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Laundry list of smart storage solutions

Anthony MatteoThe West Australian
Stacking the washer/dryer units is a great way to save space.
Camera IconStacking the washer/dryer units is a great way to save space. Credit: Dylan Fox/Dylan Fox Photography

Often an overlooked space in the home planning process, the laundry has a lot to offer every household, if utilised to its full capacity.

Coast Homes Interior Designer Janine Furey said the laundry was more than just a place to keep your washing machine.

“It’s an area of the home that gets used just as much as the kitchen in some homes, particularly if you have small children or babies,” she said.

“Not only is the laundry an area where the washing machine and dryer are used, we also tend to store items like the ironing board, mops, brooms and more in the laundry, so it’s really important to allow good storage areas dedicated to this.”

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Although the laundry room is home to a multitude of items of all shapes and sizes, we often do not dedicate much floor space to it, according to Ms Furey.

“Smart storage solutions help make the room more comfortable to work in,” she said. “A good cabinet design using easy-care finishes makes the room easy to keep clean and avoid clutter, and an overhead cupboard to store chemicals out of reach is a must.”

Ms Furey also recommended the inclusion of a walk-in linen cupboard to store essential items in one place, while the tall storage spot would be ideal for housing items such as brooms, ironing boards and vacuum cleaners as well.

“This avoids any clutter in the main work area of the room,” she said.

Another popular inclusion are pull-out laundry hampers, which Ms Furey said eliminated the sight of floating baskets around the room.

“Pull-out laundry hampers are when you have baskets built into the cabinet design, often behind a door or a drawer, for your dirty laundry,” she said. “Clothes baskets are an eyesore, so building them in is great.

“They are considered to be the rubbish bin of the laundry, as they are often an afterthought, so clothes baskets should be accounted for in the initial design of the space.”

For those who plan to do their ironing in the laundry, or like to hang their shirts on a coat hanger to dry, Ms Furey said a hanging rail under the overhead cupboards was an ideal solution.

“Although not a storage solution, this is handy to have,” she said. “The rail can also be hidden behind the cabinet door fronts, so it isn’t visible when not in use.”

If floor space is limited, stacking your washing machine and dryer is a viable way to maximise on the restricted space one may have.

“This trend for stacking the washer/dryer units is ideal for smaller laundries and can be integrated into the cabinet design,” Ms Furey said.

In addition to washing your clothes, laundry rooms are becoming a popular place for the family pet, with Ms Furey saying it is highly requested for a laundry to be transformed into a pet’s room.

“Puppy dogs are getting space in the laundry; it’s often the place they live,” she said. “It is also a good dog-washing area.”

When taking the plunge to build your own home, creating a functioning and well-thought out laundry will not only make it far more user-friendly, it will allow you to capitalise on all the potential space in the room.

CONTACT Coast Homes, 6241 6766, www.coasthomeswa.com.au

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