Home Improvement & House Remodeling. Room Addition, Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling

home / home remodeling guide / laundry room design - part 1

For a FREE Estimate Call (800) 724-9946

Laundry Room Design - part 1

By Allen Shapiro

Often located in remote locations such as the basement or a hallway closet, the laundry is hardly ever well planned to accommodate your need and to function properly in you home configuration.

Whether you are considering a small remodeling project or a complete house renovation, put the time and though into planning your new laundry room to accommodate you needs and provide a good solution for both laundry and storage.

It is possible that in order to optimize your laundry room, it will have to be relocated to a different, more efficient area in the house. If you are building a new house, you have more freedom to locate the laundry room wherever you want as long as you keep in mind the basic functionality requirements.

As with all remodeling and renovation projects, planning makes perfect. The best way to start your plans for the laundry room is to think about your household "laundry cycle". Try to imagine where you keep your laundry until it is washed and try to locate the laundry room in an accessible location to this or these areas.

If relocating the laundry room is an option, some basic location rules must be considered as you plan the new location of your laundry room. For example: do not locate the laundry room in a high traffic area such as the hallway. This will require special maneuvering on laundry day.

Locating the laundry room in the bathroom is also not a great idea. Although many home owners choose this option trying to locate the laundry room near the largest source of dirty clothes. Alternatively, place the laundry room near the bathroom and divide these rooms with a door.

Laundry rooms produce high amounts of humidity, lint, and cleaning materials vapors. Be sure that these hazards are located away from food preparation areas and from the kids room.

Consider your storage needs as you plan the size of the room. Laundry room tends to be cluttered with dirty clothes, clean clothes, and other outdated items. Allow enough room to provide the necessary space for both your laundry needs and storage.

Allen Shapiro is a senior project manager for Remodeling California Inc., a leader in the Home Improvement industry. For more information about House Remodeling, feel free to Email Allen Shapiro or call (800) 724-9946.