Best of the Week: 26 Laundries Where Storage is the Star
Drawers, tall cupboards, open shelves and ample bench space – these laundries have all the storage you'll ever need
Julia Fairley
22 May 2019
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
We all know how vital storage is in the kitchen and bathroom – the workhorses of the home – but storage in the laundry is often an afterthought. A lack of space can make for stressful washing days, while an excess can relieve pressure from other rooms in the home. Here are 26 laundries where smart storage is the star. So whether you’re renovating and have space to spare or are dreaming of your ideal washing zone, think big and arm yourself with these inspiring ideas.
And remember, you can get more details of a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on a photo.
And remember, you can get more details of a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on a photo.
1. Location: Miami, USA
Designer: Knowles Design
Features: This heaven-sent space combines everything you could ever ask for in a laundry: drawers, cupboards, bench space and foldaway drying racks. Bliss.
Designer: Knowles Design
Features: This heaven-sent space combines everything you could ever ask for in a laundry: drawers, cupboards, bench space and foldaway drying racks. Bliss.
2. Location: Ooralea, Queensland
Designer: Tempus Design Studio
Features: A galley-style laundry makes great use of a long, slim space without cluttering either side.
Designer: Tempus Design Studio
Features: A galley-style laundry makes great use of a long, slim space without cluttering either side.
3. Location: Phoenix, USA
Designer: Cambria
Features: This washing space is an exercise in restraint, letting the floral wallpaper shine on the back wall instead of mounting cupboards above the basin.
Designer: Cambria
Features: This washing space is an exercise in restraint, letting the floral wallpaper shine on the back wall instead of mounting cupboards above the basin.
4. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Designer: Route Design : Ashley Winn
Features: A laundry that takes ownership of two walls and uses the return to add extra open shelving and bench space at a lower level…
Designer: Route Design : Ashley Winn
Features: A laundry that takes ownership of two walls and uses the return to add extra open shelving and bench space at a lower level…
…plus, it’s easy to have fun with wheeled laundry hampers when you have this much space to play with.
5. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Designer: The Fox Group
Features: You don’t need multiple walls to win the storage war. When well-designed, one wall will do just fine.
Designer: The Fox Group
Features: You don’t need multiple walls to win the storage war. When well-designed, one wall will do just fine.
6. Location: Toronto, Canada
Designer: Soda Pop Design
Features: This beautiful blue laundry has it all: ample bench space at the right height for folding clothes, cupboards to hide away laundry essentials…
Designer: Soda Pop Design
Features: This beautiful blue laundry has it all: ample bench space at the right height for folding clothes, cupboards to hide away laundry essentials…
…and even two dedicated cubbyholes for the most important members of the family.
7. Location: Ottawa, Canada
Designer: Louis L’artisan
Features: Ample floorspace lets washing and drying enjoy their own dedicated sub-zones, courtesy of a drying cupboard.
Designer: Louis L’artisan
Features: Ample floorspace lets washing and drying enjoy their own dedicated sub-zones, courtesy of a drying cupboard.
8. Location: Kingscliff, NSW
Designer: Donna Guyler Design
Features: This bisected floor plan allows for a separate side-entrance area to take off shoes and stash coats, keeping the rest of the home clutter-free.
Designer: Donna Guyler Design
Features: This bisected floor plan allows for a separate side-entrance area to take off shoes and stash coats, keeping the rest of the home clutter-free.
9. Location: St Louis, USA
Designer: Amy Studebaker Design
Features: Open shelving, slim cupboards, wider cabinets and an island bench – this laundry lacks nothing.
Designer: Amy Studebaker Design
Features: Open shelving, slim cupboards, wider cabinets and an island bench – this laundry lacks nothing.
10. Location: Dallas, USA
Designer: Cindy O’Brien Design
Features: We’re loving the functional combination of upper and lower cabinetry to maximise laundry storage, though it’s the wallpaper that really makes this space sing.
Designer: Cindy O’Brien Design
Features: We’re loving the functional combination of upper and lower cabinetry to maximise laundry storage, though it’s the wallpaper that really makes this space sing.
11. Location: London, UK
Designer: Alex Findlater
Features: This slim space punches above its weight in terms of storage, proving you can include ample shelves, cupboards, bench space and wall hooks to increase storage in a modestly sized area.
Designer: Alex Findlater
Features: This slim space punches above its weight in terms of storage, proving you can include ample shelves, cupboards, bench space and wall hooks to increase storage in a modestly sized area.
12. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Provincial Kitchens
Features: A room that doesn’t forget the all-important laundry feature of tall cupboards for storing ironing boards, brooms and mops gets a tick of approval.
Designer: Provincial Kitchens
Features: A room that doesn’t forget the all-important laundry feature of tall cupboards for storing ironing boards, brooms and mops gets a tick of approval.
13. Location: Minneapolis, USA
Designer: Refined
Features: How do you design a laundry where storage is plentiful but not centrestage? Let your joinery blend in by choosing a neutral white finish, then jazz up your walls with feature wallpaper.
Designer: Refined
Features: How do you design a laundry where storage is plentiful but not centrestage? Let your joinery blend in by choosing a neutral white finish, then jazz up your walls with feature wallpaper.
14. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Smith & Smith Kitchens
Features: Let’s be realistic – the average laundry needs to hold a lot more than just detergent and fabric softeners. This one is equipped with considerately placed cubbyholes for shoes and cupboards for coats, mudroom style.
Designer: Smith & Smith Kitchens
Features: Let’s be realistic – the average laundry needs to hold a lot more than just detergent and fabric softeners. This one is equipped with considerately placed cubbyholes for shoes and cupboards for coats, mudroom style.
15. Location: San Francisco, USA
Designer: Jim Maliksi and Associates
Features: Why waste ceiling-height storage space when a groovy sliding ladder lets you reach it? As an added benefit of continuing the joinery to the ceiling, the tops of these cupboards won’t collect dust.
Designer: Jim Maliksi and Associates
Features: Why waste ceiling-height storage space when a groovy sliding ladder lets you reach it? As an added benefit of continuing the joinery to the ceiling, the tops of these cupboards won’t collect dust.
16. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Canny
Features: That generous island means all the folding is done in the laundry and doesn’t sprawl into the rest of the home.
Designer: Canny
Features: That generous island means all the folding is done in the laundry and doesn’t sprawl into the rest of the home.
17. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Kennard Gornall
Features: Why stop at just one drying rack when you can have two? Just be sure to stagger the heights, which has been done here, so your coat hangers don’t fight for space.
Designer: Kennard Gornall
Features: Why stop at just one drying rack when you can have two? Just be sure to stagger the heights, which has been done here, so your coat hangers don’t fight for space.
18. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: GDP Interior Design
Features: This laundry has so much space it doubles as a drinks storage area for the nearby kitchen, taking pressure off the busy heart of the home…
Designer: GDP Interior Design
Features: This laundry has so much space it doubles as a drinks storage area for the nearby kitchen, taking pressure off the busy heart of the home…
…here’s a closer look at the beautiful brass hardware and tiled splashback.
Read the background story and see ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of this renovated laundry
Read the background story and see ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of this renovated laundry
19. Location: New York, USA
Designer: Valerie Grant Interiors
Features: Top marks go to the ergonomic placement of this washer and dryer – raising them off the floor makes carrying heavy loads of wet washing easier on your back.
Designer: Valerie Grant Interiors
Features: Top marks go to the ergonomic placement of this washer and dryer – raising them off the floor makes carrying heavy loads of wet washing easier on your back.
20. Location: Milwaukee
Designer: DryAway by Jilidoni Designs
Features: This bounty of floor space leaves room for everything but the kitchen sink…
Designer: DryAway by Jilidoni Designs
Features: This bounty of floor space leaves room for everything but the kitchen sink…
…and in case you’re wondering how those vertical drying racks work, this image reveals all.
21. Location: Boston, USA
Designer: Steele Canvas
Features: Proof that even a modestly sized laundry can still pack in prized storage to service the whole house.
Designer: Steele Canvas
Features: Proof that even a modestly sized laundry can still pack in prized storage to service the whole house.
22. Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Designer: Elska Interiors
Features: By taking the wall-mounted cupboards up to the ceiling, there’s plenty of room to store all the laundry essentials, plus some more.
Designer: Elska Interiors
Features: By taking the wall-mounted cupboards up to the ceiling, there’s plenty of room to store all the laundry essentials, plus some more.
23. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Designer: Gatehouse No. 1 Furniture & Interior Design
Features: From cupboards and drawers to open shelves, this washing zone can cater to items of any size, with a hint of luxe.
Designer: Gatehouse No. 1 Furniture & Interior Design
Features: From cupboards and drawers to open shelves, this washing zone can cater to items of any size, with a hint of luxe.
24. Location: Subiaco, WA
Designer: Robeson Architects
Features: Monochrome edginess was on the menu for the designer of this laundry, who also factored in plenty of cupboard space.
Designer: Robeson Architects
Features: Monochrome edginess was on the menu for the designer of this laundry, who also factored in plenty of cupboard space.
25. Location: Fitzroy North, Victoria
Designer: MMAD Architecture
Features: You can still include a vast run of storage space in a concealed laundry.
Read about the renovation and transformation of this Victorian terrace
Designer: MMAD Architecture
Features: You can still include a vast run of storage space in a concealed laundry.
Read about the renovation and transformation of this Victorian terrace
26. Location: London, UK
Designer: Claudia Dorsch Interior Design
Features: Not content to provide purely functional storage with a mix of cupboard heights, this laundry prizes bold prints as well, taking the black-and-white scheme from floor to ceiling.
Your turn
Which of these 26 laundries would you love to call yours? Tell us your favourites in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Craving more design inspiration? Check out last week’s Best of the Week: Best of the Week: 37 Fancy Fireplace Ideas From Around the Globe
Designer: Claudia Dorsch Interior Design
Features: Not content to provide purely functional storage with a mix of cupboard heights, this laundry prizes bold prints as well, taking the black-and-white scheme from floor to ceiling.
Your turn
Which of these 26 laundries would you love to call yours? Tell us your favourites in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Craving more design inspiration? Check out last week’s Best of the Week: Best of the Week: 37 Fancy Fireplace Ideas From Around the Globe
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Happy to see a pulley in #12. My little laundry makes good use of all the space.
The key is to plan this room as carefully as all rooms in the house. In too many houses in Australian the laundry has 2 doors internal and external which if the external was eliminated would provide much more design opportunities. I have seen houses with 5 external doors meaning 5 doors to monitor. One less door would be good.
Environmentally, it is so much better to dry the washing outside - hence the need for external laundry doors.