Don’t forget one of the most useful rooms…the laundry

Designer kitchens, sumptuous bathrooms and amazing outdoor living spaces can often gain all the attention when designing a new home, and rightly so. These spaces contribute a great deal towards the homes look and liveability and are the rooms of the home that people most often see. There is one room, however, that should be seen with equal importance, given the role it plays in daily life. For so many years the laundry has been seen as an afterthought in home design. From its humble beginnings as a detached outbuilding or shed, it made some inroads into house designs in the 1960’s and was tacked on to the rear of a home, often very simple in design with a laundry tub and washing machine. As homes progressed into larger designs, laundries finally made it inside the home. Unfortunately, the thinking of just a tub and a washing machine, with no underbench or cupboard space, has remained in many builders specifications.

This lack of attention is a truly wasted opportunity. Proper consideration in the design phase can transform a laundry into a tidy, modern and functional space that is a pleasure to use. Clever design and layout does not necessarily come with a hefty price tag either. At Peninsula Homes, our use of hard-wearing and cost effective materials, teamed with tiled floors and splashbacks, really make this a lovely space in the home. This thought and consideration in design is our “standard inclusion”, something that we bring to each and every area of our work.

Peninsula Homes ensures the humble laundry well and truly has a place inside the home, and our philosophy in design allows our clients to get the most out of this often neglected room. To help you with your planning, here’s our top 10 things to consider in your laundry design:

1. Bench Space – If you plan to sort all your washing in the laundry, having adequate bench space to fold and sort washing is a must!
2. Cupboard Space – Out of sight, out of mind – you can never have too much storage! Give consideration to things you may wish to store in laundry cupboards.
3. Appliances – What appliances do you have and how you would like them placed? Will your dryer hang on the wall or be placed under a bench alongside the washing machine?
4. Drying Space/Rack – Do you plan to use your laundry to hang clothes to dry?
5. Laundry Tub – Do you need to wash large items in the tub? Perhaps this is also used for washing the family dog.
6. Tiled Floors – A tiled laundry floor is super practical and easy to keep clean. If near other areas like kitchens, the tiles can flow from one room to another, creating a seamless transition.
7. Splashback – A tiled splashback not only gives a modern finish to your laundry, it is a practical solution in this wet area.
8. Ironing – If you plan to use your laundry to iron in, consider an integrated ironing centre. Wall mounted, these are a great space-saving idea!
9. Laundry chute – Consider if your house design allows for a laundry chute.
10. Ventilation – Having a door leading outside to a clothesline is not only practical but allows natural light and air movement into the laundry.

After some more tips? Check out 8 Essential Elements When Building A New Northern Beaches Home! Or if you’re looking at building your own home (with a laundry of course!) why not let us know? We’d love to help build your dream home!