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12 Features To Have You Wishing Every Day Was Wash Day
It’s wash day here at Houzz…and we are about to make doing the laundry a whole lot more fun! Did you know the average American family does 400 loads of laundry a year! Wow! That’s a lot of washing, drying, ironing and folding!
Pick up any current home design or renovation magazine and you’ll quickly find that laundry rooms aren’t just places to wash clothes anymore. Instead, they have grown in size, gradually morphing into multi-usage rooms where you are likely to find potting shelves, muddy shoes, pet bowls and televisions. Yep, televisions…where else will you watch your favorite “soap operas.” (Hee, hee) Glad you guys can’t throw tomatoes through the computer!
Laundry rooms have definitely changed for the better. No longer are they the purely functional, not-so attractive spaces they once were. Whenever I think of the laundry rooms of yester-year, I can’t help but picture the scene in the movie, Home Alone, where Kevin is forced to venture into their dark, foreboding basement to retrieve his freshly-laundered clothing. If you are embarking on a laundry room addition/renovation, here are 12 ideas to take the fear out of facing those 400 loads of laundry...
Pick up any current home design or renovation magazine and you’ll quickly find that laundry rooms aren’t just places to wash clothes anymore. Instead, they have grown in size, gradually morphing into multi-usage rooms where you are likely to find potting shelves, muddy shoes, pet bowls and televisions. Yep, televisions…where else will you watch your favorite “soap operas.” (Hee, hee) Glad you guys can’t throw tomatoes through the computer!
Laundry rooms have definitely changed for the better. No longer are they the purely functional, not-so attractive spaces they once were. Whenever I think of the laundry rooms of yester-year, I can’t help but picture the scene in the movie, Home Alone, where Kevin is forced to venture into their dark, foreboding basement to retrieve his freshly-laundered clothing. If you are embarking on a laundry room addition/renovation, here are 12 ideas to take the fear out of facing those 400 loads of laundry...
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1. Chief Laundry Washer gets to pick the color scheme for the laundry room...no matter what that color might be. Even if it makes you dream of cotton candy...especially, if it makes you dream of cotton candy! :-)
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2. Sorting is down right fun when you can practice your hoop shots. Don't forget, towels on the left, whites in the center and bright colors on the right...or else it's pink underwear for everyone!
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3. Think storage and convenience! Keep detergent, bleach, and fabric softener within easy reach. Baskets/containers are great for clothespins and wayward socks. Don't forget a trash can...it comes in handy for throwing away old dryer sheets and that fuzzy "blanket" the dryer makes.
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4. A sink is a fabulous feature in any laundry room. I use mine for rinsing out paint brushes and for filling up watering cans and pet bowls. Also, it really comes in handy for the occasional detergent spill.
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5. A nice big table for folding clothes is definitely a luxury item in most laundry rooms since they require a good bit of space. But what a great feature to have, if you do have the room.
by House to Home
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6. Now here's something that won't take up much space...a wall-mounted holder for your iron and ironing board. What a great way to keep them up and out of the way when not in use. Note the drying rack...another terrific feature to squeeze in if you have the wall space.
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7. To ensure the ironing board stays up on the wall as much as possible, consider a hanging rod for shirts and slacks that could easily wrinkle if not hung right away.
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8. This may be my favorite laundry room accoutrement of all...a television! I'm not a big t.v. watcher, but clothes will almost iron themselves when you're watching your favorite show or movie.
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9. Your laundry room will be "loads" of fun with a touch of whimsy here and there. If there's one room in your home where you can let your hair down and have some fun...it's the laundry room. Have at it!
by The Shabby Nest
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10. Lighting plays such an important part in any room. Why not enjoy a little soft lamplight in this space, too. During parties, I will often use the island in my laundry room for refill items. Lamplight would be so nice for those extra runs to grab more sodas and such. Yep, I'm totally stealing this idea!
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11. If you happen to have a sunny window in your laundry space, plants will make the room feel extra cheerful. Imagine this room minus the luscious greenery...just wouldn't be the same.
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12. Have fun with the decor! Add a touch of nostalgic memorabilia as a reminder of how far wash day has really come!
I think even Kevin would enjoy retrieving his clothes from these wonderful laundry rooms. :-)
Please share...what's your favorite must-have feature for the laundry room?
I think even Kevin would enjoy retrieving his clothes from these wonderful laundry rooms. :-)
Please share...what's your favorite must-have feature for the laundry room?
Ideabook updated on June 2, 2010.
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Mary
Great idea book as always... Just wanted to add that, for those who don't have too much space for folding clothes, a good way to gain some is to put a counter which goes all the way above washer and dryer. I did it when we renovated our laundry room. The difference is amazing. So much practical and cleaner! Since the counter has to be deeper to cover the appliances, the cabinets were pulled forward, allowing all the plumbing to run behind them. Therefore, even more space inside for storage.
I am very fortunate to have a laundry room big enough for a table where I do my sewing, a chest of drawers to store shoes and grandchildren's toys. and even a rocking chair. When our little ones come and visit, it becomes their game room. They just love it!
cabinet wall
Or, if you go with a stacking set like in this link below, you could have a louvered door that closes to hide them when not in use.
Laundry Room
:-)