Redesigning Laundry - What are the ESSENTIALS?

19 years ago

We have a small-ish Laundry Room off of our kitchen. At present it has space enough for our washer, dryer, freezer (for extra food storage), cabinets on both sides, and a hanging bar for clothes about 3ft.

We are getting ready to rip out the old cabinets and update the room to match our newly remodeled kitchen. Problem is I can't find many pictures of laundry rooms for design inspiration.

Since I'm kindof a "visual - need to see a picture" sort of gal, I'm wondering if anyone has pics they can share? Or a list of what you would have in your ideal laundry? For example, we have a great, big single bowl sink about 15 ft. away in our kitchen. On a limited budget is it worth putting in a separate laundry sink?

Thanks,

GG

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Comments (3)

weedly
19 years ago
Hi!

I don't think a sink is mandatory or necessary, considering you have your kitchen sink in place a few feet away. I don't use a sink very often in the laundry, but you could use it to wash off a stain before you pre-treat, etc. Of course, with the kitchen sink that close, you could just use it.

An important thing for me concerning the laundry is organization. I like having a place for the laundry products, I also like having a folding area and subsequent storage for folded laundry until it gets put away.

I have a huge laundry room (we rent a house in Germany) in the basement, so I have a dedicated folding table, a smooth white shelving unit to hold folded clothes until they go upstairs, and I have bins to sort laundry. I also have a rolling hanging bar, a drying rack, and my ironing board with iron.

You need a place to hang clothes for certain. You might like to set up an ironing center in your space. Storage to keep things organized will help you keep everything in its place.

Make a list of your priorities and work from there.

Good luck!
bluesbarby
19 years ago
A small sink is very useful if you like to soak items - which I do. And I have 2 girls who like to soak items or hand wash unmentionables. I have a bathroom sink close by to my laundry closet, in the guest bath, but then if guests come(or the kids want to use the bathroom)I have a problem. So I end up using a square bucket which almost always spills when I go to fill or empty. I really miss having a sink in my laundry. It was also my utility sink for paint brushes, seeding etc. My kitchen sink is strictly for food.
When I need a new washer/dryer I plan to get a stacking unit so I can have a sink installed in the closet.
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weedly
19 years ago
My German laundry does have a sink, but it drains into the cistern beneath the basement, so lots of suds there is bad.

I guess I don't soak much laundry. I have run the pre-soak cycle on my machine to loosen stains, and that has worked well.

The addition of a sink might be nice, but considering you are on a budget, a bucket might be a better option. Configuring the drain and the water service to the sink will likely require the skills of a plumber, and a construction plumber at that. Not cheap.