Small, purely functional spaces in the home such as laundry rooms rarely get any extensive design treatment. However, even utilitarian spaces can benefit from careful consideration of how the space is laid out and planned in the design stage of a new custom home construction. Laundry rooms are very often spaces in which more than mere laundry gets done, and accounting for all of the uses of the space, as well as some aesthetic choices, can greatly improve the way the laundry room turns out and how well it functions once the house is finished.One important thing to consider for the laundry room is whether you might wind up using it for other purposes than just laundry. With the installation of a utility sink, the uses for the laundry room can expand immensely. The sink can be used for pet grooming or for other potentially messy cleanup that you wouldn’t want to use an ordinary sink for. The location of the laundry room in the home can also greatly influence its potential alternate uses. For example, if the laundry room is situated near the front door or garage, it might be used as a drop-off for keys or mail. Likewise, if the family enjoys certain outdoor activities that require special equipment, such a location can be handy for storing and maintaining things such as sports or camping equipment.Of course, you don’t want to forget the main use of the laundry room. Be sure to consider the best place to incorporate the washer and dryer, but also think about such extras as a built-in ironing board or drying rack. A table where you can easily fold and sort laundry can also be very useful.Another important consideration for the laundry area, no matter how you wind up using the space, is storage. Plan for cabinets and shelving to store laundry supplies or anything else that needs to be housed in the multi-purpose laundry room. Extra shelving and cabinets can often come in handy for things you might not have necessarily planned for, and a laundry room can help keep everything neat and organized.There are many things a laundry room can be useful for, and most of the design of the laundry room will be to serve that use. However, don’t forget aesthetics. Try to carry your overall home’s design details into the laundry room in various ways to make it feel a part of the home and not a randomly attached room. If you have any questions about designing your new custom home, or about building the custom home once it’s designed, be sure to contact Harden Custom Homes today at (239) 205-5075. Or, stop by our model home at 2818 Tropicana Pkwy W., Cape Coral, FL 33993.
By Harden Custom Homes - Friday, April 1, 2016