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The laundry room is one of the most practical rooms in any home. 

Having an functional laundry room design with organized storage can alleviate the process of a necessary chore.

At Deslaurier, we’re experts in custom cabinetry. Be it for the kitchen, the bathroom, or even the laundry room, our goal is to provide our clients with high quality cabinets that offer functional storage solutions. 

With that, let's dive into 8 laundry room tips to help you create a functional, efficient space!

1. Install Deep Upper Cabinets Above Your Machines

Laundry machines are spacious and bulky, making it difficult to reach past them to access upper wall cabinets. Having deeper cabinets reduces the distance you have to reach and gives you more cabinet space.

Typical laundry room countertops are approximately bar-height and fairly deep in order to cover your washing machines. Having some extra depth to the upper cabinets above will no doubt come in handy.

These cabinets are a great place to keep detergent, dryer sheets, softener, and other laundry items out of sight and easy to access. They also keep cleaning products with potentially dangerous chemicals out of reach from children. 

2. Tall (Pantry) Storage

Tall pantry storage is never more practical than when it’s implemented in the laundry room. 

It can be a simple storage solution for typical laundry accessories like ironing boards or clothing racks. They can be neatly tucked into tall pantry cabinets for easy access while keeping your laundry space clutter-free.

The laundry room is also a common area to keep general cleaning equipment. Taller items like a broom or vacuum store perfectly in tall cabinets with extra vertical space. 

3. Have Hanging or Drying Area

Certain clothing items shouldn’t be thrown in the dryer. To keep those more delicate articles of clothing in tip top shape, you'll want to be sure to have a place for items to dry. 

Extendable wire clotheslines can be mounted to the wall and have the benefit of taking up little to no space when they aren’t being used.

A built-in drying rack or extendable clothesline are two of the most efficient options for laundry room hang-drying. You can also install a hanging rod that can suspend your damp items on hangers.

Whatever the system may be, having a place in your laundry room to hang dry specific pieces of clothing will be invaluable.

4. Stacking Washer and Dryer

You don’t tend to see the washer and dryer placed vertically as much as you might think. 

When done in the right space, however, it can make the laundry room very practical. It’s a great way for smaller laundry rooms to include an additional base cabinet or even a sink. 

Here’s a laundry room limited in size that utilizes a stacked washer and dryer in order to include a sink:

As you can see, the stacked machines allow for a sink with additional base cabinet storage, as well as a drying rack above it. 

It’s not commonly used because a lot of homeowners enjoy the idea of a countertop above their machines. After all, clothes are always coming and going in the laundry room, and countertop space is great for sorting and folding your laundry. 

With that being said, if your laundry room is hard out for space or you want the benefit of more base cabinets, stacking your washer and dryer can come in handy. 

5. Incorporate Shelving

Floating shelves and open shelving are no longer just for kitchen use. Modern laundry rooms are seeing more and more open shelving in them, and it’s easy to see why. They offer open storage and easy access to items while working in the laundry room. 

Cabinets can be bulky. Especially if your laundry room is limited in size, using shelving can make the room feel larger and more airy. 

They’re also a great place to keep smaller storage baskets or store towels.

Moreover, storage doesn’t have to be solely focused on the most practical and efficient methods. It can be both functional and a nice outlet for decorative pieces. 

Floating shelves offer the ability to not only access open storage but also to decorate the room with plants, flowers, or other presentable items.

6. Put a Sink in the Laundry Room

Surprisingly, sinks aren’t standard for every laundry room. 

Smaller laundry rooms may not have the capacity for a sink, while other homeowners may be turned off by the additional plumbing and the cost of the sink itself. 

However, if you have the space and don’t mind the cost, installing a sink is one of the most practical things you can do for your laundry room.

A sink is  a great feature to include in your laundry room for times when you might need to hand-wash clothing or treat stubborn stains.

In addition, the laundry room is a common spot for a general utility sink. You can use it for cleaning up around the house, or anything you might not want to use your kitchen sink for.

7. Utilize Bins and Baskets

Bins and baskets will give your laundry room separated areas to sort and store your smaller items.

You can use bins and baskets to store frequently used laundry supplies, like pods, stain remover, and dryer sheets, or fill them with cleaning supplies that might otherwise clutter up the counter.

These containers can sit nicely on open shelving, extra counter space, or even be tucked into larger cabinets. Wherever you put them, bins and baskets always come in handy in a laundry room. 

8. Avoid Built-In Basket Storage

Since this list is full of laundry room storage ideas for you to consider, here’s something you might want to stay away from: laundry basket storage that is built into the cabinetry. 

As we mentioned above, baskets are great in the laundry room. However, built-in basket storage is not the most practical in a laundry room. They can be gimmicky and frivolous. 

Laundry is rarely ever stationary - it’s constantly on the move. Having laundry baskets in a fixed location is counterintuitive to their main function: transporting clothing. 

Design With Deslaurier Custom Cabinets

These tips should help you form a solid foundation of what you want, and need, to have a functional laundry room design. 

If you’re ready to kickstart your design process, you’ve come to the right place!

Deslaurier Custom Cabinets has everything you need for a fully customized cabinet design experience. With over 40 years of industry experience, we provide our clients with a fully customized design process with our talented team of designers. 

Book a free consultation today and meet with one of our Deslaurier design experts in our Ottawa showroom! Live outside the area? Find a Dealer to connect with a Deslaurier dealer near you!

Interested in becoming an authorized Deslaurier dealer? Visit our Become a Dealer page to learn more!