When designing the layout of your home there are a lot of options where to install appliances and other home necessities. Your laundry room is an essential part of keeping your home clean and tidy. That’s why it is important to weigh the options when deciding where to place the laundry room in your floor plan. We have compiled a list of four common laundry room locations and the pros and cons of each to ensure that your custom home design process runs smoothly.
Basement
Placing your laundry room in the basement reduces the noise level when the machines are running, and the room remains out of sight from the main floor. Basements often have extra square footage to put a laundry room so the downstairs location has more storage options, area for tables, and folding stations. The extra space in the basement creates a productive laundry room. However, installing the laundry in the basement and away from where clothes are kept can be a hassle. Making multiple trips up and down the stairs may not be worth it to you.
Upstairs Near Bedrooms
Installing the laundry room upstairs near the bedrooms is efficient, makes it simple to run frequent loads, and easy to put away clean clothes. In addition, placing the laundry on the upper level keeps any mess away from the main area of your home. However running a load of laundry is noisy, so having it located next to your bedroom might not be worth it for a compromised quiet space upstairs. Another potential issue for this location is a plumbing complication. If a flood occurs in the laundry room, it might affect the entire home.
Hallway
Keeping your laundry in the hallway has a lot of benefits. Being able to shut the closet door to conceal the room is convenient. In addition, you are able to choose what hallway to install the appliances in. It can be located in the upstairs hallway, a hallway near a bathroom, or in a mudroom on the main floor. However, there might be less room for folding which can create a “traffic jam” situation in the hallway. In addition, there may be potential design limitations due to limited to water lines in the chosen hallway.
Kitchen
Placing your laundry room in the kitchen moves all of the workloads to the main level of the home; the cooking and laundry is done in one place. Water lines are already planned to be installed in the kitchen and the appliances can be hidden seamlessly within matching kitchen cabinetry. However, this can take up kitchen storage and when you fold the laundry it will be done in the same location as your cooking space, which might not be ideal for some home owners.
