The laundry room is known as the hardest working room in the home, and for good reason—it serves many purposes. Our last house's laundry room also served as our office, utility space, and mudroom. It was a smaller home, and we needed to pack as much functionality and storage into every square inch. The room was a great size and had lots of potential, but the space was underutilized and lacked the flexibility our growing family needed.
When I redesigned the space, I focused on a more functional layout, flexible built-in storage solutions, and of course, a style that went with the rest of the house. Here are 3 ways I designed a multi-functional laundry room…
1. Dedicate a Drop Zone for Dirty Laundry
Since we usually have some type of home project in the works, we opted to keep the utility sink, which came in handy during the newborn phase to soak all the clothes. The base cabinet added additional storage for cleaning and dog supplies instead of being left on a counter or floor. The folding area was also lovely for stacking clothes and served as a drop zone when we first entered the house.
2. Select Appropriate Storage Solutions
When I looked into storage solutions, I didn’t want to go with white or light grey because we had a light grey kitchen, and I wanted something that wouldn’t show a lot of dirt. So I went with a great blue/grey that went with the casual and rustic vibe I wanted.
These cabinets are from IKEA. I love the pull-out rack and the fact that we could hang our vacuum inside it as well; that was a must for me when it came to storage solutions. These were also a great solution because I could use them as a built-in desk with drawers once we added the custom wood top. I wanted a bench so we could sit and put our shoes on, and drawer storage was critical t to hide all the shoes (and I’m really missing this hidden storage at the new house!).
When a space is multi-functional, it’s essential to take inventory of what you have so you select the appropriate storage solutions. This includes analyzing the size and quantity of items you need to store. A helpful tip is to group like items so you can actually see the volume. For instance, I decided not to add a built-in closet to make the room feel bigger, so we used coat hooks instead for our jackets. I would rotate them seasonally from the hall closet so the volume didn’t get too out of control.
3. Maximize Vertical Storage
That leads me to the next tip: maximizing your vertical storage. This was especially true in this space. The tall storage cabinet, hanging laundry rack, wall shelves, and vertical desk cubbies were SO important to maximizing the functionality of this space. Since this space was also used as an office, three drawers were not enough to store everything. The cubbies above the filing cabinet held a bunch of arts and crafts for the kids and made them readily accessible so I didn’t have to go to the basement.
Often you can see a pretty space, but it can quickly become a space you no longer enjoy if it doesn't function in your daily life. Multi-function rooms can add so much value to your life and decrease your stress if adequately designed.
If you're ready to hand off your laundry room organizing to an expert, we've got your back! Contact us today.
Cheers,
Carrie
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