Laundry loving – discovering luxury in a ‘backstage’ room
While the laundry might seem like the least glamorous room in the home, a well-designed space with splashes of luxury can make boring chores easier and more enjoyable. From space-saving designs to flooring solutions and tapware, we have all the inspiration and advice you need for designing the ultimate luxury laundry.
Planning the Space
Good planning is essential for creating a successful and hard-working laundry room. Consider how you will use the room and what you are likely to be storing in there – will you need to make room for a vacuum cleaner, for example. This will help to inform and streamline the washing, drying and folding process and mean you have enough space to move around the room.
Image: Catherine Heraghty featuring Vivid Slimline Pull Out Sink Mixer in Matte Black
Next, consider your appliances. The best place to locate a washing machine is between the sink and laundry baskets to allow for ease of transfer between these areas. If you can, position your dryer above or next to the washing machine to reduce time spent moving around the room.
Bench space close to your appliances is also a must-have for folding and sorting, as is room for an air dryer or even a rail to hang wet clothes if you prefer not to use a machine dryer.
Storage
Storage is possibly the most important element of the laundry room – you don’t want cleaning products and dirty clothes and shoes out in the open when you remove your clean clothes from the machine.
Image: Lydia Maskiell featuring Vivid Slimline Sink Mixer Gooseneck in Matte Black
For larger rooms, storage solutions are endless. Include a combination of cupboards, overheads, drawers, and bench top space. Overheads are ideal for storing chemicals out of reach of children and a full height cupboard is great for brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners.
Don’t forget to include multiple baskets and tubs so that you can separate colours and whites and consider coat and shoe racks to keep the room neat and tidy. Adding some open shelving adds a designer touch and allows you to display plants, candles, vases or attractive storage jars.
Image: Maddy Evennett featuring Vivid Slimline Sink Mixer Gooseneck in Brushed Gold
If space is at a premium, you’ll want to keep surface space free, which means using your walls and ceilings for storage. Shelving and hanging baskets work well, while hooks are perfect for hanging bags, coats and towels, too.
Flooring
When it comes to selecting the flooring, keep in mind that you’ll need to choose an option that is moisture-resistant, easy to clean and impact-resistance to fend off scratches from foot traffic and moving appliances around.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are a classic material as they are durable, easy to clean, and waterproof if installed well. A wide range of style options are also available, meaning you can create a statement floor or something more traditional depending on your taste.
Natural stones like slate, marble and limestone are another good option. They add an elegant, natural touch to your laundry room and are easy to take care of with a simple dry sweep or damp mopping.
For a cheaper option, vinyl tiles are the way to go. Affordable, highly durable and easy to clean and maintain, vinyl tiles are simple to install and are highly resistant to chemical stains and water. Another plus point is that single damaged tiles can be replaced without having to replace the entire floor.
Tapware
Tapware has become a key feature in the design of laundry rooms with a variety of colour options and styles now available. Elevate the look of your laundry and choose a contemporary matte black or brushed nickel finish or go for a classic look and pick chrome or brushed gold.
Blix Flexible Hose Sink Mixer in Brushed Nickel
For a modern statement, consider a dual finish such as Phoenix’s Blix Flexible Hose Sink Mixer (above) which allows for extended reach, or for more traditional style laundries you could opt for our Nostalgia range and choose something like the Nostalgia Sink Mixer Shepherds Crook.
Nostalgia Sink Mixer Shepherds Crook in Antique Black
For a classic modern look that is at the same time highly functional, the Vivid Slimline Pull Out Sink Mixer is a great option and will suit both modern and traditional laundry designs.
Image: @theenchantedhome featuring Vivid Slimline Pull Out Sink Mixer in Brushed Gold
Whatever your style, Phoenix has the tapware to match. Explore our full range of laundry tapware here.
Hero image: The Gables by Brock Beazley featuring Vivid Slimline Sink Mixer Gooseneck in Brushed Gold.
