Laundry Design Ideas

All photography by Dylan James Photography featuring Samsung Smart AI washing machine and dryer

The Laundry – Our BuildHer top tips!

The once forgotten laundry is back, and back with a BANG! Today we see the laundry being a super functional and beautiful space. This room is now getting its share of the buzz and building “jewellery” to match. With clever technologies such as Smart AI, capacities to suit different households and amazing new colour options in black AND white, you are spoilt for choice in finding the perfect Washing Machine and Dryer to fit almost any design idea. Check out the fabulous new range of laundry design ideas from Samsung here.

What are the must-haves?

First, make sure you laundry layout is optimal and you have allowed enough space for the area to be workable. Research your design ideas and test the laundry layout so that your laundry room design will function as planned. Bench Space, allowances for the washer and dryer of your choice, whether it is a front loader washing machine or top loader.

With so many fun laundry ideas out there, we thought we would help by creating a list of the key laundry room considerations:

Your laundry appliances should be front and centre and a great washer and dryer which are rated high for both energy consumption and water usage is top of our list
Enough circulation spaces in the room to enable to you work and move around
Ample storage solutions including open shelves and laundry cupboards
An external door for access – if possible
Natural light – if possible
Good ventilation
Durable floor surfaces
Good bench space for folding
A great laundry cupboard and if you have space laundry baskets
A full-height cupboard for storage or brooms, mops, or vacuum cleaners
A door or cabinet door to conceal the laundry if it is a bathroom, garage, or hallway
The right appliances size that will make your life easier, a bigger washing machine – means fewer loads if you’re managing a busy household
A space for your ironing board, this may also be inside a cupboard and we have seen many great solutions to build in ironing boards which are great space savers as well
Consider how technology, like wifi and AI, can be your extra pair of hands
Your white goods don’t need to be white. Brands like Samsung have different colours, including black, to bring a sleek and sophisticated look.

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What can you save on in the laundry?

When we are planning out our laundry room we want to think about cost as some of the amazing design ideas we have may not be in our budgets. Here are some thoughts on were you can save on your design ideas while still creating the modern laundry of your dreams:

Level of finish – rather than a full laminate on the inside of a cabinet, you can use standard melamine. Perhaps you can lower the finish of the cabinet door fronts or remove some of the more expensive door detailing that can add up across your build.
You can lessen the finish of your laundry bench from the kitchen and bathrooms, perhaps using a reconstituted stone instead of a natural stone if you have this in your spec, or even a laminate bench top.
You can save on tiling as you do not need to tile to walls full height – just tiling the floor and a small skirting.
You can buy wire storage systems if you cannot afford new joinery.
Ikea offers affordable cabinetry.

Here’s an example of a small tiled splashback. It still makes a great impact. We love the black tapware to match the Samsung washing machine!

What should you splurge on in the laundry?

Here are things you need to splurge on:

Appliances

We think you should splurge on the quality of the appliances (let’s be honest, who wants to spend hours in their laundry room? You want good machines that are going to do the best job the first time!)

We’re totally loving the Samsung Smart AI Washer and Dryer range.

Here are three reasons why:

Samsung’s Smart AI range delivers convenience both in accessibility and design through intuitive AI machine learning to remember your favourite cycles1 and allow access to your smartphone2.
Large-capacity means you can finish more of your washing in fewer loads plus more choice in colour and style with both black and white appliance options.
The range is designed for families to make laundry simple, stylish and smart.

Sink and Storage

A great sink and storage add useability and functionality to your laundry.

If you are building new, you have the most potential to design the laundry to fix all your issues. On the other hand, if you are renovating, you need to comprise features to suit the space you must work with.

Other Accessories

Add in high-end touches like gorgeous cabinet handles – in a laundry space, there would be a few needed or an expensive tile/stone you love for the splashback in small quantities, and you may be able to buy a cheap off-cut.

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The ideal depth of benchtops

Generally, the ideal depth for benchtops is usually between 600-700mm in a laundry. So, how do you determine the right depth?

Key factors to consider

Appliances. If you have an under-bench washing machine and dryer, they will need to fit neatly under the bench, which means a front load washer will be ideal for you. This is with enough room for your tap connections.
Sink and laundry trough. Either way, it integrates with the bench depth- if you use a ceramic farmhouse sink, often a tap will sit behind the bowl, and you need enough space for this. Plus, don’t forget to allow the appliance’s clearance on either side and sometimes above. You usually need 30-50mm on either side, but check the whiteware specs and installation guides during the design phase.
Stacked set up. Whereby your washer and dryer are stacked on top of each other. Samsung has a great ‘All in Once Control’ option for this set-up where you can control both the washer and dryer from the same panel.

How wide should you make your new laundry?

The laundry’s location and size are super important if you are building new. Generally, these spaces are between 1800mm -2400mm wide – this will give you enough space for your appliances/ sinks on one wall and airing cabinets/ air dressers the other wall for shelving or handing storage and circulation space.

If you are renovating, you may need to compromise on the size and depth of the laundry room based on the existing space you must work within.

What to allow for in terms of walkways/extra space for integrated things?

A walkway between 900-1200 will generally help with the use of integrated items like ironing boards or drying cabinets.

Also, think about the workflow in a laundry of space & laundry hampers. Rebeka has 4 hampers:

one for clean laundry to be folded and put away
one for general wash
one for white
one for towels and bedding

Other things to think about:

Laundry can be considered a wet area, so ensure you waterproof your new plasterboard behind appliances and tap penetrations.
You may also consider storage or pet items/ pet or food for pets in your laundry layout.
Consider if your trough or sink could be large enough to wash pets/sports gear and other dirty muddy items.
Families really value full laundries for resale, but in apartment-style living, the European laundry off the hallway is.
Consider the colours and styles of the machines. These days, more options than white can fit in with your laundry design and take it to the next level.
Connectivity and technology. Think about the washing machine and dryer to help make your life easier, from wifi connectivity to the machine learning of your favourite cycles.

If you need further assistance with your laundry or any other part of your build, chat with Rachel, our Style Guru, and she can point you in the right direction. You can book in here and for more info on our Build Like a BuildHer course, click here.

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