The Laundry-Bathroom Combo: How to Design and Do It Well
Get double duty from a single room by combining your laundry and bathroom – two experts reveal how to make it work
If space in your home is tight, combining your laundry and bathroom into one can be a smart solution. But there are practicalities to consider, including space and ventilation requirements, and how to balance the functionality of a ‘working’ space with the oasis-like feel you’d want from a bathroom. Two design experts share their insights.
Grace Coutts, a bathroom and kitchen designer at Smarter Bathrooms+, says:
The main benefit of a laundry-bathroom combination is space savings as you are essentially removing the need for an entire room.
This is especially beneficial for smaller dwellings, such as units, where the property footprint is compact and there may only be two or three occupants.
Looking to combine a laundry and bathroom? Find a bathroom designer near you on Houzz
The main benefit of a laundry-bathroom combination is space savings as you are essentially removing the need for an entire room.
This is especially beneficial for smaller dwellings, such as units, where the property footprint is compact and there may only be two or three occupants.
Looking to combine a laundry and bathroom? Find a bathroom designer near you on Houzz
What are the downsides?
Fraser says:
Often you’ll want the bathroom to be a relaxing space, while the laundry is more of a utility space. This means a potential clash in the look, feel and noise.
These considerations do tend to reduce the appeal of the room blend, especially if the bathroom in question is the only one in your home.
Aspects that don’t sit well together for some homeowners include trying to dry clothes amid steam from a shower, wanting to throw on a load of washing while someone else is using the bathroom, and the noise from a washing machine disrupting the sanctuary-feel of a bathroom.
Fraser says:
Often you’ll want the bathroom to be a relaxing space, while the laundry is more of a utility space. This means a potential clash in the look, feel and noise.
These considerations do tend to reduce the appeal of the room blend, especially if the bathroom in question is the only one in your home.
Aspects that don’t sit well together for some homeowners include trying to dry clothes amid steam from a shower, wanting to throw on a load of washing while someone else is using the bathroom, and the noise from a washing machine disrupting the sanctuary-feel of a bathroom.
How much space do you need to squeeze in laundry appliances, a shower, vanity, toilet and some bench space?
Fraser says:
It depends on the proportions of the room and the location of doors and windows, but for a workable space you’ll need a minimum of roughly 5.5 square metres.
Fraser says:
It depends on the proportions of the room and the location of doors and windows, but for a workable space you’ll need a minimum of roughly 5.5 square metres.
And if you omit the shower?
Fraser says:
Around four square metres.
Browse images of beautiful Australian bathrooms on Houzz
Fraser says:
Around four square metres.
Browse images of beautiful Australian bathrooms on Houzz
Which room shapes work best for a laundry-bathroom combo?
Coutts says:
A room that is reasonably long and at least 2,500 millimetres wide, so you can build laundry cabinetry along one side.
Coutts says:
A room that is reasonably long and at least 2,500 millimetres wide, so you can build laundry cabinetry along one side.
What are a couple of appealing layout options?
Coutts says:
Coutts says:
- Layout 1: Conceal the laundry behind cabinetry that extends the full length of the room or along one end.
- Layout 2: An open laundry combination – this works best as a powder room/laundry combination. Use floor cabinetry to house the washer and dryer and to store powder room items, then have a single feature sink, such as a butler-style ceramic sink, which serves a dual purpose as basin and laundry tub.
How can you save space?
Fraser says:
Fraser says:
- Replace a swing door with a cavity slider: The swing of a door impacts what you can locate near it. For example, you won’t want the shower door to clash with the swing door when you need to open both, or have to close the swing door every time you need to use the washing machine.
- Opt for built-in joinery: It allows you to maximise the space available by dividing up the room specifically for separate purposes, and to add bench space and concealed and open shelving to suit your needs.
- Include sufficient horizontal surfaces and storage: This means less clutter and more room to move around and use the space comfortably.
Coutts says:
- Buy a combined washer-dryer: This means having one appliance rather than two in your laundry/bathroom. Or, make the most of your vertical space by stacking a front-loading washer and dryer (ensure you choose models that are designed to be stacked).
- Choose a small-scale laundry tub to give you more usable bench space: Select a design between 250 and 350 milimetres wide.
- Opt for a pull-out laundry hamper: It’s great for hiding dirty laundry from view, and means you won’t have a hamper cluttering up your floor space.
- Select space-saving fixtures: These include as an in-wall toilet, a recessed shaving cabinet and bi-fold doors to conceal laundry appliances.
What are some ‘golden nuggets’ for getting the design right?
Frances says:
Frances says:
- When you’re planning the space, don’t just allow for appliances but for other laundry items, such as a drying rack, laundry basket, ironing board, mop or broom. The more you plan for, the tidier your final space will be as everything will have a dedicated space.
- To minimise visual clutter, you can conceal your washer and drier in the joinery, but only if that doesn’t impede your use or access to them. Pocket sliders are a more costly piece of hardware than standard or bi-fold hinges and they take slightly more width in a layout, but they enable the doors to tuck away, giving full access to your appliances.
- Consistent materials and design details throughout the space will help it feel cohesive.
- Make the space feel brighter and more open by allowing as much clear space as possible around windows – for example, avoid tall cupboards beside them. Coutts says:
- It’s always a good idea to include a ceiling fan within a laundry enclosure in addition to the bathroom fan in order to boost ventilation, particularly if a dryer will be included in the set-up.
If you’re concealing laundry appliances, should you opt for flat or profiled doors?
Coutts says:
This depends on the style of the house and whether other wet areas, such as the kitchen, are in close vicinity and you want the doors to match. Flat profile doors are generally most cost-effective than ones with a profiled finish.
And don’t underestimate the importance of joinery handles. Decorative handles can be a lovely touch, but a more subtle style, such as finger-pull handles, will create a cleaner and more minimalist look that may better suit a busy, double-duty room.
Coutts says:
This depends on the style of the house and whether other wet areas, such as the kitchen, are in close vicinity and you want the doors to match. Flat profile doors are generally most cost-effective than ones with a profiled finish.
And don’t underestimate the importance of joinery handles. Decorative handles can be a lovely touch, but a more subtle style, such as finger-pull handles, will create a cleaner and more minimalist look that may better suit a busy, double-duty room.
Are there any regulations you need to know?
Coutts says:
No, there are no additional building regulations required when including a laundry within a bathroom space, unless the old laundry was being removed or the inclusion means that additional structural requirements are needed to, say, remove a wall. An interior designer or builder can let you know if this is necessary and provide the relevant guidance.
The laundry floor will need to be waterproofed in the same way as a bathroom. So in the case of a laundry that is concealed behind cabinetry, the cabinetry would need to sit on a waterproofed and tiled floor like the bathroom around it.
Coutts says:
No, there are no additional building regulations required when including a laundry within a bathroom space, unless the old laundry was being removed or the inclusion means that additional structural requirements are needed to, say, remove a wall. An interior designer or builder can let you know if this is necessary and provide the relevant guidance.
The laundry floor will need to be waterproofed in the same way as a bathroom. So in the case of a laundry that is concealed behind cabinetry, the cabinetry would need to sit on a waterproofed and tiled floor like the bathroom around it.
Your turn
How would you rate a laundry-bathroom combo – is it something you’d want? Tell us in the Comments below. And remember to like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the conversation.
More
Looking for laundry-bathroom combo inspiration? Check out this story: 21 Cleverly Designed Laundry-Bathroom Combos
How would you rate a laundry-bathroom combo – is it something you’d want? Tell us in the Comments below. And remember to like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the conversation.
More
Looking for laundry-bathroom combo inspiration? Check out this story: 21 Cleverly Designed Laundry-Bathroom Combos
Frances Fraser, interior designer and director at Honour Creative, says:
If you have limited space in your home, you may not want to allocate a whole room to the laundry. Likewise, you may want to avoid locating it somewhere like a hallway, where laundry baskets and standing at the washing machine can obstruct the thoroughfare. Combining it with another small room, such as a bathroom, can be an efficient way to make the most of what you’ve got.
Other benefits of combining these rooms include having the plumbing in one location, similar surface types and wet area considerations, as well as extraction requirements for a shower and dryer.