laundry supplies within easy reach of the washer can further streamline the process and maximize efficiency.
Common Measurements for Planning Laundry Design Layout
What is the height of a laundry bench in Australia?
The height of a laundry bench in Australia usually ranges from 900mm to 1050mm. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the height can vary depending on the intended use and personal preferences – if your family are all tall, a higher benchtop for sorting and folding can save alot of backache! If you are creating your own laundry design, it’s essential to bear in mind to allocate an additional 100 millimetres for the kickboards.
How deep should a laundry bench be in Australia?
The standard depth for a laundry bench in Australia is between 600mm and 650 millimeters, but it can vary depending on the specific needs and preferences of the user. Some people may prefer a deeper bench if they have larger appliances or need more workspace, while others may find a shallower bench to be sufficient. Ultimately, it’s important to choose a depth that will allow you to comfortably carry out your laundry tasks while also fitting within the available space in your laundry area.
To ensure your appliances fit seamlessly into your laundry area, it’s recommended to build benchtops and cupboards around them. It’s also important to consider the direction in which the doors of your machines open, as this will affect their placement within the available space. Researching these factors beforehand can help you make the most of your laundry area.
What height should laundry room cabinets be?
It is recommended that you maintain a minimum distance of 600 millimetres from the benchtop to the overhead cupboards. This will ensure that there is enough space for you to work comfortably. If you are planning to add a hanging rail, make sure that you have at least 800 millimetres of space available to hang clothes without any hindrance. Also, keep in mind that the standard width of overhead cabinetry is 300 millimetres to avoid accidentally hitting your head on it.
#5 Incorporate Hanging Space
Hanging rods or retractable clotheslines for air-drying delicate clothes or hanging shirts can also be incorporated into the laundry room design. This not only helps to preserve the quality of delicate fabrics but also saves energy by reducing the need for a dryer. Additionally, having a designated area for air-drying clothes prevents them from cluttering other areas of the house, creating a more organized and efficient laundry routine.
#6 Proper Lighting and Ventilation
Proper lighting and ventilation are essential elements in a well-designed laundry room. Installing bright overhead lights and adding windows or a skylight can all help create a well-lit and fresh environment. Adequate lighting ensures that you can easily see stains or spots on clothes, while good ventilation helps to prevent the buildup of odors and moisture in the room. This is especially important in a laundry room, as dampness and stagnant air can lead to mold and mildew growth in your home. A ventilation fan or open windows can help circulate fresh air and keep the space dry, ensuring a clean and healthy environment for your laundry tasks.
Summing Up...
An organized and efficient laundry room can greatly simplify the laundry process. With designated spaces for sorting, folding, and storing laundry supplies, it becomes easier to keep track of everything and find what you need quickly. This not only saves time but also reduces stress and frustration. Additionally, an efficient laundry room can help minimize energy consumption by optimizing the use of appliances and ensuring proper ventilation for drying clothes.
Need help bringing your laundry design and renovation to life?
The Waratah Kitchens designers can help you create a laundry that is supremely practical, space-saving and stylish for your home. We specialise in building custom cabinetry and storage solutions for laundries and can create the custom storage you need to hide away your detergents, cleaning chemicals, baskets and cleaning equipment in a beautiful, well-designed space and at an affordable value-for-money cost. You can book below for a complimentary design consultation to get helpful practical advice for your laundry reno and an obligation-free quote.
Not quite there yet? No worries, you can read more about our laundry renovation service in Sydney here, we also welcome you to call and speak to one of our designers with any questions (big or small) that you may have on (02) 9630 4111 or visit us at our showroom in North Rocks, Sydney.
Simply send us a few details and tell us a bit about your project and we’ll get back to you to organise a complimentary design consultation and quote to help you get the ball rolling.
