Laundry rooms come into their own

Laundry rooms come into their own

By David Bauer, Executive Officer,

Spokane Home Builders Association

Laundry; the bane of many a family's existence, which routinely elicits equal parts marital spats, whiney children, finger pointing and strategic rock, paper, scissors face-offs. Not surprising given that a survey by Whirlpool Corp. found that 20 million women and 8 million men do laundry each day, and that the typical family does eight-to-10 loads of wash per week.

When you consider that manufacturers estimate that a load of clothes takes more than two hours from start (collection) to finish (putting them away), that means that nearly 20 hours a week-or the equivalent of a part-time job-is dedicated to laundry. Phew!

Good News for Laundry Sufferers

Today's busy families are looking for modern conveniences in every aspect of their lives, and laundry activities are no exception. Consumers are demanding more from their laundry rooms, and while there seems to be two schools of thought on the ideal solution- multipurpose space that can accommodate several activities at once or easily convert to serve a new task, or a well-appointed room dedicated solely to the art of laundry-the fact remains that homeowners have more options now than ever before to help ease the oft dreaded laundry chore.

For many homeowners, the days of lugging clothes to a laundromat or banishment to the home's basement are long gone. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports that 95 percent of consumers surveyed said that they either desire or must have a separate laundry room in their new home. Luckily, most new homes being built will come complete with a separate laundry room. And, flexibility is key.

Location, Location, Location

Laundry rooms, once perhaps an afterthought tucked away in a remote locale such as a basement, garage or crammed hallway closet, thankfully are moving into spaces adjacent to kitchens, bedrooms or bathrooms, according to NAHB Remodelors Council members. In fact, NAHB reports that 26 percent of consumers surveyed wanted the laundry room near the bedrooms, 26 percent near the kitchen, 23 percent in the basement and 10 percent in the garage. The report goes on to reveal that 92 percent of new-home buyers surveyed wanted a laundry room among a home's "extra rooms for convenience and luxury."

The Remodelors Council also reports that some homeowners want their laundry room to blend in with the rest of the house, with crown moulding and hardwood or tiled floor to match adjacent rooms. There's more:

-- People want more counter space to fold, iron or sew clothes, with granite or Formica counter tops that match those found in the kitchen.

-- Homeowners also want cabinets to store laundry detergent and other products, often in wood finishes normally used in the kitchen.

-- Customers want bigger, high-end appliances-washers and dryers that can handle ever growing wash loads and even two dryers to keep up with the washer.

-- To give the laundry room a more sophisticated look, many homeowners are creating built-in cabinets or closets to hide the appliances when not in use.

So, before you ignore the pile of increasingly odiferous clothes, opt for a laundry service all together, or bribe your children with cash and gifts to complete one of the most routine-and repetitious- household jobs, think about these examples of the latest in laundry room trends that just may help inject some fun into fluff and fold.

If we can be of assistance to you with any of your new construction, remodeling or home improvement needs, please contact the Spokane Home Builders Association at 509-532-4990. Professional builders, remodelers, subcontractors and suppliers are poised to assist you with all of your housing needs.

Information provided in this article is courtesy of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = By David Bauer, Executive Officer, Spokane Home Builders Association

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