Designs for Living: Cheerful Laundry Rooms

judy1857 Can't we live without a TV in at least one room??

woofwoof I'd love to see some input on the machines themselves......like are these front loaders all they're cracked up to be? I ask because we have to buy new machines very soon.

Jennifer Avery Suddenly I have the urge to paint some stripes! And my laundry room does need some attention.

Janell Beals - House of Fifty Mag I do appreciate my front loading machines, very easy to move the washed clothes from the washer to the dryer and I really value the energy savings, the washer uses significantly less water.

lurchsmum however, whites do not stay white for long. Doesn't seem to matter which cycle I use, whites after a few washes look dirty. I notice, too, that many of the kids at our school wear whites that are not very white.

patscats2 Wow, who wouldn't mind doing laundry in those gorgeous rooms. The chandelier is a bit much though. LOL

janeinglenellyn The front loader, from my experience, is great for saving water, but it beats the heck out of your clothing, which is why it doesn't stay white looking. So you lose in costs of washables. And I agree with the person above, who says it doesn't matter which cycle (or which magic combo of detergents, etc.). We are back to pounding on rocks to save our water supply. Also front loaders can't handle very large items, like top loaders used to, so more trips to the laundromat. I'm sorry I got mine.

jeg700 700 Front loaders also smell because there is always some standing water...even with the products out there to run through the machines. Simple solution for me is to leave the washer door open at all times (possible because the laundry facilities are in the basement).

rustyboy Love my front loaders. I have Samsung. No problem with withes, no problems with odor (just leave the door open a bit to allow it to air between loads), huges savings on water, and unlike top loaders with agitators, it tumbles clothes rather then tug them up and down. No complaints here.

rustyboy Sorry, should have been whites!! And love these laundry rooms!

kbramblett Oh my goodness, I can't believe the comments about the front loaders. Mine are awesome! My clothes have never been cleaner & I haven't been to the laundromat in the 5 years I've had them. I can fit my king size comforter in there comfortably.

in3interieur Great idea to decorate a laundry room with chandeliers, colorful walls and nice storage solutions. Nice pictures.

Linda McMahon I have a relatively new townhome (3 years old) and the laundry room was a complete afterthought by the builder. Tucked in behind the finished portion of my basement, beside the furnace and water heater. No drywall, just pipes and heat ducts - its a depressing place! Its on my "to do" list but unfortunately will be a few years down the road, after all my other home reno projects! These pictures make me totally jealous!

txdreamhouse Old top loaders rule or so says my repairman. I have 30 year old top loaders and have had two minor repairs in that time span and the last repairman offered me money for both should I wish to part with them. My 'frontloading' girlfriend has to wash, once month(!) with a can of frozen lemonade (mild acid rinse) in order to get the mildew smell out as well as remove the door gasket 1x week to keep the mildew out. You also can't pre-soak anything which is invaluable in order to get whites their whitest. No thanks, I'll take my top loader anyday (and so would my girlfriend but can't admit it publicly since she spent so much $$$ on them).

Creative Decor by Mandi Great inspirational photos! Laundy rooms seldom get the decorating attention they deserve! A lovely laundry room certainly makes the wash cycle less of a chore! :)
Check out the extra large top loading washers without an agitator...energy efficient and great for doubling up wash loads! Love mine!

imdoogan My front loader is the worst investment I've ever made. sure, it's pretty. but it doesnt do the job. Tough on clothes, stinks, and I have to hand wash anything with stains, which, with three kids, adds up to about 75% of my laundry. from what I understand, people are paying top dollar for older top loader machines that have bee refurbished. a very lucrative business right now, since due to Govt. Regulations they can't be made anymore.

kaybelle9 My laundry room is boring white... This gives me the itch to paint it!
I was not happy with my front loaders because of smells, wipe downs, leaving the doors open... I was ready to toss them out! Then I got a tip from the repair man. He said that many people use too much liquid laundry detergent, (which is made from animal fat) and it's too soapy for the little amount of water that the machines use. He suggested switching to HE powder detergent. Ever since the switch I have had no smell, my clothes are cleaner, and I never have to buy the special cleaners. One thing is certain, They definitely did NOT tell me how much maintenance the machine would take before selling me the machine!

denverglamgal The blue is a very "clean-wash" color! The olive green doesn't feel very "clean" to me, though. The orange-red is a nice change and unexpected.
Re: Front-load washers- they are the pits! Everything stated previously is true: constant musty odor (even in Colorado, which is a dry climate!), rips clothes on high speeds, and HORRIBLE vibration, even when installed in the basement! I would give mine back in a heartbeat!

househungry fun! but what about the rest of us that only have a laundry 'closet'?... the chandelier is a must though!

dancingfish A girl can dream of a laundry room like those! Living with a laundry room in the unfinished part of the basement makes one feel like cinderella without the ball!

I have the front loaders... returned my first set after 3 weeks... due to noise levels. Got another brand and have had issues with the smells others remarked about. I was told the seal has to be so tight to keep water in that it all just molds over. The solution is to keep your doors open. Unacceptable to me.. but I am forced to do it. There are alot of class action suits over these products.. never again for me.. top loading is the way to go! I really miss my old machine and the ability to soak clothes prior to washing.
Also I noticed none of the pictures had the washers on pedestals?? is that for design?

12steps4remodel Wow, great comments. We're planning on a remodel of an old cottage and the mudroom will have to combine to be the laundry off the kitchen. I was hoping to do front loaders to have the counters on top for folding etc. After these comments, I'm not sure I do! I wonder if I could do a top loader washer and a front loader dryer (with the controls on front) and at least get some counter space--would that look wierd?

gwenaele Pendergast I have the top loader washer and front loader dryer and it doesn't look weird at all. They both from the same brand so same size and design. The only thing I would tell you to watch is the size of the machines. They are taller that a normal cabinet to if you plan to put a countertop, plan in consequences. I moved into a house that already had a sink above a cabinet and a countertop that extended further in oder to put the machine in the space left available. Unfortunately, the machine being taller, it doesn't fit under the counter. Also, many front loader dryer still have the buttons on top so you can't put a countertop. A detail that seems obvious but when you're on a middle of a renovation, sometimes you forget the details, just want to remind you that.

busylady Just bought my second set of front-loading washer/dryer. Previously, I had Maytag Neptune machines, which I had problems with mildew/mold and also problems with it draining after rinsing occasionally. Still, they lasted 20 years! Now I bought LG 4.3 cu ft (I think that's how they measure) and was told to make sure not to use liquid detergent, always powder, and use about 1/2 of what the detergent says to use (just gunks up the machine). I add bleach to my wash about once a month to get dishcloths and towels really white and I'm very pleased with the results! If you are getting a lot of vibration, the feet are probably not levelled properly or you haven't set the option for controlling vibration (which I have). Very quiet machines and they hold a lot more than a top loading because you can fill them up totally! Great for washing pillows and comforters because there is no center agitator.

ruffslitch If you want to go with top loaders and still want counter space maybe you could install a fold-down countertop above the W/D combo. You could lift it up and out of the way while you load the machines then fold it down when you want to fold clothes. A fold-up counter will not accumulate junk like stationary counters do so it will be empty for laundry when you need it!!

I like the laundry room with a desk and banquettes-what a lovely way to pay the bills, read a book, and do laundry!

Peggi Worth I am really surprised by the comments about front loaders. I LOVE mine... will NEVER go back to a top loader. I've had them about 18 months, have never had a smell in them, my clothes have never been cleaner, and I have noticed my clothes stay new looking longer. Also, mine has a presoak setting that works great for really dirty clothes & I have a farm so some of my clothes are really dirty. I have a countertop over both machines that I use for folding & it is so convenient (although it does tend to gather 'stuff'.) My washer/dryer is probably my favorite part of my new house.

jesully I just love the last laundry. That's what I'll have in my dream house. I love the green and the stripes. Thanks for all the comments about the machines. I have a top loader which I love, but I was thinking of getting a front loader next time to save water and do the right thing, but these comments have made me rethink that idea. I think I'll stick to what I love.

secretcityranch We have a front loader, and are so much happier with it than with our old top loader. It's much gentler on the clothes, since there's no agitator for straps and delicates to get snagged on or stretched out.

lindseyakin I'm a front loader fan too. The top-loader we had (washer and dryer) in our old rental was *brutal* on our clothes - I've never seen so much pilling, creasing etc, and with the big central agitator (which I feel was what was doing the damage), I couldn't fit that much in either.

When we bought our house, we got Samsung front loaders and I love them. The bigger capacity ones. I'm fine to leave the washer door open, doesn't bother me one bit, but my machines are in the basement. I feel like my clothes are just as clean, if not more so (they're HE machines so we use whatever HE liquid detergent is on sale at Target :-)

I grew up in the UK and everyone there has front loaders and have done for years - I'd actually never seen a top loader till I came over here. I never thought anyone had dirty clothes, and I never noticed smells in anyones house either, and most people have laundry in their kitchen or butler pantry type rooms there, given the space issues, so it would definitely have been noticeable.

jaycee My experience is that would-be home owners don't always pay enough attention to the design of the laundry. And these photo's clearly show that this is a mistake.

lara_jane Beautiful rooms! I'm sure laundry wouldn't be such a drag when you're in cheerful, pretty setting! The chandelier is particularly fun!

I'm curious about these comments on top-loaders vs. front-loaders. I'd love to know the manufacturers of the brands you're talking about, because some of you are adamant that your way is the best way, but I'm sure it makes a huge difference which brand you're using!

For the record, my mother-in-law's repairman said he prefers top-loaders, and DEFINITELY get machines with old-school dials rather than digital/computerized ones because they're less likely to go out and cheaper to fix when they do.

lara_jane *manufacturers of the MACHINES you're talking about... (sorry!)

maritala what is the point of the tv???? ..... very impractical, the room is narrow.... not understanding that one at all.....

bldgahousesoon would love to see more modern applications in the laundry room. these photos seem boring, dated and lack excitement.

mfpgrits If I had the money I would ditch my front loader washer and buy a top load. I am so tired of my towels stinking, whites are dingy and I leave the door open all the time when not using. And you can't soak stained stuff. Really miss that!

maude321 I have the same GE front loaders that are in many of the laundry room pictures above. They follow 30 years of top loaders and I love them. Both my old top loaders and my front loaders will shake with an unbalanced load. It is not a problem with a specific type of washer. There is no smell if you just soak up the water from underneath the rubber seal between loads. Two seconds of effort and no smell, no mold and you can keep the doors closed. I find the front loader is gentle on clothes, gets stains out as well as the top loader did and saves water and energy. The dryer is so much more efficient as to be unbelievable.

morristodo lurchsman, are you using a gas dryer? A gas dryer can cause whites to yellow. That's why I switched back to an electric one.

lurchsmum thanks for the thought, but, no, I don't use a gas dryer. Mother Nature applies her cosmic powers to dry my clothes. Sadly, I think it is the washing machine.