Laundry room rules. If you have enough space, laundry rooms are more than just a place to do laundry, they can be welcoming, convenient places for more activities such as pet care, sewing, DIY projects, packing packages, nursery and more.
As with the kitchen, there are many considerations and dimensions to be aware of during the planning phase of a multifunctional laundry. Here are a few features you might want to consider and some basics of how to lay everything out.
The Main Areas and Functions of the Laundry Room
1. Enter and prepare. If you install a laundry sink, you may want to place it where you enter the room and place the items you want to wash. If necessary, you can sort, apply fabric treatments and soak stains here.
2. Washing. It’s best to have a countertop where you can place your sorted laundry before putting it in the washing machine.
3. Drying. You’ll also need another section of countertops for items that need to be dried, as well as space to fold dry laundry.
4. Storage and ironing. In a typical order, you need space to place items ready for ironing. (Please note that if you want to watch TV while ironing, or if the dry cleaners do most of the ironing work, the ironing space in this room may be less than ideal.) The folding ironing board measures about 14 inches wide, 60 inches long, and 3 inches thick (36 x 152 x 7 cm).
5. Additional Features. Of course, some people with larger spaces want to use the laundry room as a craft or sewing area, a mud room or dog washing station, or to hide a bin. These are very specific to each of us; plan some extra space for these features and let personal Xi dictate their use.
Note: The conversion of metric dimensions is approximately a conversion from standard US dimensions. Each country’s standards can be unique. Before making a plan, investigate your area’s Xi or work with a design expert.
Washer and Dryer
Side-by-side configuration
Side-by-side washers and dryers are typically designed to be within 60 inches (152 cm) wide, but some manufacturers produce more compact machines.
If you put the front-loading machines side by side, you will have a nice, wide surface on them.
If you have a top loader and need a folding and working space, you can add a counter next to the equipment or elsewhere in the room. Leaving 18 to 42 inches (46 to 61 cm) of usable counter space on either side will help.
The space above the machine can be used to place a drying bar with a height of approximately 76 inches (193 cm). Some newer washers and dryers have a higher countertop than the traditional 36-inch-tall countertop, which is advantageous for you if you’re tall.
Stack
When space is limited, there is an option to stack machines. If this is your requirement, be careful about owning or buying a machine that can be stacked. For most models, the width of the stacked space shrinks to less than 30 inches (76 cm) and the height is typically less than 6 feet. People of short stature may need to use a stepladder to reach the top controls of the stacking machine.
Standard Cabinet Sizes
Leave at least 42 inches (107 cm) of width between the opposing cabinet and the wall.
Depth. Like kitchen cabinets, standard laundry cabinets have a depth of 24 inches (61 cm) at the bottom and 12 inches (30 cm) at the top.
Width. For most prefabricated cabinets, the width is standard, starting at 9 inches (23 cm) and going all the way up to 48 inches (122 cm) in 3-inch (8 cm) increments. You can get any width with custom cabinetry, but if you adhere to the standards, you can save money even with custom units.
Height. The base cabinet is designed with a 36″ (91 cm) high countertop. The height of the upper cabinets depends on your ceiling height and how far you can reach it. Standard placement of them at least 18 inches (46 cm) above the countertop, while 24 to 42 inches (61 to 107 cm) in 6-inch (15 cm) increments usually define the height of the wall cabinet itself.
Additional Laundry Room Is Available
Craft area. In this spacious laundry room, the countertop on the left side is a wide, flat surface for wrapping and handcrafting. Note that its height matches the right countertop (with sink), which is 36 inches tall. Two counter-height stools provide seating.
Keep in mind that the stool comes in two heights: counter height, which is about 24 inches (61 cm) high, and bar height, which is about 28 inches (71 cm) high. The countertops on the back wall are about 6 inches tall to accommodate taller machines.
Mudroom. This laundry room can also be used as a mud room, complete with benches, hooks and small cabinets for removing dirty shoes and hanging wet clothes. The height of the bench should be about 14 inches (36 cm) from the floor. Set the hook about 54 to 60 inches (137 to 152 cm) from the floor, but make sure there is still enough room to hang coats and other items if there is a bench underneath.
Note the large sink on the back wall. If you often hand wash delicate laundry, a place like this would be perfect.
Pets. The cutout on the cabinet panel in the lower left corner for the bin entrance is whimsical and fun while keeping the bin out of sight.
Laundry Room Layout Concept
This cross-sectional view shows the order of the laundry room as well as common equipment, spacing, and cabinet sizes.