Sometimes overlooked but certainly not forgotten is the laundry room. Homeowners want one that’s easy to access but out of the way, whisper-quiet when in use, and inclusive of the latest space-saving storage solutions and energy-efficient appliances.
Yes, a well-designed laundry room makes it look easy. But when buying an existing home, especially an older one, laundry rooms like the one described above can be hard to find.
From its early days down in the basement (nascent era washers and dryers of the 1940’s and 50’s were deemed too noisy to be located anywhere else) to more modern-day improvements that have elevated laundry rooms into their own dedicated spaces, the intent has remained the same – keep it indispensably simple.
If you’re thinking of building a custom home, here are some helpful laundry room design basics to be aware of along with a few inspiring trends we’re keeping an eye on.
Wash, Dry, Fold, Repeat
In custom home design, there are several compelling arguments around the best place to include a laundry room in your floor plan.
A good rule of thumb most home designers follow is whichever floor of the home the primary bedroom is on is most likely the same floor that the laundry room will be located on. If the primary bedroom is on the second floor, the thought is most of the laundry will remain upstairs.
Just remember, cleaning clothes is an essential (and frequent) activity for any household, some might even call it a chore. So, no matter where this room is located it shouldn’t be a chore to get to.
The Cutting Edge of Clean
Why not have a laundry room upstairs and downstairs, you ask? One of the current trends in custom homes is an added second laundry room in the primary bedroom’s closet. For empty nesters or those exploring aging in place customizations, this option makes a lot of sense; helping contain all laundry tasks in a single place while nevertheless remaining out of sight. Smaller second floor laundry room scenarios necessitate stacked washer and dryer units to maximize space and work best in combination with a larger laundry room featuring a more standard-sized washer and dryer on the main floor.
Another trend continuing to gain popularity: accentuating laundry spaces. Laundry rooms don’t just have to be about doing laundry. Even in a smaller room, you can increase your multitasking potential with helpful complements like a wall-mounted farmhouse sink or a built-in, fold-out ironing board.
The Floor Debates
Historically, the reasons for having a laundry room in the basement go beyond the amount of noise generated by the machines themselves. Depending on the type of home foundation and whether you are constructing a one-story or two-story home, a laundry room in the basement can still be a viable option.
Even though modern energy-efficient appliances have come a long way, they continue to create some humidity and the risk of a pipe bursting in addition to their noise. These concerns can all be counter-balanced with several practical remedies but may cause you to think again before moving your laundry room to the second story.
The benefits of a second floor primary or secondary laundry space can still outweigh the drawbacks. Less trips up and down the stairs transporting unwieldy armfuls can save time. And less space claimed by hampers or piles of dirty laundry in the bedroom open up new creative possibilities to additional lighting, accent furniture, and decorative highlights.
Schumacher offers a variety of indispensably simple laundry room options to choose from across our wide array of floor plans. Ultimately the most well-designed floor plan is the one that’s right for you. Our team of design experts embrace tried and true architectural techniques while staying pace with what’s trending. It allows us to reimagine and reinvent what’s been done before into a room by room, genuinely custom experience.
For more ideas to make every room in your custom home stand out, check out more design-centric stories on our blog and learn all about the Schumacher difference at a design center near you.
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 30 markets in 12 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.