Laundry……Not a glamorous topic of conversation for a designer but a very practical topic of conversation for a soccer mom. 960…..that’s the approximate number of loads of laundry done in our home per year. Break it down and that’s 80 loads a month, 20 loads a week. That’s a lot of laundry! But with 3 kids who play sports and a husband who coaches, it’s a part of daily life. And I need function and efficiency when it comes to getting the laundry done. Here are my top 4 tips for laundry room design.
1. Space: Organize your space the best you can. Organize your cabinet space with bins to hold laundry supplies, making it easy to access them. Create a sorting space that works for you, whether it is in baskets or hampers tucked under a counter top or off to the side of the room. Folding space, ironing space, and a place for hang dry as well.
2. Include the entire family: make it easy for all family members to understand where to sort dirty clothes, how to apply stain removal (age appropriate of course) keep it within reach for older kids and teens, but out of reach for young hands. Keep baskets with names on them or a location for each person. Put practice or game uniforms on top so they are easy to access for those busy weeknights and game days. Keep each family member responsible for taking away clean clothes, and then returning the basket. (We can at least try can’t we!)
3. Function: The washer and Dryer. This is personal! Spend the time to research washers and dryers and see what size and style work best for you. Top load, front load, on a base for higher reach, or stackable are all great options. Ask friends what they have and what they like/dislike about them. You’ll probably find many have a strong opinion about these beloved appliances. We’ll talk more about brands and what the latest trends and looks are for washers and dryers.
4. Make it a Happy place: Don’t leave the laundry room beige, white and boring! Add color and pattern with fun floor tiles or wall coverings. Paint it a bright color, your favorite. Add some words of inspiration or family photos. No one wants to spend hours and hang out in our laundry rooms but I find that if the laundry room is bright and cheerful is a happy place to be then it makes the task at hand just a little less tedious!
Rachel Cannon Interiors ltd.
I hope this gives you just a little inspiration and a few good ideas to keep the laundry going in your home.
Happy washing and drying,
Michelle
