For many first-time homebuyers, It might be tempting to skim over the laundry room when planning or designing your new home. After all, it’s not a room for entertaining or day-to-day living, so why would you dedicate more time to designing the space?
The truth is that a laundry room is so much more than just a room to put washing appliances. It’s also an opportunity to create a functional storage space that can hold your washing, shoes, clutter, cleaning equipment, ironing boards, and even pet supplies.
Here at Icon Homes, we believe that every room of your home should be consciously designed to improve your day-to-day living and the comfort of your family. With the right storage solutions, your laundry room can be much more than just a place for washing and ironing.
Laundry Storage Solutions
The best way to design your laundry room is to design around your laundry appliances and create great storage opportunities and solutions such as cupboards and shelves.
Laundry room appliances
The first step is to decide precisely which laundry appliances you would like. Do you want a front-loader or top-loader washing machine? Do you want a dryer or washing line?
Think of your laundry appliances as a non-negotiable centrepiece of your laundry room. They need to be easily accessible with the right electrical outlets and plumbing connections, and all your cabinets, cupboards, and counters should be tailored to fit them. As a general rule, you’ll need to make sure benchtops are deep enough to fit the entire appliance (usually around 65cm).
Cupboards and Shelves
Think of your laundry room as a functional storage space. It’s where you can do your washing and ironing and a space to store cleaning supplies, tools, outdoor equipment, and anything else you can squeeze in. That’s why it’s so important to have the right storage solutions without compromising on functionality.
Cupboards, counters, drawers, open shelves, and even overhead cupboards will add so much more practical storage to your home than you think. Cupboards and shelves of varying heights, depths, and widths will give you a more versatile solution. Overhead cupboards are a great solution for keeping cleaning supplies out of reach of small children.
Broom Cupboard
A broom cupboard in your laundry will be one of the best additions to your home. It’s a space to store your brooms, mops, vacuum, and other cleaning equipment. Broom cupboards tend to be 240cm high or more to fit most cleaning equipment. Make sure your cupboard is also deep enough to fit buckets, your vacuum, and other bulky items.
If you’re relying on an outdoor clothesline for drying, you should also consider getting a smaller indoor clothing rack for rainy days. Depending on the size of your clothes rack, a deep, tall broom cupboard is the best place to store it away.
If you also need a space to store your vacuum and vacuuming attachments, install a shelf or two at the bottom of the broom cupboard. This small compartment can also be a storage spot for dustpan and brushes.
Dirty Clothes Storage
Creating a dedicated space in your laundry for dirty clothes is a great way to avoid piles of clothes blocking your space.
Whether you have a laundry hamper or a basket drawer under the counter, storage for dirty clothes makes washing easier, your home cleaner, and your laundry room more efficient. If you have space, consider having a dedicated space for darks, coloured, and white clothes to make sorting the washing even faster.
Ironing Station
Installing an ironing board that folds up into the wall or cupboard space will give you more room to move around the space. Ensure a power outlet is close to the ironing station, and don’t forget to create a nook to store your iron when it’s not in use.
Space for your Pets
Lastly, a laundry room can be a great spot for your pet’s food, toys, and a litter tray if you have a cat. If your laundry room connects to the exterior of your home or acts as a mudroom, installing a small pet door will allow your furry friend to come and go as they please effortlessly. You can also include some wall pegs or a cupboard to store your dog’s lead or outdoor toys.
Icon Homes believes in helping you design your dream home, and we believe that storage solutions designed for your family’s needs are a key part of good living. If you want to maximise storage space in your new home, speak with one of our expert team members today.
