Parts of our homes exist to serve more practical purposes, especially when it comes to mud and laundry rooms. Planning out flow, function and purpose is essential to having organized and fresh spaces. Here are 10 things to consider when designing these rooms.        

1. Combined versus separate

Combining the mud and laundry rooms into one space has become very common in many modern homes. The separate space is wonderful on laundry day, however, separate spaces take up more square footage in the home. Really weighing the pros and cons for your personal needs will help make this decision. 

2. Location

We have all heard the slogan “location, location, location” in real estate. It is the same thing when it comes to deciding the location of your mud and laundry rooms. If you are doing a combined space, think about where your family members will use them most frequently. Will it be via garage access, at the back door or adjacent to the front door?

3. Stacked versus side-by-side

Washers and dryers come in many sizes and configurations. The two biggest decisions you will need to make if you own front-loading machines is whether to stack them or to use a side-by-side set-up. With a side-by-side arrangement you can put a countertop above, but this design takes up more floor space. Stacked machines take up less floor space but will require you to lift heavy clothes up higher.

4. Benches and lockers

Having a bench to sit down on and tie your shoes is a nice, inviting solution – especially if you have kids. The ideal height of a bench is around 18 inches from the floor (chair height).  The bench needs to be made of durable material like a laminate countertop. If you are going with a built-in bench, it is great to use the space above it for divided or open lockers with hooks, cabinets, drawers and a space to store shoes on the floor. 

5. Open versus closed storage

There are many different things that need to be stored in a mud or laundry room, such as cleaning and laundry supplies, outerwear and general household items. Make a list of the things you need to store and decide whether an open or closed storage solution would be best. You can use cabinets, shelving, baskets, hooks, rods, closets, drawers and counters as storage solutions. Conversely, if you have small children or pets, you might want to store away hazardous cleaning materials in cupboards that close. Regardless, always take advantage of the height you have in the room – you can place items you don’t use often higher up with ladder access.

6. Counter and sink

Having a sink and countertop in such rooms is amazing for soaking clothes and cleaning dirty items. However, it does take up space, so decide if it is a high priority item or not. 

7. Hanging clothes

Come laundry day, do you have to hang clothes to dry? If so, how many at a time? There are a few drying solutions to consider: clothes rods with hangers (pro: hangs large quantities, con: not ideal for pants and sweaters); fold-down racks (pro: tucks away, con: can’t hang very much); or portable racks (pro: can hang a variety of items, con: have to store and takes up a lot of space).

8. Hampers and laundry baskets

In a laundry space, you will always have storage hampers and laundry baskets. These are large bulky items. Consider where they will be placed on laundry day and stored on days when they are not in use. One option for hampers is to have one in each bedroom, rather than storing the dirty laundry in the laundry room.

9. Ironing

Ironing is a process that requires a number of tools and steps. Ironing boards come in a wide array of varieties: foldable, fold out of the wall and flip out of a drawer. Depending on how much ironing you do, consider which solution is ideal, comparing function, storage space and budget. You may also need space to set the iron and to hang clothes. 

10. Lighting

Because mud and laundry rooms are workspaces, great lighting is needed to ensure the space is functioning optimally. You need a large amount of general ambient lighting. Also, place task lighting under any upper cabinets and even consider closet lighting.     

Mud and laundry rooms are functional workspaces. We need them ready at all times to handle the tasks at hand. In order have the space ready, use these tips to keep it organized and fresh.