Pro Reveal: 10 Laundries and Their Design Secrets
10 designers reveal how they maximised functionality and flair in laundries of different shapes and sizes
Georgia Madden
28 February 2020
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
The laundry is one of the hardest working rooms in the home. We’ve gathered together 10 laundries that look great and perform brilliantly, and asked the design experts behind them to reveal the tricks they used to make them work.
1. Designer and commentator: Sheree Bounassif, director, interior designer and cabinet maker at Kitchens by Emanuel
Location: East Lindfield, NSW
Set-up: A narrow, moderately sized laundry in a busy family home.
Location: East Lindfield, NSW
Set-up: A narrow, moderately sized laundry in a busy family home.
- “We specified a pair of twin pull-out hampers so our client can save time by pre-sorting whites, towels and delicates. The hampers are lightweight and easy to lift so they can be popped on the benchtop when it’s time to fill the washing machine.”
- “Running the hampers lengthwise allowed us to maximise space in this narrow laundry.”
- “We chose push-to-open mechanisms rather than handles for the cupboards so they can be opened hands-free. It also reduces visual clutter.”
2. Designer and commentator:
Jasmine McClelland, principal designer at Jasmine McClelland Design
Location: Collingwood, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry concealed within the open-plan dining/kitchen space of an inner-city warehouse apartment.
Jasmine McClelland, principal designer at Jasmine McClelland Design
Location: Collingwood, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry concealed within the open-plan dining/kitchen space of an inner-city warehouse apartment.
- “As the apartment has limited space, we needed to minimise the laundry’s footprint and not intrude too much on other important parts of the home. This laundry design offers maximum functionality in a small space; it’s easy to access and use, and can be hidden from sight when needed.”
- “As it’s concealed behind the two doors and can be closed off, open shelves made practical sense. Shelves minimise clutter, there’s no need to worry about opening drawers and cupboard doors, and as they are adjustable, they offer flexibility.”
- “It was important that the laundry felt connected to the surrounding space when the doors are open. The grey tiles, with their beautiful mix of tones, have wow factor and worked with the apartment’s colour palette.”
- “We concealed all the plumbing in a cupboard under the sink. It also provides a spot to store all those bits and pieces that the clients might want to keep hidden away.”
3. Designer and commentator: Giulianna del Popolo, principal at GDP Interior Design
Builder: Megan and Stewart Baulch, co-directors at Baulch Services
Location: Briar Hill, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry in a family home that doubles as the main access route to the outdoor entertaining area, which is used by guests.
Builder: Megan and Stewart Baulch, co-directors at Baulch Services
Location: Briar Hill, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry in a family home that doubles as the main access route to the outdoor entertaining area, which is used by guests.
- “This was originally a large laundry with no bench space or storage. It had a door to the outdoor entertaining area, but little view through to the backyard and no real link. We lost some space to a new neighbouring bathroom, but we set about using every bit of space we had to create a functional and stunning laundry, with indoor-outdoor connection.”
- “This laundry is packed with smart storage. It features a pull-out hamper, corner benchtop cupboards where the owners store appliances to reduce pressure on the kitchen, and space for a bar fridge, which they use when they’re entertaining.”
Before & After: A Laundry Transformed… With Extras Squeezed In
4. Designer and commentator: Caitlin Slater, interior designer at Smart Style Bathrooms
Location: Floreat, WA
Set-up: A laundry located next to a living room for a young family.
Location: Floreat, WA
Set-up: A laundry located next to a living room for a young family.
- “It was important to be able to keep this laundry tidy as it’s located next to the living room. To do this, we specified closed cupboards and smart features, such as a pull-out ironing board, which keep the floor and benchtops clear.”
- “Integrating the ironing board in the cabinetry takes pressure off the cupboard space and gives the clients more storage.”
- “A front-loading washing machine that fits under the bench was chosen to free up bench space.”
5. Designer and commentator: Jo Gillies, director and principal architect, and Russell Rice, associate at Archisoul Architects
Location: Manly, NSW
Set-up: A compact under-stair laundry in a small, heritage semi.
Location: Manly, NSW
Set-up: A compact under-stair laundry in a small, heritage semi.
- “We concealed this laundry behind bi-fold doors. When they’re closed, all you can see is a minimalist wall of white joinery.”
- “The laundry is situated at the junction between the old and new parts of the house, so we wanted to keep the look as clean and simple as possible.”
- “We specified bi-fold doors that stack to the side when open to maximise the laundry’s internal space. Pocket sliders or pivot doors would have intruded into the space more.”
The laundry is concealed under the stairs, to the left
- “The laundry is bigger than it looks; there’s space for a sink, cupboard, a stacked washing machine and dryer, and room to move around.”
- “Grip handles give the doors a seamless look when they’re closed.”
- “Ventilation is crucial in a laundry situated in the middle of the house. Here, we included an extraction vent that goes to the external wall.”
Image by Hcreations Photography
6. Designer and commentator: Maria Cerne, interior designer at Studio Black Interiors
Location: Canberra, ACT
Set-up: A laundry that extends off the kitchen in a family home.
6. Designer and commentator: Maria Cerne, interior designer at Studio Black Interiors
Location: Canberra, ACT
Set-up: A laundry that extends off the kitchen in a family home.
- “I specified a glass laundry door – it’s a great way to boost natural light and make the space feel bright and open.”
- “I took the laundry beyond a purely functional space by adding in shelving to display indoor plants, baskets and towels.”
- “Warm timber and marble-look chevron tiles add a luxe feel to an otherwise utilitarian space.”
7. Designer and commentator: Steve Johnson, director at Retreat Design
Location: Mount Lawley, WA
Set-up: A laundry hidden in the open-plan kitchen of a family home.
Location: Mount Lawley, WA
Set-up: A laundry hidden in the open-plan kitchen of a family home.
- “We concealed this laundry as it’s part of an open-plan kitchen and dining area. It can be opened up for use when required and hidden away not in use.”
- “We allowed for ventilation by creating a vent through the back of the cabinetry and knocking a hole through the back wall.”
- “The upper cupboard doors open up to create generous bench space and an ironing station. There’s also a laundry sink. Below, there are under-bench shelves for appliance storage.”
Image by The Palm Co
8. Designer and commentator: Leah Rispoli, interior designer at Hemma Interiors
Location: Mortdale, NSW
Set-up: A laundry in a family home.
8. Designer and commentator: Leah Rispoli, interior designer at Hemma Interiors
Location: Mortdale, NSW
Set-up: A laundry in a family home.
- “The aim was to create a calm and tranquil space for those mundane laundry tasks. Specifying a marble benchtop and tiles, textural tapware and an oversize farmhouse-style sink helped us achieve this. Additions such as a clothes hanging rail and concealed storage make the space function on a practical level.”
- “We tailored the cupboards to suit the size of the items we needed to store here in order to maximise storage potential; brooms and a vacuum cleaner go in the taller cupboards and laundry powders and cleaning products in the smaller ones.”
9. Designer and commentator: Rebecca Farrow, interior designer at Elska Interiors
Location: Samford Valley, Queensland
Set-up: A busy laundry for a family with two sport-loving kids and a dog.
Location: Samford Valley, Queensland
Set-up: A busy laundry for a family with two sport-loving kids and a dog.
- “I included touches of timber to warm up the whites and connect the space style-wise to the rest of the home.”
- “I love including some open storage in laundries – it allows you to store things you need to access quickly, such as laundry powder and clean towels. It also gives you the chance to display items including attractive storage baskets and plants, which add personality to the space.”
10. Designer and commentator: Rick Dalla-Riva, designer at Damco Kitchens
Location: Mont Albert North, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry in a busy family home.
Your turn
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More
Craving more design advice? Don’t miss this Pro Panel: 8 Indoor-Outdoor Blunders You Don’t Want to Make
Location: Mont Albert North, Victoria
Set-up: A laundry in a busy family home.
- “This laundry gets very busy, so we designed it to be clean, neat and have a great workflow. To do this, we specified a balance of small and large cabinets, and bench space for folding.”
- “We specified shallower cupboards above the benchtop so the client could work comfortably at the benchtop.”
- “We colour-matched the heat-duct grille with the cabinetry so it blended in.”
Your turn
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more design advice? Don’t miss this Pro Panel: 8 Indoor-Outdoor Blunders You Don’t Want to Make
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Agree with above in having the appliances at better heights. I also curious as to how many people use multiple hampers to pre-sort clothes and how many use just the one and pre-sort prior to washing.
My laundry had the front loader washer on TOP of the bench so I wouldn’t have to bend so much, and the washing basket was below it. I thought I was a bona fide genius innovator for insisting on that, but I’ve since seen it done in American laundries so I guess there really are no new ideas!
The only sorting I ever do of clothes is drip-dry vs tumble dry, because I’m lazy-efficient and don’t like to go back and forth if I don’t have to. I never sort colours. It’s really not needed on a cold or cool (30C) wash.
I also agree with the ergonomic comment. When I remodelled the kitchen extension some years ago, I put my dishwasher at this height with the pot drawer underneath; everybody appreciated unpacking the dishwasher as a chore. It was really easy to work with. To do this I had to sacrifice that area where a wall oven would normally go. However I’m really happy with an under bench oven, as with three children I am more often at the dishwasher!