The laundry room is often the least tidy room in the house, because there is not enough space to work there. Despite its small dimensions, it can however be optimized for easy navigation.
THE CHOICE OF APPLIANCES
If you have a small room, it is better to opt for front-loading appliances, because you can install a kitchen counter made of wood, melamine, granite or another material above it. Adding a counter will allow us to gain additional space to fold our laundry when it comes out of the dryer and to optimize the layout of our small laundry room. But if the dimensions of the room do not allow it, it is better to choose a stacked washer and dryer.
WARDROBES
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Installing a few cupboards above our appliances is very useful for storing our cleaning products, but also our sewing kit and all our DIY and packaging items, for example. Ideally, choose cabinets that go up to the ceiling to save storage space. You can also install boxes or a few shelves. The important thing is to have a place to store our laundry soap and fabric softener at a minimum. In the event that it is impossible to install cabinets or shelves, there is the option of purchasing a storage unit on wheels equipped with drawers.
DRYING RACKS
Air drying not only saves energy, it is sometimes essential for drying certain delicate fabrics such as wool and silk. Installing a sturdy metal rod between the cabinets, at a good distance above the appliances, will therefore be very practical. With a folding stepladder with two steps, we can easily access it to hang our clothes. We can even dry our shirts on hangers there and transfer them directly to our wardrobe afterwards. You can also choose to install sliding racks under the counter installed over the appliances. It would also be nice to put some hooks behind the door to maximize our drying spaces. However, since the laundry room is a humid place, you must choose accessories made of materials that are resistant to humidity.
THE WASHING SINK
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Having a sink handy is handy for rinsing dirty clothes, soaking them or hand-washing delicate fabrics. Some sinks are recessed into a vanity cabinet that has two cabinets underneath, where there is ample storage space to store our cleaning supplies. Installing a sink obviously requires the expertise of a plumber, but the investment is worth it.
THE IRONING BOARD
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If we all need an ironing board, it doesn't have to be bulky. To have it at hand but not in sight, simply place two hooks on the wall, behind the door, about 30 cm (12 in) apart to hang it there. . We will also screw a wooden rack to the wall to store the iron.
LAUNDRY BASKET
If we want to avoid spending endless time untangling the clothes of our family members, we get a laundry basket for each of them, and we take care to identify them properly. We will put the washed clothes there, folded or not, depending on whether our children are old enough to do it themselves or not.
MATERIALS
The laundry room being a busy place, but also humid and hot, it is important to choose the right materials.
DECORATION
The ideal is to favor a paint with a slightly glossy finish, because it is easier to clean than a paint with a matte finish. If our laundry room is small, we will benefit from choosing a lighter and brighter color palette, because they will give the impression of a larger space. Beiges, light yellows, whites, blues and pale greens are good choices. Wallpaper is also an excellent option, but we will choose it to be washable. The important thing is to keep in mind that the decoration of this room must also fit into the rest of the house. If you have a window, you can dress it with a curtain that lets in natural light or a blind that is easy to open and clean. But because the laundry room is generally small, avoid adding unnecessary decorative elements.
LIGHTING
Adequate lighting is really important for spotting an unwanted stain on clothing and for moving around the room safely. Recessed ceiling lights with LED bulbs are perfect for whiter lighting. Fluorescents also provide good visibility. They are available in several types of white, some of which are very similar to natural light.
If you want to hide your appliances, you can install sliding panels in front. These are very trendy right now. If we have installed a counter above our appliances, it is easy to put a rail on it to hang curtains or sliding doors.
