I gather my week’s worth of laundry and try futilely to catch the stray pieces. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was three and my mom and I would sit with our legs crossed on the carpeted floor folding my baby brothers little onesies and my elder brothers’ ripped jeans.
I look back on that time with fondness for the joy of familial chores and bit of sadness, for I was not prepared. My mom never warned me of the twisted, serial killing instincts of the dryer. How it would rip away your loved ones with no trace left behind. How one minute there is a couple, and the next you are the quizzically haunted owner of not two but one lone sock. A mystery that continues to break homes apart in wave after wave of criminal intent against our foot gloves.
But if instead of crammed in some vacant kitchen closet we created a warm friendly and fun environment for our washer and dryer the need to act out and eat our socks wouldn’t be so devastating.
Things are happening in these new laundry rooms. Suddenly it’s not a chore it’s a great escape when the setting is just so. Hours every week are spent here so why not furnish this room with possibilities the whole family will benefit from.
1. Front loading washer and dryer. You can stack them to conserve floor space, or install a counter overtop.
2. Laundry folding table. When planning or remodeling a home don’t underestimate how much space should be set aside for the laundry room,. It requires enough room to host a center square island. Fold your sweaters Old Navy style, pull up a stool to chop some material for your next DIY project, or gather the kids around for some crafts or homework study sessions.
3. Walk in closet. Whether you will be storing dry goods here, a little extra closet space should never be overlooked and hanging up your clothes straight from the dryer could save you several minutes hunched over, iron in hand.
4. Cabinetry. Linens, towels, cleaners, and detergent, all kept hidden from the eyes in an organized fashion.
5. Tile flooring. As your children grow up they enter a brief stage where chores are glorified in their young minds. Eagerly they attempt to help do laundry and as we all know, too much detergent can easily cause a slippery overflowing mess. For all the spills, mounds of dirty laundry or mudroom features established here, solid floor is a must.
6. Collapsible wall ironing board. Rather than the flimsy ironing boards we encounter that screech loudly as we unfold them this system saves space and is easy to use, plus can be more customizable in size.
7. Steam iron. From delicate fabrics to linens that need a lot of ironing attention investing in a good iron will save you time and clothing. I’ve had at least two shirts with a nice triangular iron shaped hole.
8. Seasonal section. I can’t deny that Modern Family’s Cameron and his mobile wrapping station could be a real success what if you had a year round stationary system boasting of rods lined with ornate wrapping paper like a hallmark isle?
9. Drying rack. Let’s be honest with ourselves. No matter how efficient our dryers are, hanging them on an indoor wooden rack is priceless. Since not all of us have the luxury of outdoor wash line, this is a very affordable solution to the ever-existing issue of cutting electric bills.
10. Laundry sorter. Perhaps the most inexpensive item on this list, yet somehow the most vital, as your husbands once white shirts can testify as they adjust to their pink hue. Whites and Solids may mesh well outside of the washer in our interior design pursuits but woe is you if they become tossed salad on the spinning cycle!
The main component is … our dirty laundry. We all have it. In an overwhelming abundance. So let’s start airing it out and spritzing it up with stain remover in our new extravagant super deluxe washroom! And if you need to see more laundry room designs, we have them :)
