WHAT TO INCLUDE
When planning the position of your washing machine, drier, sink and cupboard or shelving, consider how you’ll use the space. Look for quality appliances that are kind on clothes, operate quietly and are energy and water efficient.
Interior designer Natalie Du Bois says: “Include as much storage as possible. The laundry tends to be the place where all the items which you haven’t found a home for get dumped.” If space allows, include a deep, tall cupboard for brooms and the vacuum cleaner, storage for linen and a high cupboard for cleaning products that is out of reach of children.
An oversized sink is useful – “Especially if you have a dog to bath,” says Du Bois – as is a high-spouted mixer so you can easily fill a tall bucket in the tub.
Bench space for sorting clean washing is also handy, as well as a drying rod for hanging washing that needs airing. Those who have them couldn’t live without a pull-out hamper for dirty clothes. Include two if you can, to separate whites and darks, and ensure they’re vented for when the damp towels land.
Good lighting is another essential, with Janey favouring a mix of natural light, overhead and strip or task lighting to illuminate cupboards or under shelves. She also recommends including a fold-out ironing board and a pet door. “It’s a favourite fixture of mine in a laundry; it means you don’t have to have it elsewhere,” she says. affected by moisture. “Adding these will disguise the utilitarian aspect of the laundry.”