Best of the Week: 30 Laundry Ideas You'll Wish You'd Thought Of
Hit pause on your laundry plans and check out these 30 genius ideas that will make you want to steal every single one
Julia Fairley
8 March 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
A good laundry is a clever laundry. It doesn’t matter how trendy your tile choice or how beautiful your basin is unless you get the basics right and have a firm focus on functionality. These 30 laundries from around the world do just that – and manage to look stylish as well.
1. Location: Kyoto, Japan
Features: Recessed wall nooks perfectly shaped to hold coat hangers, a drying rack, ironing board and more… not to mention the Zen courtyard that promises to bring some peace to the simple act of cleaning clothes.
Features: Recessed wall nooks perfectly shaped to hold coat hangers, a drying rack, ironing board and more… not to mention the Zen courtyard that promises to bring some peace to the simple act of cleaning clothes.
2. Location: New York, USA
Features: This drying rack can be easily lowered then raised up and out of the way thanks to its smart pulley system.
Features: This drying rack can be easily lowered then raised up and out of the way thanks to its smart pulley system.
3. Location: San Francisco, USA
Features: A wall-mounted drying rack that scissors in and out – pure genius.
Features: A wall-mounted drying rack that scissors in and out – pure genius.
4. Location: Seattle, USA
Features: These pull-out drying racks offer a streamlined place to dry delicate garments away from potentially fading sunlight.
Features: These pull-out drying racks offer a streamlined place to dry delicate garments away from potentially fading sunlight.
5. Location: Ottawa, Canada
Features: Why stop at just one clothes-drying rack? Multiple mesh racks and hanging space shine in this generous laundry/mud room.
Features: Why stop at just one clothes-drying rack? Multiple mesh racks and hanging space shine in this generous laundry/mud room.
6. Location: Dallas, USA
Features: This vented drying cabinet uses gentle heat to speed up the drying process and consumes less electricity than a conventional clothes dryer… all integrated within a cupboard.
Features: This vented drying cabinet uses gentle heat to speed up the drying process and consumes less electricity than a conventional clothes dryer… all integrated within a cupboard.
7. Location: Kew, Victoria
Designer: Inbetween Architecture
Features: Look closely – the three base units below the benchtop are embossed with ‘Colours’, ‘Darks’ and ‘Whites’. No more excuses for mixing up clothes and accidentally dying white shirts pink with a stray red sock.
Read more about the design of this house
Designer: Inbetween Architecture
Features: Look closely – the three base units below the benchtop are embossed with ‘Colours’, ‘Darks’ and ‘Whites’. No more excuses for mixing up clothes and accidentally dying white shirts pink with a stray red sock.
Read more about the design of this house
8. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Features: This laundry has a less permanent but more portable solution to separating colours, darks and whites.
Features: This laundry has a less permanent but more portable solution to separating colours, darks and whites.
9. Location: Dallas, USA
Features: A laundry chute wins every time.
Features: A laundry chute wins every time.
10. Location: Bowral, NSW
Designer: Kela Building Group
Features: A double sink lets you use one laundry basin while clothes soak in the other. Extra brownie points for a sink that’s large enough to fit a laundry bucket in it, too.
Designer: Kela Building Group
Features: A double sink lets you use one laundry basin while clothes soak in the other. Extra brownie points for a sink that’s large enough to fit a laundry bucket in it, too.
11. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Provincial Kitchens
Features: Ever wondered where to stash your ironing board? This streamlined idea can be incorporated into most laundries with a little forward planning.
Designer: Provincial Kitchens
Features: Ever wondered where to stash your ironing board? This streamlined idea can be incorporated into most laundries with a little forward planning.
12. Location: London, UK
Features: Little details, such as well-positioned hooks to hang your dustpan and broom, can make a big difference when it comes to organising your laundry.
Features: Little details, such as well-positioned hooks to hang your dustpan and broom, can make a big difference when it comes to organising your laundry.
13. Location: Vancouver, Canada
Features: Sometimes the back of a cupboard door offers a straightforward spot to hang and store your ironing board.
Features: Sometimes the back of a cupboard door offers a straightforward spot to hang and store your ironing board.
14. Location: Paris, France
Features: A perforated metal-mesh door conceals this laundry space adjacent to a landing, while allowing for ventilation…
Features: A perforated metal-mesh door conceals this laundry space adjacent to a landing, while allowing for ventilation…
…Here’s a peek at the streamlined look when that finely crafted door is closed.
15. Location: Valencia, Spain
Features: A hidden outdoor laundry that’s as beautiful as it is functional, while its alfresco setting aids ventilation.
Features: A hidden outdoor laundry that’s as beautiful as it is functional, while its alfresco setting aids ventilation.
16. Location: Toronto, Canada
Features: Combining your laundry and bathroom makes perfect plumbing sense.
Features: Combining your laundry and bathroom makes perfect plumbing sense.
17. Location: Atlanta, USA
Features: No room for a separate laundry? This household has incorporated their washer and dryer into their kitchen behind perforated cupboard fronts that enhance ventilation.
Features: No room for a separate laundry? This household has incorporated their washer and dryer into their kitchen behind perforated cupboard fronts that enhance ventilation.
18. Location: Miami, USA
Features: Can’t squeeze your laundry into your kitchen? Pantries often work equally well.
Features: Can’t squeeze your laundry into your kitchen? Pantries often work equally well.
19. Location: Maine, USA
Features: Now you see it, now you don’t, thanks to that beautifully panelled sliding door that hides these laundry appliances and ceiling-mounted drying rack.
Features: Now you see it, now you don’t, thanks to that beautifully panelled sliding door that hides these laundry appliances and ceiling-mounted drying rack.
20. Location: Seattle, USA
Features: This laundry fulfils the function of a mud room with its shoe nooks and dedicated place to wash muddy paws before entering the house.
Features: This laundry fulfils the function of a mud room with its shoe nooks and dedicated place to wash muddy paws before entering the house.
21. Location: Atlanta, USA
Features: After hosing off sand in this outdoor shower, the owners can enter via the laundry and throw clothes straight into the washing machine. Now that’s a well-thought-out order.
Features: After hosing off sand in this outdoor shower, the owners can enter via the laundry and throw clothes straight into the washing machine. Now that’s a well-thought-out order.
22. Location: Miami, USA
Features: A ladder maximises storage opportunities in this laundry and ensures not a centimetre of space is squandered.
Features: A ladder maximises storage opportunities in this laundry and ensures not a centimetre of space is squandered.
23. Location: Benger, WA
Designer: Sophine Pfuhl Architect
Features: The additions of ample storage and a spot to sit and pull on your boots make this laundry a functional gem. The greenery doesn’t go amiss either.
Designer: Sophine Pfuhl Architect
Features: The additions of ample storage and a spot to sit and pull on your boots make this laundry a functional gem. The greenery doesn’t go amiss either.
24. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Features: Ergonomics in laundries are often forgotten, but not here. The raised table is the perfect height – and size – for folding clothes.
Features: Ergonomics in laundries are often forgotten, but not here. The raised table is the perfect height – and size – for folding clothes.
25. Location: Los Angeles, USA
Features: Similarly, the designer of this cleverly concealed laundry has raised the washer and dryer with some nifty joinery, making them a more comfortable height.
Features: Similarly, the designer of this cleverly concealed laundry has raised the washer and dryer with some nifty joinery, making them a more comfortable height.
26. Location: Oxfordshire, UK
Features: Factoring in a dedicated drawer to store cleaning equipment, cloths and washing detergent can help keep your laundry spotless.
Features: Factoring in a dedicated drawer to store cleaning equipment, cloths and washing detergent can help keep your laundry spotless.
27. Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Features: By raising laundry appliances and cabinetry off the floor – and making it easy to swipe a broom and mop beneath them – this space steers clear of the dustballs that often collect in laundry crevices.
Features: By raising laundry appliances and cabinetry off the floor – and making it easy to swipe a broom and mop beneath them – this space steers clear of the dustballs that often collect in laundry crevices.
28. Location: Hobart, Tasmania
Designer: Lydia Maskiell Interiors
Features: Plenty of oft-forgotten bench space for folding clothes makes this laundry a winner, along with shelving and statement wallpaper.
Designer: Lydia Maskiell Interiors
Features: Plenty of oft-forgotten bench space for folding clothes makes this laundry a winner, along with shelving and statement wallpaper.
29. Location: Salt Lake City, USA
Features: You might be wowed by the fold-down drying rack mounted to the wall or the ironing board that folds neatly away, but this laundry has an essential – and often neglected – feature: good ventilation worked into the design. Trifecta.
Features: You might be wowed by the fold-down drying rack mounted to the wall or the ironing board that folds neatly away, but this laundry has an essential – and often neglected – feature: good ventilation worked into the design. Trifecta.
30. Location: Atlanta, USA
Features: Any laundry that isn’t all white gets our tick of approval. This cheery space is sure to make washing day feel a little more merry.
Tell us
Which of these 30 ideas could improve how your laundry functions? Tell us your favourites in the Comments below, like this article, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more clever design? Don’t miss last week’s Best of the Week: Built-In Bedroom Ideas for Kids
Features: Any laundry that isn’t all white gets our tick of approval. This cheery space is sure to make washing day feel a little more merry.
Tell us
Which of these 30 ideas could improve how your laundry functions? Tell us your favourites in the Comments below, like this article, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more clever design? Don’t miss last week’s Best of the Week: Built-In Bedroom Ideas for Kids
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#2 suspended drying rack. We have these from IKEA. Got them years ago, and thankfully purchased a spare.
I can’t imagine anything worse than having a laundry combined with a kitchen. Yuk!
I just cannot see the drama in having the washing machine in the kitchen if that is what you have room for…clothes/linen are bought into the kitchen in a laundry basket, put into the machine, then taken away when clean. many people don’t have heavily soiled laundry, but even if they do, there is not really a need for cross contamination. obviously bigger houses can more easily accommodate bigger families and bigger laundries and more amenities in them, but I find the extreme squemishness and snobbishness, totally bizare not everyone has the room to have a dedicated room!