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It has to be the most under-appreciated and least glamorous room of the house, but it’s one we’d definitely be lost without. It’s the laundry room, and if you’ve ever had to make a trip to the Laundromat, you understand why.
Laundry is a dirty job, especially for families with children. And maybe because it is such a dirty job, we’ve always been resigned to schlep down to the basement or to the garage to tackle the laundry. But not anymore. Today, more and more homeowners are creating laundry spaces (and mudrooms) that are both functional and attractive, and they’re doing it with the idea that these rooms not only can be, but also should be, part of the family space.
It’s a power thing
Jan Studdard, ASID, principal designer with RLS Construction, says the company’s clients are asking for laundry spaces that are more conducive to today’s busy lifestyle. “The latest trend seems to be leaning toward the ‘power laundry’ room where mom can have her desk, organize the kids’ schedules, pay the bills and work on the computer, so the size of the laundry room is increasing,” she says. “The design of this space also tends to be more inviting and warm. We’ve used a lot of stained, stained and glazed, and painted/glazed cabinet finishes. There is a lot more attention given to this space. It’s importance ranks just behind the master bath.”
Studdard also says homeowners—especially those with children—often have their laundry room on the second level where most of the dirty clothes are generated. “Then, many of these homeowners will have a second laundry on the main level, especially if the master bedroom is located there,” Studdard says. “Sometimes it’s as simple as including a stackable unit in the master closet.”
The Family Studio
However, not all families are moving the laundry room upstairs. They are, instead, incorporating the space into the home’s main living areas like the kitchen and family room. Karen Kelsh of Insperience Studio, agrees and says Whirlpool has taken this concept and created what they call the Family Studio. “The Family Studio is really an extension of the kitchen or other area of the home where the family can meet and actually live,” she says. “The family can do laundry, fold clothes, do homework or watch TV.”
Like Studdard’s “power laundry” room, the Family Studio also is designed to blend with the home’s decor, and even complement the look of the spaces with which it connects. “The best part of the Family Studio idea is that you can create a room that has a washer and dryer, sink, ironing area and even a dry cleaning system, but they can all be tucked away behind cabinetry,” Kelsh says. “When you aren’t using the appliances, you would never know they are there.”
The idea of creating a more functional laundry space where the family can gather is becoming so attractive, Chatham Park, a new 35-home community in Historic Roswell designed by Steven Fuller, is using the Family Studio concept in all of its new homes. “The Family Studio represents taking the laundry room to next level,” says Frank Sotera, vice president of marketing for Stephen Fuller Inc. “Instead of making the laundry room a dungeon, so to speak, we are making it a utilitarian environment that is part of the house.”
In Chatham Park, the homes will all be built with a laundry area that accesses the dining room, kitchen and keeping room. “The entire area works as one,” Sotera says. “We see it as a catering kitchen for entertaining with a second dishwasher, second sink and ice maker. But it’s also a space used to do bills, laundry or homework. All of the appliances will be put behind beautiful cabinetry, so instead of hiding the entire room, you can hide the appliances with cabinets.”
What about the appliances?
It’s not just the more functional designs that make these new laundry rooms so appealing, the appliances are more practical, as well. Whirlpool, for example, has several appliances to take the dirty work out of doing laundry. The Duet washers have no agitators, which means the washers can handle larger loads; the Personal Valet Clothes Vitalizing System helps eliminate trips to the dry cleaner; the DryAire Drying Cabinet circulates warm air around clothes as they lay flat or hang, drying them faster than traditional air-drying; the SinkSpa Jetted Sink uses three micro-jets in a deep basin for an easy alternative to hand-washing; and the ImPress Ironing Station features a built-in ironing board and iron, plus three shelves for storage.
Studdard agrees and says the appliances are as important as the room. “Front loading washers and dryers are very popular,” she says. “But no one wants to bend over so I’ve seen many units raised on cabinetry platforms. In fact, many manufacturers have figured this out and now sell a separate component to raise the appliances.”
It’s not all or nothing
While we’d all love a laundry room with all of the best bells and whistles, Kelsh says it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. “The evolution is really about the importance of the laundry room as a new concept,” she says. “What a homeowner includes really depends on the needs and wants of the family.”
The bottom line is that the laundry room is evolving into a space that homeowners utilize for more than just laundry, and they are being designed to look that way. “I think customers can be really creative and funky in the laundry room,” Studdard says. “This is where they express themselves—especially the domestic divas.”
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