Doing the laundry doesn’t have to be such a chore. Homeowners are requesting nicer laundry rooms that keep them close to other activities and the rest of the family. The consensus among design pros is that the laundry room is getting more attention, but where and how it functions depends on owner preferences. Dave Heigl, CKD, heads CabinetWerks Design Studio for Orren Pickell Designers & Builders in Lincolnshire, Ill., and has seen a strong trend toward upscale multipurpose rooms. “We’re seeing laundry rooms that serve several purposes on the main floor,” Heigl explains, adding that “laundry rooms are sometimes going to the second floor closer to bedrooms—we’ve even done two laundry rooms for a few high-end homes.”
The tough choice for homeowners is whether they want facilities upstairs where the clothes are or downstairs so they can do laundry and other tasks simultaneously, observes architect Stewart Davis. Davis, who leads the design team for CG&S Design-Build in Austin, Texas, says, “Some people want the laundry room upstairs with the dirty clothes, but most want it on the main floor where they spend the majority of their day.” The architect tries to put in laundry chutes or locate main-floor wash centers directly under the master suite for easy access. Davis has also done second, smaller laundry areas upstairs but notes that empty-nesters tend to ask for their only laundry room to be adjacent to the first-floor master suite.
Combination spaces are the most popular laundry room configuration, according to several designers. Custom-tailored amenities let owners pot a plant, wrap a gift, open mail, stash a litter box, or put together a scrapbook in the laundry room. Mud room and laundry combos are especially common in vacation homes, says Heigl, because occupants can come in and throw wet towels or damp ski clothes right into the machine.
Laundry rooms are getting bigger with better light and nicer finishes allowing them to blend with the rest of the house. Lots of counter space for folding and a place to hang drip-dry items are high on request lists, but ironing isn’t a big concern these days. “We’re doing a few ironing boards as drawer built-ins or between-the-stud hidden cubbies,” says Heigl, “but most people just hang [the ironing board] on the back of a closet door so they can take it to where they want to iron, or they don’t bother to iron.”
One feature that Heigl includes in most rooms is a pull-out rod for hanging dry cleaning until it can be opened, sorted, and put away. Other details such as types and numbers of machines remain a more personal choice. “I’m seeing one washer with two dryers because the dry cycle takes longer and this saves time,” says Heigl. But Davis had the opposite encounter: One client wanted two washers with one dryer to let both wet loads dry together. Heigl specs numerous stackable washers and dryers in his projects. He says their capacity is getting bigger and clients like the space-saving option. Davis has many owners who prefer under-counter machines, which leave long expanses of countertop open for sorting clothes. Front-loaders in general top the charts regardless of configuration. “They’re easier on the clothes, they have a water-conserving aspect, and are more attractive,” says Heigl.
