Hi Reader,
Last week we talked about how mudrooms are rarely designed for reality.
The other room where this happens all the time is the laundry room.
I’m going to be honest with you: People invest way too much money into their laundry rooms. It's stupid money. It's almost like they're spending money on their laundry room as if it's gonna become the show suite.
Here’s my hot take: Don’t make your laundry room fancy, make it functional.
The first thing I always say to a client when we’re working on their laundry room is, “So where do you fold your clothes?”
And they go, “Oh, well, I usually do it in front of the TV.”
“Okay, so you don't fold in here. What do you want in here, then?”
“Well, I need hanging space for clothes to dry.”
Great — now we’re getting somewhere. Forget a granite countertop for folding, you need a drying rack!
This is why drying systems are becoming increasingly popular in laundry room design.
Whether you want a unit that comes down from the ceiling or off the wall, installing a drying rack can dramatically add to the functionality of your space.
The one we’ve put into a few client homes now is from a brand called FoxyDry. They make a pretty dang good unit (not a plug, I just like their stuff). It's on a remote control, folds down off the ceiling, and it's got built-in fans. It’s amazing! And at less than a grand, it’s still a cheaper upgrade than that granite countertop.
The second thing no one thinks about adding to a laundry room that nobody thinks about is a fan and/or dehumidifier.
Just install a simple fan and your clothes will dry so much faster. It doesn't have to be a big one — just a fan in the ceiling, moving the air, very quiet. Invest in a very good quality one, as close to the ceiling as you can, and move that air around.
Add a dehumidifier and you pull extra moisture right out of the air. This helps clothes dry faster in the winter months, eliminates musty smells, and limits any mould and mildew that might be tempted to settle on the walls.
Ultimately the principle is the same as our mudroom email last week: design your laundry room for real life first, not some aspirational version of a home that looks great on paper but doesn’t actually serve you.
Have you ever over-invested in a space, only to find that you didn’t use it as planned? Hit reply and tell me about it!
Until next time,
Gerald
P.S. “Showroom everything” isn’t the only thing that has become more popular in recent years. Next week we’ll talk about what else has changed since I got my start in construction 40+ years ago. See you then!