The laundry works harder than just about any room in the house. Funny, then, that it’s usually the one that gets shoved to the bottom of the list when it’s time to renovate.
But get it right and the whole business of washing, drying, folding and putting clothes away becomes so much less of a chore. A smart layout squeezes real use out of not much floor space, and keeps all the everyday bits and pieces tidy and out of sight rather than piled on the nearest surface.
Doesn’t matter whether you’re building a proper dedicated laundry or just tucking the facilities into a corner of another room. Either way, a bit of planning up front is what separates a space that actually works from one that just looks fine in photos.
So here’s what’s worth thinking about before you start.
Before you get anywhere near cabinetry, appliances or finishes, have a proper think about your day-to-day routine. It sounds obvious, but people skip it constantly.
Things worth asking yourself:
Answering that lot tells you what layout suits you. A laundry built around your real routine will always beat one built around a pretty picture in a magazine.
Layout is honestly the make-or-break part.
You want enough room to move comfortably between the main work areas, without a load of unnecessary back-and-forth. Depending on the size and shape of the room, the usual options are:
Everything, appliances, sink, storage, runs along one wall. Works a treat in smaller homes or apartments where floor space is tight. Go vertical with the cabinetry and you claw back a heap of storage without eating into the floor.
Two facing walls. One side takes the washing and drying appliances, the other gives you bench space, cabinetry and storage. Loads of function packed in, though you do need enough room to move comfortably between the two sides, otherwise it starts to feel cramped fast.
Makes good use of a corner and gives you separate zones for appliances, storage and bench space. There’s a natural flow to it too, moving from one task to the next.
If you’ve got the room, you’ve got options: more cabinetry, hanging space, a proper folding area, the lot. The extra space also lets you set up dedicated zones for different jobs, which brings me to the next bit.
Rather than treating the laundry as one big room, it helps to break it into zones. Makes the whole thing easier to use, and easier to keep on top of.
Washing zone. Where the washing machine and dryer live. If you’re going with a front-loader, put a benchtop over the top of the appliances, it turns dead space into a handy folding surface.
Sorting zone. Somewhere to sort the washing so it doesn’t end up in heaps across the floor. Built-in hampers or a few separate baskets make it easy to keep lights, darks and everything else apart.
Folding zone. A clear stretch of benchtop to fold things the second they’re out of the dryer or in off the line. Short on space? Again, a bench over the machines does double duty.
Drying zone. Not everything’s dryer-safe. A hanging rail, a retractable line or a wall-mounted rack gives you somewhere for the delicates and anything that needs to air-dry.
Cleaning zone. Detergents, cleaning products, all the supplies, ideally in their own spot. Keeps them together and off your benchtops.
Storage is probably the single biggest thing deciding whether your laundry stays tidy or turns into a dumping ground.
Think about mixing and matching:
What actually works depends on your room and what you need to stash. A tall cabinet’s great for brooms, mops and the vacuum, while drawers are better for the smaller stuff you’re always reaching for. Custom cabinetry is where this really comes together, and it’s worth knowing Paramount offers bespoke custom joinery designed to fit the space exactly rather than working around off-the-shelf sizes.
When the floor space runs out, look up.
Full-height cabinetry gives you a serious amount of extra storage without needing a bigger room. Stick the stuff you rarely touch up top in overhead cabinets, keep the everyday products on open shelving within reach. Using the full height of the room tidies things up visually too, since more of your clutter ends up behind closed doors.
The washing machine and dryer are usually the bulkiest things in the room, so sort out their position early, not as an afterthought.
Depending on the space, you might go:
Stacking’s a lifesaver in a compact laundry, frees up floor and bench space you didn’t think you had. Just make sure the final arrangement accounts for the appliance dimensions, ventilation, access, and the cabinetry around it. Measure twice on this one.
A laundry sink earns its keep for all the jobs you’d rather not do in the kitchen or bathroom.
Handy for:
If you’re putting one in, think about where it sits relative to the washing machine and your main bench. Get the placement right and the whole workflow just flows better.
Laundry benchtops cop a lot, regular use, moisture, cleaning products splashing about. So when you’re choosing one, weigh up:
A good benchtop gives you proper workspace for folding, sorting and all the everyday laundry faff.
Not everything needs storing at the same height, and it’s a small thing that makes a surprising difference.
Keep the products you use constantly in easy-reach drawers or cupboards, and shove the occasional-use stuff up higher. It helps to give set homes to things like:
Organise it by how often you actually use something and the daily tasks get quicker without you really noticing.
The laundry deals with moisture day in, day out, so ventilation needs to be part of the plan, not an afterthought. Decent airflow keeps the humidity in check and the room a lot more pleasant to be in.
Lighting matters just as much. A mix of general light and task lighting makes it far easier to see into cupboards, work at the bench, and handle the fiddly stuff like treating a stain or folding in the evening. And if the layout lets you get some natural light in, even better, it makes the whole room feel more open.
You really don’t need a big room to end up with a good one. For tight spaces:
The trick isn’t cramming in as many features as humanly possible. It’s making sure every single thing in there earns its place.
Your laundry doesn’t have to look like it belongs to a different house. Using cabinetry, colours, handles and finishes that echo your kitchen or living areas ties it all together, so the room feels considered rather than tacked on at the end.
That said, don’t let looks trump function. Whatever you pick still has to stand up to moisture, constant cleaning and everyday wear.
A laundry reno is an investment, so spare a thought for how things might shift down the track. Maybe you’ll want more storage later, or you’ll swap in bigger appliances, or you’ll wish you had more hanging space.
Leaving a bit of flexibility in the design makes the room much easier to adapt when that day comes. This matters most with custom cabinetry, get the measurements and appliance specs nailed down properly before anything’s finalised, because there’s no fudging it afterwards.
The best laundry isn’t the biggest one, or the one with the flashiest finishes. It’s the one that makes the everyday jobs easier.
A good design pulls together:
Plan those things together, rather than one at a time, and you end up with a laundry that looks great and actually works for your household.
If your laundry feels cramped, cluttered, or just plain annoying to use, a well-planned renovation can genuinely turn it around.
At Paramount Creations, we design and build laundry renovations with a focus on practical layouts, custom storage and solutions that suit the individual home, right down to the cabinetry and benchtops. If you’d like a feel for how it all comes together, our renovation process walks through each step.
Planning a laundry renovation in Canberra or Queanbeyan? Get in touch with Paramount Creations to talk through what you need and start mapping out a laundry that finally works the way you want it to.
0451 804 517
contact@paramountcreations.com.au
3/31 Lorn Rd, Queanbeyan NSW 2620