Once it was a bland and somewhat unloved place known as the utility area. But today’s version of this dedicated hideaway for washing machines, wellies and watering cans is an important multi-functional hub, where fresh flowers, muddy shoes and equally muddy dogs can be dealt with, as well as dirty washing. The best of these laundry rooms — also known as flower rooms and boot rooms — have a wow factor of their own, a plus when the area is on show to guests, leading as many do to a downstairs cloakroom.
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Blushing Bouquet wallpaper, Wallsauce.com, £35 per sq m
“Laundry rooms make chores easier by keeping everything together and close at hand, freeing up space in the kitchen and other areas of the home,” says Chris Dance, director of In House Inspired Room Design, which creates purpose-built versions for Schuller. Its solutions combine closed cupboards with open units holding racks for freshly-ironed laundry and pull-out drawers on which to rest a basket of washing below a built-in machine, making it easy to sort and load.
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Utility room by Planet Furniture with brass fittings by Armac Martin
Installing a built-in washing machine is one of the obvious ways an existing laundry room can be improved, adds Dance, pointing out that as well as eliminating the need to bend down to unload a wash, the space it leaves free, if already plumbed in, can be used to install a sink, a handy place for pre-treating stains or popping down fresh flowers, brought in for pre-arrangement trimming. Talking of plumbing, whether building from scratch or renovating, the laundry room should be near a kitchen or bathroom to take advantage of existing pipework and electrical supply.
Do not underestimate the value of fitted furniture in maximising space for detergent supplies, freshly ironed clothes and other washday paraphernalia. A clean run of cupboards, which can also serve as storage space for paper goods, pet supplies and tinned food, offers a great opportunity to bring warmth and drama to the room with an infusion of colour — deep greens, blues and greys are a great choice — and feature wallpaper is a good alternative for behind a free-standing washing machine with space above, where the tumble dryer used to stand.
Eliminating the tumble dryer, now somewhat politically incorrect as an energy-gobbler and also harsh on delicate clothes, is one aspect of refitting a modern laundry room with up-to-date appliances. The ecologically sound alternative is a drying rack, which may not fluff up towels, but in its favour will never shrink socks or T-shirts.
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Dry:Soon, Lakeland, £149.99
Outdoor racks offer the plus of a fresh-air scent on your sheets and pillowcases, when weather permits, and the big technological advance in indoor racks is the Dry:Soon multi-tier, fold-out heated airer from Lakeland; it uses electricity, but much less than a tumble dryer — less than 4p per hour versus a typical 35p — and it’s a device that should have been dreamed up years ago. Next on the wish-list is a battery-operated version which does not need to stand close to a plug socket and a shorter model that can sit on top of a washing machine, where the dryer used to go, freeing the floor space.
Where the footprint is tight, also consider an old-fashioned overhead pulley airer or a wall-mounted version like those available from IKEA to take advantage of high-level space, as well as built-in, fold-out ironing boards and collapsible laundry baskets that fold flat when not in use.
There have also been great technological advances in washing machines, including models eliminating the need for ironing. On the eco-front, Ebac, made in Britain, gets top marks from Which? magazine for energy efficiency and is highest-rated on the consumer review platform Trustpilot. Produced in County Durham, the range includes all the must-have programmes, including a quick wash and a customisable option for storing personal preferences. While 7-9kg machines are commonplace, Ebac also offers a 10kg option for large family washes of up to 60 items, including a quick wash cycle of 22 minutes — fantastic for school uniform and sports kit overlooked till breakfast-time of the day needed. Ebac’s hot-fill machines slash wash time and energy costs by drawing on the supply of previously-heated water, and come with a free seven-year parts and labour warranty.
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Schuller laundry room units, around £4,965 plus VAT, www.inhouseltd.co.uk
Don’t forget the accessories which give today’s laundry/flower/boot rooms added functionality. These include handsome woven laundry baskets, storage benches with racks beneath for muddy shoes and boots, dog showers to use outdoors (or inside where space exists for a wet-room) and perhaps a mini-fridge and Nespresso machine for wash-time refreshment. Well-designed laundry rooms not only make life more efficient, they can become a pleasure to linger in, so be careful what you wish for!
