Small Laundry Room Design Ideas

This guest blog was written by Lindus Construction. Lindus Construction is proud to have served over 75,000 happy customers in Western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities since the company’s founding in 1979.  One Call. One Contractor.

While the laundry room isn’t the most glamorous space in the house, it needs to be functional. So if you are short on square footage, maximize space with these laundry room storage solutions.

Wall Storage Works

For laundry rooms restricted by space, look to the walls as a source of storage. This can include wire racks for housing detergent and small hooks for light items that need to air dry. Hanging a drying rack from the ceiling provides a spot for delicate items that shouldn’t be tossed in the dryer. If there’s enough space, repurpose a bookshelf for additional storage. Installing open shelving on the wall utilizes vertical storage space. Peg boards can also be helpful for expanding storage areas.

Consider Curtains

If your washer and dryer are housed in your bathroom, use a curtain to conceal the space from guests. Curtains in vibrant patterns or bold colors can also add interest to the room. While curtains won’t mask the machines’ sounds, the appliances will be less visible than they would otherwise be.

Install Pedestal Drawers

Many washer and dryer models have accompanying pedestal drawers that are designed to fit directly underneath the appliance. Not only does this raise the appliances’ height for user comfort, but it provides an ideal spot for detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets.

Don’t Forget the Door

One often neglected area in a laundry room is the back side of the door. Attaching a closet organizer to it allows for storage that would not otherwise be available. Or use hooks to affix your ironing board to the back of the door. Shallow shelves can also be mounted on the wall behind the laundry room door to allow for additional organizational space.

Stack Your Washer and Dryer

Compact Beko Washer and Dryer in Small Laundry Room
Beko washer and dryer

When square footage is minimal, a stackable washer and dryer can be the perfect solution because they take up vertical space. Another perk of this configuration is that there’s less bending over to retrieve laundry. Beko machines stacked with their universal stacking kit reduce laundry machine footprint to a 2-by-2 square foot area.

Counter Conquers All

Installing a countertop that rests above the washer and dryer creates the perfect spot to fold and sort laundry. Quartz countertops are ideal because they are easy to clean, resist scratching and do not need to be resealed. If quartz isn’t in your budget, butcher block countertops work well because they are resistant to heat, lauded for their durability and come in an array of eye-catching patterns.

What space-saving laundry room tips do you have? Share them in the comments!

Dryers Become the Next Energy Star

laundry-roomThe Environmental  Protection Agency announced this spring the first-ever Energy Star dryer label.

I know what you’re thinking:

“Wait, you mean there wasn’t an Energy Star label for dryers before?”

I know, right? However, the popular thinking was that dryers couldn’t vary much among each other in energy use therefore, there was no reason to call them out.

But about three years ago, the EPA began to take steps to expand the program and reported on ways that clothes dryer efficiency could be improved.

Energy Star Dryers

The new label will recognize highly efficient gas and electric dryers that use about 20% less energy than required by 2015 federal standards.

Over 80% of U.S. homes have a clothes dryer, and these appliances account for approximately 6 percent of residential electricity consumption.

So far, one brand has already jumped on the new category. Whirlpool announced an Energy Star rated Duet steam dryer.

Whirlpool ENERGY STAR Dryer

Whirlpool brand Duet® model WED87HED steam dryer

Many of today’s dryers already use temperature or moisture sensors to shut off the dryer once clothes are dry and cease using energy past its usefulness. Dryer models that meet the new Energy Star requirements are likely to improve upon these “auto termination cycles.”

From Energy Star:

Among the more efficient gas and electric dryers that will earn the Energy Star, consumers should expect to encounter a promising new technology. Heat pump dryers recapture the hot air used by the dryer and pump it back into the drum to dry more clothes. By re-using most of the heat, it creates a heat pump dryer that is more efficient and avoids the need for ducts leading heat out of the laundry room.

50 Shades of Gray Laundry Pairs

The appliance world has been rocked by gray recently, especially in the laundry room.

But it’s never “gray.”

These washers and dryers – whether front-load or top-load – are called pretty much every other name but looking just as sweet and trendy.

Here are the 8 iterations I could find.

electrolux-stainless-steel

Let’s just call a spade a spade with Electrolux Stainless Steel.

stainless steel asko washer

Asko gray-colored washer, also monikered Titanium.

Maytag changed the name of this finish to Graphite after initial testing showed low response to "Pencil Lead."

Perhaps Maytag changed the name of this finish to Graphite after initial testing showed low response to “Pencil Lead.”

stainless steel washing machine

LG’s lead pencil + metal, aka Graphite Steel.

samsung dark colored washer and dryer

Samsung’s Onyx, which also features WiFi controls through a smartphone app.

maytag maxima colored laundry

Perhaps to match the countertops in your kitchen comes Maytag’s Granite. Nevermind that true Granite comes in a huge variety of colors.

electrolux-stainless-steel

Let’s just call a spade a spade with Electrolux Stainless Steel.

GE Right Height Washer and Dryer

It’s the reason I was set up with my now-fiance: height. He’s tall, I was told. But I digress…

I’m not the only one who thinks height matters. GE just got taller.

GE’s newest laundry innovation acknowledges that only 60% of consumers buy the washer dryer pedestals recommended to front-load laundry owners to prevent uncomfortable bending and hunching when loading and unloading.

white laundry pedestal

The RightHeight washer and dryer’s built-in risers raise the machines 7 inches off the ground, making it just under 4 feet tall. A traditional laundry pedestal will raise the top of the machine to about 4-½ feet tall, which GE argues limits the function of the top of the machine to storage space instead of a folding surface, as illustrated below:

laundry-pedestal

*Disclaimer* Laundry-doing man & well-behaved child sold separately.

There are a lot of other features that are worth considering, but my favorite is single-item wash, promoted like this:

“Ditch the environmental guilt with this uniquely designed cycle that offers great wash performance for single items.”

In my house it’d be more like:

“Stop feeling like a failure for never getting around to the laundry and just wash outfits on demand!”

Perhaps most importantly, the RightHeight washer and dryer come in fun colors that either match a beautiful, trendy laundry room or grant respite from a hideous basement dungeon area like mine. Introduce some tall and handsome to your dark laundry room 😉

Clean Clothes in Under Half an Hour

Pig-Pen

Do you really want to be “that mom”?

It’s an hour till game time and you’re searching for your kid’s jersey only to find it in a ball, covered in dirt.

Sound familiar?

Before you give into being “that mom” with the dirty-shirt kid, you should know that someone created a get out of jail free card for this situation.

The Electrolux Perfect Steam washer and dryer boast the fastest wash & dry time, totaling 29 minutes. Electrolux dryer showing fast dry time - 14 minutes

That’s faster than the first half of your kid’s game. The Electrolux steam washer washes in just 15 minutes, and the Electrolux steam dryer gets your clothes dry in just 14 minutes.

Plus, the Electrolux laundry will actually get it clean. All the grass and dirt stains and sports drinks spills will be gone without a second thought from you.

Those of us without kids who just happen to be as messy as a child can also appreciate the last-minute, life-saving abilities of the Fast Wash/Fast Dry cycle.

And if it’s simply wrinkled, the steam dryer can refresh it in 15 minutes — eliminating odors too! How handy is that?