Bring style and functionality to utility spaces
Laundry rooms were once hidden utilitarian spaces in the home, but not anymore! Why toil in dark, uninspired spaces when you can create a well-designed laundry room that makes chores feel less onerous? Laundry rooms have been elevated to designer status as their utility has extended beyond washing dirty clothes. Check out some of the ways designers are combining design and functionality to create swoon-worthy laundry rooms.
Light and Color
Say goodbye to dark laundry rooms with white appliances, neutral paint and builder-grade flooring! Today’s laundry rooms often feature serene color schemes like soft blues, muted greens, and warm neutrals to create a relaxing vibe that makes laundry (almost) enjoyable. Bright and colorful washers and dryers can make any laundry room feel more cheerful.
In a heavy-duty workspace like a laundry room, it’s a good idea to incorporate task lighting and plenty of power outlets for small appliances like irons and steamers. Lighted power strip fixtures from Task Lighting and Power are an excellent solution for adding both light and power to the space with ease. Available in standard or custom lengths, lighted power strip fixtures are installed under the cabinets, so power and light are out of sight but easily accessed.
Pet Paradise
The laundry room has long been considered an ideal space for pet supplies, but today’s pet parents are using the space for more than pet beds, litter boxes, and food storage. Pet parents are splashing out to provide dog baths and pet faucets in the laundry room. While these features are certainly luxurious, they are also practical for keeping dirty paws from being tracked throughout the house.
Organized for Ease
As laundry rooms are increasingly being used for more than laundry, keeping stored items organized can maximize their functionality. Designing the space so it can also be a staging area for people to leave items while they are coming or going makes sense. Baskets and cubbies are a great solution for storage to help keep clutter out of the main living space in the home.
Designers have been borrowing some of the best ideas in organization from the kitchen to enhance the functionality of the laundry room. Pullout baskets can be used in cabinets and make it easy to access stored items like laundry or pet supplies. Incorporating hooks, cubbies and shelving into the space provides flexibility to organize supplies for different activities.
No matter what size the laundry room is, designers are finding creative solutions to add style and functionality that homeowners—and their pets—will appreciate for years to come.