WASH AWAY YOUR BORING LAUNDRY ROOM WITH INNOVATIVE, MULTIPURPOSE DESIGN

Written by Beryn Hammil

Wednesday, June 28, 2008

Laundry used to take a full day to do and often meant going somewhere else to do it: the river to pound dirty clothes on wet rocks; the basement in an apartment building where it was dark, hot and spooky; and eventually, the coin laundry, where you needed a pocket full of quarters, a good book and a lot of patience. The very wealthy had hidden areas of their homes where servants toiled over cauldrons of boiling water and hot irons. Laundry lines were hung between buildings or trees. Laundry was not a pleasant chore, no matter what your means or lifestyle. It was a necessity that required hard work to get done.

But the place where the laundry gets done has changed vastly over the years. Washing machines have replaced rocks, and electric or gas dryers have replaced clotheslines. Lightweight irons turn themselves off if you leave them for more than a minute. And if you can't even imagine ironing, you can buy clothes made of fabrics that won't wrinkle in the dryer.

In today's homes, the laundry room is often a dedicated area that's well appointed and efficient. It can be the passageway between the garage and the house, or an area that doubles as a mudroom where wet boots and raincoats can dry. Laundry "rooms" can even be machines that stack in a closet. In addition to the prerequisite machines, many of today's laundry rooms have sinks, counters, cabinets and dedicated areas for functions like crafts, flower arranging and gift wrapping. In other words, today's laundry rooms are centers of activity that may have little to do with laundry.

A washer and dryer located in the kitchen of a small house. The counter can be removed to provide access to the machines, and the shelf adds extra space

And because the new laundry room is a place where people spend more time, this room should be well organized and look attractive. You can have fun designing this area, because who says a laundry room has to be boring? If you've always wanted a room that used bold colors but didn't feel right about using them in the main part of the house, try it here. Even appliance manufacturers are going bold with colors, so the laundry room is no longer destined to be the drab-looking place it once was. If the room is small, consider a stacking washer and dryer. They save space on the floor for other things, like a small sink and counter. After the efficiency of the laundry machines, the most important aspect is good lighting. To be energy efficient, ceiling-mounted lights should be fluorescent. Add fluorescent strip lights under the cabinets to illuminate the counter areas for better task lighting. Storage is also important. Before you consider how you'll use the space, take an exploratory trip to stores and Web sites that specialize in storage products and discover the possibilities. This research is worth the time to help you maximize the efficiency of this work space.

Spending time in the laundry room doesn't have to be like relegating oneself to a dungeon. The room can be light, airy and modern. It can be whimsical, adventurous, fun and charming. You can hang posters of the places you always wanted to visit, make a "wish" wall with pictures of things you aspire to (it's amazing what can happen when you visualize it), or incorporate a family album wall with pictures of the kids as they grow older. Try your hand at tromp l'oeil with images of the countryside outside a painted window. Not an artist? Then find an old window at a salvage yard, hang it on the wall, and put an enlarged photograph of a beautiful field or ocean scene behind it so it looks as if you can see forever through this new "window on the world."

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