Counters key to adding laundry room space
countertop at 32 inches off the finished floor. It’s not hard for a remodeling contractor to get a work surface at whatever height you want.
The countertop material needs to be waterproof. Plastic laminate tops work fine in these situations, and there are some stunning patterns and colors in modern laminate tops. Don’t brush these off until you’ve seen them.
I had two different sinks in my last laundry room. You can choose from many types of giant and extradeep stainless steel sinks that will fit inside a normal countertop and regular sink-base cabinet. I had one of these monster stainless steel sinks next to my washer in case I wanted to rinse something before adding it to the machine.
Think about any and all other options you may want and find out the best locations for electrical outlets so you don’t have cords draped across the countertops to reach some smaller appliance. Really think through where you’ll place things on the countertops before you tell the electrician where you want the outlets.
You can get foldaway ironing boards that fit in a sleek wall cabinet. The actual ironing board is a tad smaller than a normal one, so be sure you’re aware of this before you specify having one installed. I have one in my laundry room, but the builder who built this house — not me! — put it in the worst possible location. Because of this, it rarely gets used.
Lighting is very important. You want great light over the top of the washing machine as well as all countertops. Surface fixtures will achieve this goal well and just be sure you can get LED bulbs that will produce plenty of light.
Don’t overlook the importance of the flooring. You want something that’s slip-resistant and quite durable. I have natural slate in my laundry room and love it. There are lots of vinyl tile products that may work well for you.