In builder Orren Pickell's high-end homes, owners are barring the laundry room door no more.
For about five years, says selections coordinator Sondra Latiolais, buyers of the Lincolnshire, Ill., builder's luxury custom homes have been lusting for laundry rooms that are fancier than their kitchens—and their kitchens are fabulous.
Indeed, estimates Latiolais, 95 percent of Pickell's clients ask for a laundry room that's big, flooded with light, full of personality, and crammed with high-end, cutting-edge appliances and customized cabinetry.
They're beyond lugging loads of laundry to dank basements two or three stories below the source of their soiled socks and skivvies—the master bedroom. They want their laundry rooms next to their first-floor kitchens or upstairs near the bedrooms where they dress. Some of them want two. And they all want to show them off to company.
“The lady who stays home enjoys a laundry room that looks nice,” says Latiolais, who notes that the builder's remodeling clients are burning big bucks to have their tiny laundry rooms enlarged and fitted with custom shelving.
They're not the only ones. In a 2004 survey by the NAHB, 95 percent of homeowners said a separate laundry room is desirable or essential; 92 percent said they would rather have a laundry room than an exercise room, a library, or another niche nook.
It's no wonder: In a Sears, Roebuck and Co. survey last year, 55 percent of women homeowners said they craved a laundry room makeover, complaining their laundry rooms are too small or cluttered, disorganized or poorly decorated. And more than one-third said they would pay up to $2,000 for the upgrade (21 percent would pay more).
“Most homeowners are unhappy in their laundry rooms and they are ready, willing, and able to do something about it,” notes Tina Settecase, Sears' vice president and general manager of appliances.
Above all, that “something” involves moving the laundry room out of the bowels of the house so it's located in a more convenient place. Research from Whirlpool reveals that 55 percent of laundry rooms are on the first floor of the home. “People have more living areas and they don't want [the laundry room] to be this dark, dingy area,” says Audrey Reed-Granger, director of public relations for Whirlpool.
The smallest laundry rooms JH Carter Builder's Raleigh, N.C., clients will settle for are 10 by 12 feet; some are going as large as 10 by 20 feet, says co-owner Peggy Carter.
The builder's latest laundry features wood cabinets glazed in red, then wiped down with some white for emphasis; a limestone floor with gray veining and taupe accents; and rich, chocolate-colored walls. “The floor is important,” notes Carter. “It becomes an asset to the house.”
And the laundry room is becoming more of an asset to the homeowner. Many are transforming the utilitarian, wash-the-clothes space into a multi-functional room for storage, exercise equipment, gift-wrapping, scrapbooking, and even homework.
“Women are moving into the laundry room and they're bringing their children with them so they can do their activities—like homework, crafts, even watching TV—while mom does the laundry,” notes Reed-Granger.
Paul Radoy, manager of design services for cabinet manufacturer Merillat, says homeowners are installing kitchen-quality wood cabinets and drawers for sewing notions, craft supplies, and gift wrap. “There are myriad things you could do in the laundry room besides just laundry,” he says.
The family laundress also is bringing her personal style into the laundry room. “It has become a finite room with a personality of its own and it's definitely whimsical,” notes interior designer Carrie Antonello, owner of Tuscan Touch Designs in Raleigh, N.C. “It reflects the hobbies of the family.” Antonello has helped clients create laundry room theme decors with wallpaper, door pulls, and knick-knacks featuring roosters, seashells, wine, gardening, or birds. “They don't want it in the kitchen because it's over the top and they may get tired of it, so they put it in the laundry,” she says. “They want it to feel like an extension of their personality.”
And they want it to accommodate the lifestyle of their families, says Latiolais, who designed one laundry room with undercabinet dog beds, a drawer for dog food storage, another for feeding and water bowls, and a doggie shower.
Carter says customers who opt for a second-story laundry room usually include skylights to shed more natural light on folding, ironing, and hobby work. Still, the room's primary purpose is for washing clothes, and more homeowners are doing it in style.
A few manufacturers have heeded the consumer call for color with shiny, black, blue, and even stainless steel washers and dryers. Kenmore's front-loading HE4T washer, for example, comes in Pacific blue, bronzy Sedona, champagne, and black, as well as traditional white and bisque.
In addition to a wider array of colors, most manufacturers are making quieter, low-vibration models for use near bedrooms and front-loaders are becoming popular because of their energy efficiency and the free space on top.
Clothes steamers, drying cabinets, built-in ironing boards, and folding tables are favorites for dual-career couples who want to make quick work of the seven to eight loads of laundry that the average family does each week.
And it all has to look good. “It used to be that the laundry room was a section of the house that you closed off when you weren't using it,” says David Small, director of marketing for Pergo, which is selling more wood- and tile-look laminate floors for installation in laundry rooms. “Now homes are designed with more open spaces, and a lot more people are integrating the look and feel of the home to an adjoining laundry room.”
“People enjoy pretty rooms,” notes Carter. “Even if they're on a restricted budget, people are saying this is a priority.”
This story first appeared in BUILDING PRODUCTS magazine.
KitchenAidThe Luxe Laundry room concept bundles together several appliances to transform the laundry room into a multifunctional getaway. The Luxe Laundry room is outfitted with the KitchenAid Pro Line washer and dryer, undercounter refrigerator, the 12-cup Pro Line countertop coffee maker, and Pro Line burr coffee mill with 15 grind levels. The all-stainless steel Pro Line washer offers 11 load cycles, five temperature settings, and six wash/spin speeds. 800.422.1230. www.insideadvantage.com.
KraftMaid CabinetryPart of the Harmony system of cabinetry storage solutions, the Fabric Care Ensemble cabinet is designed to fit over today's front-loading washer and dryer sets, even when mounted on drawer pedestals. The tall cabinet offers maximum capacity for hiding away laundry products behind two doors, and it can be doubled up to fit around a side-by-side washer and dryer installation. It is available in most door styles and finish options. 888.562.7744. www.kraftmaid.com.
Velux
For small enclosed spaces restricted from most natural lighting, the manufacturer offers Sun Tunnel skylights, which bring small, circular bursts of natural light to hard-to-reach places. The skylights attach to the roof and use a tube with 95 percent reflectivity to tunnel the light into the laundry room or closet area. The tunnel spans a 48-inch straight run and has a 10-year warranty. 800.888.3589. www.veluxusa.com.
When a short dryer duct length is not possible, the Advanced Dryer Booster Fan can ensure that moist air exhausts quickly, reducing drying time and energy costs, the manufacturer says. Model DBF4XLT operates automatically and includes a wall-mounted indicator panel to monitor operation. Fans are suitable for duct runs of up to 60 linear feet of rigid duct with up to six elbows. 800.747.1762. www.fantech.net.
Inspired by laundry chutes found in 19th-century European buildings, the Ariege Laundry Chute door measures 10 inches by 10 inches and opens with the press of a button. Available in five finishes, the Ariege can be mounted sideways into a cabinet or flush to a wall or counter. The chute also can act as a disposal for non-breakable recyclables. 239.417.5368. www.herbeau.com.
Ten inches deep with two faucets, the single-basin Harborview utility sink can be dropped into a cabinet or installed with vitreous china legs for an old-fashioned farmhouse look, the maker says. Wood grate accessories can create countertop space in the 48-inch-long sink for a spacious and functional wet workstation. 800.456.4537. www.kohler.com.
Featuring a tempered-glass lid so clothes are visible, the Energy Star-certified Profile Harmony system has a 4-cubic-foot stainless steel basket in the washer and dual motors in the dryer for fast, even drying, the manufacturer asserts. The CleanSpeak system with an English/Spanish LCD display allows the washer to electronically communicate with the dryer to preset drying cycles. 800.626.2000. www.ge.com.
