Laundry
Pullout ironing board. More than 32,000 Houzzers love this solution, which was added to this kitchen at the request of a busy mom. The small ironing board in a drawer is convenient for quick touchups for clothes, cloth napkins and placemats, says Heather Tardioli, design consultant at Laurysen Kitchens. “Once the piece of clothing is ironed, you just fold the ironing board and close the drawer, and it is quickly out of sight,” she says.
. Install a deep, elevated sink. A deep sink comes in handy in the laundry room. Most standard sinks range between 8 and 10 inches in depth. The 12¾-inch bowl depth in this laundry room allows for scrubbing and spraying to minimize splashing water outside of it. (These sinks can also do double duty as pet bathing stations.) The problem with a deep sink installed in a standard 36-inch countertop relates to ergonomics. It causes you to stoop over to reach the sink bottom. For example, if you take the 12¾-inch depth of this sink and subtract it from the average 36-inch countertop height, that’s only 23¼ inches high. Measure up from the floor and see where that dimension hits your body — probably somewhere on your thigh! If you’re going to install a deep sink, make sure it’s elevated. The one shown here was designed with a height of 42 inches, making its interior bottom surface 29¼ inches, about the comfortable height of a dining table.
Embrace open shelving. Open shelving makes any quick reach easier. You’ll also likely find you’ll keep things neater too, since things are on display. For frequently used items, a shelf height of about 62 inches is the most comfortable dimension for most people in a standing position. Reserve higher shelves for occasionally used items.
Get a lower folding table. Most standard countertops are 36 inches high and are comfortable for the average person. Folding laundry, though, requires different body movement than, say, chopping an onion. When we fold large pieces, such as sheets and pants, our body twists, bends and leans over and forward as needed to get the job done. A folding table that’s a bit lower than standard height lets you lean into the job and is better for your back and shoulders. Keeping in mind your own height, shoot for a table in the range of 30 to 34 inches high or whatever is comfortable for you.
For this project designer Shane D. Inman created a custom cabinetry base to raise the front-loaders even higher, to what is midchest level for many people — certainly an easy reach in. Inman says the cabinet pedestal was designed to accommodate the weight of the two laundry units and the stone countertop material.
Some front-loading machines, like this Whirlpool pair (which is actually compliant with ADA height and front-reach requirements), are constructed with drums located at a higher height, which makes reach into them while standing much easier. Generally, a comfortable height is 30 to 36 inches for women and 33 to 39 inches for men. Plus, you can fit a sizable laundry basket below the drum to catch wet laundry instead of holding it sideways and upward. Raised drum designs can help save your back.
Add a rod. If you have the room, this is a great place to dry items that cannot go into the dryer. An adjustable shower curtain rod can suffice. Keep extra hangers so that items you typically hang in the closet can go right onto them as they come out of the dryer — it makes the putting-away process easier. If you don’t have the space for a rod, over-the-door hooks are also a good way to do this.
Ironing board. For those short on space, a drawer ironing board can give you the benefits of a built-in board without taking up wall or cabinet space. You'll never have to wrestle with a squeaky freestanding board again. These are easy to retrofit into budget remodels, too
Backsplash: Opalo Blend, Onix Mosaico;
Q