Doing the laundry can be a tedious household task, especially when there is a lot of it. It can be even more difficult if your laundry room is a mess.
Laundry rooms are often tight on space, leaving little room for storage. And yet, there is so much to be stored. Laundry room cabinets can provide a homeowner with many storage options and keep the room neat and orderly.
Whether the laundry room is a designated space in the basement or an actual room off the kitchen or bedroom, laundry room cabinets are a necessary addition.
What Customers Expect in a Laundry Room
According to a consumer preference survey conducted by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), 95% of new homeowners wanted a separate laundry room, with 61% of laundry rooms in new homes being built on upper levels rather than the main level or basement.
These statistics indicate that homeowners want an expanded work area in the laundry room, most likely for more storage.
An increasing number of homeowners want more storage for all of their ‘stuff.’ New buyers consistently ask about the storage a house has. Another study by HSM.com asked 1,001 Americans what annoys them most in their homes.
The top home-related annoyance was lack of storage, at 67%. This includes the laundry room, which sometimes does double duty as a mudroom or extra pantry storage.
The laundry room should be one of the most functional rooms in a home; however, most laundry areas are tight on space. If there is a designated room, it is already taken up by the washer and dryer and sometimes a utility sink.
There are a few other must-haves that many homeowners would like to have in their designated laundry space besides a washer and dryer:
- Countertop for folding and sorting clothes
- Cabinets to store laundry room essentials
- Open Shelving for most often used products
- Drying rack
- Iron or steamer
The area should have plenty of lighting to sort and fold clothes and add to the room’s aesthetic. If the room has no window, then the appropriate lighting should be added.
For most homeowners, the room should not be customized around the size of the appliances because the entire room has to change when they change. Instead, leave room above and on the size of the machines. For small areas, consider stacking the washer and dryer.
Overall, the room should function efficiently and be able to handle the storage needs for the size of the homeowner’s family. In redoing the laundry room, creating a functional and attractive space can make that chore much more efficient and pleasant.
If the current space is plain or utilitarian, adding cabinets will enhance the space and add much-needed storage.
Why Laundry Rooms Need Cabinets
Think of all the items stored in the laundry room—different detergent brands, bleach, stain spray, fabric softener, dryer sheets, ironing supplies, etc.
Many laundry rooms have only one open shelf for all of these items, which are on display for everyone to see. It usually looks messy because it does not provide enough storage for all the laundry room essentials.
Laundry room cabinets give homeowners more storage and style in their laundry area. They can satisfy most of the room’s storage needs while making use of the unused wall space.
Shaker wall cabinets are durable and will last a long time in the area. For ultimate laundry room organization ideas, one cabinet above the washer and dryer can provide separate spots for the items needed for each appliance.
If there is enough room, base cabinets that rest on the floor are solid additions to the space. They provide easy access to supplies without having to reach up.
Adding cabinets to a laundry room simplifies the task of doing laundry. All of the detergents and laundry essentials are easily accessible.
Being able to customize the space with cabinets also adds to the value of the home.
Depending on the many other storage options in your house, the laundry room sometimes becomes the catch-all for items that don’t have another place to go.
If your laundry room is large but doesn’t have a utility or linen closet, then the laundry room might have multiple storage uses besides just for the laundry.
Take advantage of the space and install cabinets that can store all of your extras, such as towels, sheets, cleaning supplies, or suitcases.
But don’t let the laundry room become the junk room of the house—non-essential items that don’t have a home anywhere else and are never used should be donated.
Shaker Cabinets
One consideration for laundry room storage is shaker cabinets. A little historical background: the cabinets are named for the Shakers, a religious community founded in England.
They settled in North America in the 18th century and became known for their saltbox houses with clean lines and tidy corners. The Shaker philosophy focused on the beauty of efficiency, which has stood the test of time.
This style has endured for hundreds of years because of its focus on simplicity and excellent craftsmanship. Shaker cabinets are popular today because of their clean lines and classic style.
Hunter Macfarlane, project expert at Lowe’s, states: “Shaker cabinets are simple, clean, and timeless. They are characterized primarily by their doors, which consist of two flat-side rails, two flat-top rails, and a flat-inset panel.”
He states that shaker-style doors are known for their durability and function. They are usually symmetrical, adding to their clean, attractive appearance, and they always look fresh and updated.
The most basic shaker cabinet is a five-piece door with a recessed center panel and no additional detailing.
However, shaker cabinets have evolved to add more detailing and can be used in a variety of home designs. This type of cabinet can be adapted to a number of color schemes and works well in any laundry room.
They come in various colors, from ice white to honey to dark gray, so the customer has endless choices for the laundry room’s design.
Cabinet doors in a laundry room will no doubt get a lot of use. Shaker cabinets that are built to high-quality standards with A-grade plywood, solid wood, or high-quality and high-density fiber materials will be more durable.
Laundry Room Organization Ideas
The layout and planning of the laundry room should be well thought out to make the most of the space. In small spaces, especially, cabinets must maximize long-term storage and daily use.
Cabinets with many details in a small area can be distracting, making the simplicity of the shaker cabinet a perfect choice for this area in the home. Cabinets should be functional in the space to give the homeowner access to all the items they need.
No matter how small the space, it is important to arrange the essentials in a convenient way. What is often used, such as detergent, should be front and center.
Items not used as often or dangerous to small children can be put in the back. For washing-related items, arrange products from left to right in the order that you use them—for example, stain removers, detergent, and fabric softener.
The cabinets should be organized with clear plastic boxes or decorative baskets with labels so items are easy to find and access. Small, similar items should be stored together in drawers if the room has them.
If the room has an open shelf, boxes or baskets make grouped items accessible and less likely to become messy.
Utilize the walls for accessories other than cabinets.
For example, a drying rack can be hung on the wall rather than taking up space on the floor, or a hanging rod can be installed underneath the cabinets to save space.
In larger laundry rooms, tall cabinets can hold items such as ironing boards, vacuum cleaners, and floor mops and brooms.
With a fold-out option, the homeowner can also utilize the space they have for the items that they need to store.
Tip: Install a plug socket in this cabinet to recharge the vacuums here.
Hampers for dirty laundry and a place to hang laundry to dry are also very helpful. You can even designate a shaker cabinet to hide the hampers.
Most laundry rooms do not have the space for all of this; however, homeowners need to be creative in making the most of the available space. The rest of the house will also benefit, as all of the essentials for cleaning clothes are in one place.
Why Remodeling the Laundry Room With the Kitchen is Beneficial to the Customer
Homeowners who are remodeling the kitchen might also consider changing the laundry room at the same time. Kitchen cabinets are not just for kitchens.
In fact, they have a variety of uses other than the kitchen. They offer a put-together look and provide more sturdy storage than other options.
While it is a larger project to do both rooms, the benefit of doing it simultaneously is taking advantage of matching (and ordering) the cabinets. It is also cost-effective to order cabinets for both spaces.
And, if the laundry area is part of the kitchen or just off of the kitchen, from a design perspective, it is important to keep the same feeling, style, and flow. Using the same cabinets is one way to keep the home cohesive.
Creating a cabinet plan for both areas will ensure that the customer gets the most function out of the space with the cabinets that they want and need.
The details are planned out before the work begins so the cabinets fit perfectly and function as they should, saving time and money.
The cabinet plan is created with the most efficient layout for both the kitchen and laundry room.
By planning for both at the same time, customers are better able to stay within their budget. Since they are spending more, they might also be able to get free shipping with the order.
Laundry rooms are becoming a stylish asset to any home.
While they used to be relegated to the basement, designated areas or rooms now make them more functional, convenient, and efficient. A utility room is usually one of the most working spaces in the home, so make sure it is appealing.
Shaker cabinets can be used in the room to help disguise the bulky washer and dryer.
At Best Online Cabinets, we offer low-cost sample doors so you can get a feel for this cabinet style in the home and decide if it is the best option for your laundry room today. We also offer free professional design assistance using 3D images to see how cabinets can best maximize your laundry room storage.
Contact us today to learn how we can help transform your laundry room.
