It may not be the sexiest room of the house or the one that we particularly love spending time in, but the laundry is an essential part of every home. Sadly, this area often gets neglected because people tend to refresh other parts of their properties instead.
If your laundry hasn’t been updated for a long time, you might like to remodel it in 2023. Here are some tips to help you turn the room from blah to brilliant.
Set a Budget
Firstly, come up with a total budget for the project. It’s easy to get carried away when renovating, so if you determine an end figure you feel comfortable outlaying on the remodel of this area and then work back from there to allocate funds to different parts of the project, you’re much more likely to stay on financial track.
Know Your Goals for the Space Upfront
You must also know your goals for your laundry renovation. What are you hoping to achieve with the refresh of this part of your home? Perhaps you want better functionality, for instance, or your laundry to look fresh, clean, appealing, and like it matches the rest of your property?
Some people renovate their laundry to create a bigger space by knocking down a wall or moving the laundry to another part of the home, such as the garage. You might even want to turn the laundry into a spot for your dogs to sleep, or to give you a lot more storage, or other goals. Regardless of what you want in the end, being clear about this early on will help you make the right decisions at every step of the renovation.
Decide Which Appliances You Want
Before getting too far down the track of renovating your laundry, pick out the new appliances for the space you want, such as a washing machine, clothes dryer, built-in ironing board, etc. The reason for doing this early on rather than last is that you don’t want to get cabinetry fitted, such as benchtops and cupboards, only to discover that you can’t now fit the appliances you had in mind.
Many people don’t remember that different machines’ sizes, numbers, and even functionality can determine what you can fit and where. It’s wise, therefore, to sort out and measure appliances and related materials or equipment and then design the space around them.
Remember to leave enough room around each device to open and close doors comfortably and give them airing room to do their job without getting overheated. You may also need to factor in gas supply and hot and cold water lines, not to mention drains. Plus, work out if you want an all-in-one washer/dryer machine or two separate ones, and if the latter, if you plan to stack them or place them side by side.
Also, if you want brightly-colored appliances instead of the more usual white or silver products, you’ll want to know this upfront so you can select cabinetry, tiles, and other features in the room that will appropriately suit this choice.
Determine Ventilation Needs
Another factor to keep top of mind when renovating your laundry is the room’s ventilation needs. Good airflow is essential to ensure your appliances, cupboards, and other elements stay clear of mold, mildew, and too much moisture. You may have found that your current laundry is lacking in this area. If so, when you renovate, add a larger or extra window(s) or fit a door that can be easily left open when you’re running machines. It also pays to install ceiling fans to move the air around and improve ventilation.
Plan the Room with Tasks in Mind
As you plan out your new and improved laundry, don’t forget to think about the tasks you want to complete in the space, your preferred order of doing them, and how often you need to get them done. While you may think there isn’t much to this, many people use laundries differently.
For example, you might be someone who sorts and folds clothes in your laundry rather than spreading them out into living zones of the home. If so, you’ll need adequate bench space for this task. You may also need room to add a clothesline or some ways to hang clothing after it has been washed.
If storage is needed in your laundry, you may want plenty of cupboards, shelves, under-bench drawers, etc., to help you keep the space tidy and uncluttered. You may also want to install a lockable, childproof cabinet to store dangerous chemicals and compounds if you have young children.
Your laundry may not be part of your home that guests tend to see or where you entertain or spend a huge amount of time, but it’s still essential. Give it the design attention it deserves as a result.
