Since it is on the second floor - Can you have a skylight? I agree with you that it helps to see stains, etc.

You could even go with a solar tube to help illuminate with natural light. Those are cheaper and easy to install if a skylight does not work.

I'd want a window - no question. Not because it has anything to do with laundry but because I like windows in every room if it's an option.

We have two laundry areas, one upstairs & the other downstairs. Neither has a window due to our floor plan, & we don't miss it. We do have plenty of storage space and undercabinet lighting in addition to ceiling lights. A window doesn't help at night, so lighting is important.

I would always opt window when given a choice. Walking into a room with a window vs. a room without makes a big difference to me in how inviting the room is. When we redid our kitchen/mudroom 5 years ago I insisted on a window in our small powder room even though there was one in the hallway right next to the powder room. It doesn't look awful from the outside and it makes all the difference inside. I really dislike walking into dark holes and I appreciate the cheerfulness of the room every time I walk in. I'm glad I insisted on keeping the window. The people who were trying to convince me otherwise aren't the ones who are actually using the room.

We ended up turning the kitchen in the small upstairs in-law apt into our laundry room. I love the windows in the room. A skylight or solar tube wouldn't be the same. But I always hang clothes outside when given a chance so there's a strong association between laundry and the out doors in my mind.

I would base the decision on what other compromises you'd have to make to your floor plan to allow for a window. You already know from your prior experience that a window isn't a necessity for you, but you have good reasons for preferring one. If you'd have to give up something else to accommodate situating the laundry room so you could have a window, then you need to weigh the two things to see which is more important to you.

For example, if having a window in the laundry room meant taking 10 sq ft off of a good-sized guest room that will only be used occasionally anyway, I'd probably go for it. If it meant making the master bedroom walk-in closet smaller or making the traffic flow in the hallway awkward, I'd probably say "forget it!" Only you can judge what's more important to you.

Finally, just an idea...is there a way to install a transom between the laundry room and an adjacent room or hallway that has a lot of natural light? Perhaps something over the door would work?

Where will you be folding, i.e., will this space function as a washer-dryer closet with a particularly big center area or a laundry center?

FWIW, if my kids were small again and I had my at-home-mom years to do over, I'd definitely make my laundry room a sunny place I'd enjoy working in. Laundry's one of the major functions in running a home, after all. Instead of hauling it to the family room to fold on the couch, I'd have a folding/play table or deep counter right there, hanging rack, an ironing board always up or ready to open in the wall, comfy chair(s), a TV or a radio tuned to my favorite station, windows out to the children at play, a door to the outside there or nearby, and toys, etc., for the years when their favorite place to hang was right under my feet.:)

i'd much prefer a window, but it just wasn't possible in our new build. we spent 18 months drawing and redrawing the plans with the architect and i wasn't going to balk about the laundry after we'd FINALLY gotten everything else we wanted. i have a laundry closet in our mudroom downstairs which has plenty of daylight (window and a glass front door) but our main laundry (on the second floor) is sandwiched between a hallway and a guest room bath ...which has a window. it was definitely more important to give the bathroom the window so that's what we did. it will be very nice though ...much nicer than my old basement laundry so for me it's good enough. besides it's not some place i intend to hang out in for very long!

I tend to visit the laundry room rather than work there, so it wouldn't matter so much to me.

I agree with Lyvia--our laundry room isn't large enough for a table/folding area, so we put things in baskets and move them to other rooms for folding. I don't want to spend time in the laundry room! (Heck, I don't want to do laundry but I haven't figured out how to manage that)

We added onto our master BR and added laundry/dressing room, his and hers WICs, and an office.

There is not window in the laundry. I use it both for laundry and for drying my hair and getting ready (teeth, makeup, etc) every day.

Room doesn't have a window, but has a vent fan (like a bathroom fan). I like this for venting out the bleach/laundry smells.

Since this is a dressing room too, we have a 5 foot vanity (and a small laundry sink in it). we have a large mirror (probably 24 x 36) with a 3 light fixture over it. Also 2 ceiling cans. (all are CF lights in the ~60 W size)

There is plenty of light, but I do think that the mirror and multiple light sources make it so.

Much better than the old basement.

And really like having the laundry right by our closets.

I have just come out of a small hallway dark laundry closet...and in my reno I wanted a room with windows! So, now I have 3 windows, and space to fold clothes other than the guest bed! Hurray!

My Mom's homes were laundry in the garage and my previous home was too. It was never "fun" doing laundry there...dark and boring. I am lucky to have a nice laundry room in my new home, it has a window which makes it light in there during the daytime hours and cuts down on the need to use artificial light. I have room in there for 2 occasional chairs and an ottoman in between. I just finished decorating it this year and I now enjoy doing laundry. Sorry for the blurry pictures in the link below. I say...go for the window if you have the option.

Here is a link that might be useful: my laundry room

I don't think you need a window if your laundry room is on the 2nd floor. On the main floor it's more of a necessity since you'd usually be folding in there, but on the 2nd floor you'll probably bring the laundry right to the bedrooms more often than not anyway. If you can have the window or not (e.g. if it's a choice of window or an extra cabinet in the laundry room) then I'd take the window for sure. But if it's a trade-off then I'd much rather save the window for a more strategic spot like the upper landing, a loft, or a bathroom.

I think any room is better with a window. For a laundry room, the natural light might help you see stains or find clothes in hampers or baskets. However, I definitely do not see it as a necessity. My current laundry room is next to a powder room with a window, but it does not get a ton of natural light that way. It works just fine for us. I will suggest that you make the laundry room as large as possible. I wish my laundry room was larger.

I've spent the last 11 years without a window in the laundry room. The room is small and doubles as a family powder room with toilet and small pedestal sink. Oh, and the cat box. (I direct guests to the actual bathroom down the hall.) There's no space whatsoever to fold in there so I dump laundry on the large upholstered chair in the family room and fold on the ottoman. Besides, the kids are always playing in the family room. That way, I can be right there interacting with them and getting some work done at the same time.

That being said, if there was a reasonable way for you to get a window I think you should. Get as much natural light as possible. (I love in Washington state where it's gray half of the year so natural light is highly valuable.) But, as others have said, only if the trade-off isn't too great. Sounds like it may be just an issue of installing it or not?? You have an outside wall for it, right? If yes, do it!