Key Measurements For Designing Your Dream Laundry

Are you currently working with a draftsman to design your dream home? Houzz Australia provides the dimensions and layout that will help you wash, dry and fold efficiently, below.

Laundries rule, especially when they come in their own separate, dedicated room. If you have the luxury of space, these rooms can be more than places to clean clothes; they can be welcoming, accessible areas to care for pets, store bulky items and sports equipment, stash large projects, start seedlings and much more. And even if your laundry is combined with a bathroom or kitchen, tucked into a cupboard or hidden in your hallway, it’s vital to get some fundamental measurements right.

As with kitchens, bathrooms and powder rooms, there are a number of considerations and essential dimensions to be aware of during the planning stages for a multi-purpose (or even a single-purpose) laundry. Below are several functions you might want to consider and some basic ideas and measurements that will help determine your layout.

Primary Areas & Functions For Laundries

1. Entry & Prep

If you install a laundry sink, you will probably want to place it close to where you enter the room and set down the items to be washed. Here you can sort, apply fabric treatments and soak stained clothes if necessary.

2. Washing

It is good to have a benchtop area incorporated in your laundry design where you can place your sorted loads of washing before putting them in the washing machine.

As well as factoring in space for your sink and washing machine, consider incorporating room for laundry baskets or space to separately store your white, dark and bright garments until you’re ready to wash them. If you happen to have a laundry chute or are including one, locate these baskets directly below it.

3. Drying

You’ll also want another section of benchtop for items that need to be line dried, as well as space to fold dry clothes. While it’s always preferable to dry your clothes outside, in periods of extended rain you’ll benefit from a drying rack or rail to hang clothes from.

Today’s drying solutions can be space- and sanity-saving. Depending on your set-up, you may choose from fold-down drying racks, ceiling-mounted pulley-style clothes lines, concertina-like drying lines attached to your wall, or a single drying rail affixed below your upper cabinets. Drying cupboards are also becoming commonplace, as are pull-out drying drawers for delicate items.

4. Storage & Ironing

Following the typical sequence, you then need room for ironing. (Note that ironing space may be less desirable in this room if you want to watch TV while you iron, or if you outsource this job to your dry cleaner. In these cases, a freestanding ironing board will let you set-up a temporary ironing station in a different room.)

Freestanding ironing boards measure about 330 to 480 millimetres wide and 1200 to 1400 millimetres long. Wall-mounted models and ironing boards that can be integrated in your joinery are generally the same width though a little shorter. Like table top-mounted ironing boards, they tend to be between 700 and 1050 millimetres in length.

5. Extras

Of course, some people with large spaces want to use their laundry room as a mudroom, dog washing station, a place to hide the litter boxes, or a room to tackle hobbies or projects. These are very specific to each of us; planning spaces with a little extra room for these functions lets individual habits dictate their use.

Sometimes laundry extras are as simple as providing a dedicated spot for your broom, brush and dustpan; or a tall cupboard to store your vacuum cleaner and mop. Whatever your household ‘extras’ are, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a home for them in a decent-sized laundry, given some foresight and design planning.

Appliance Dimensions

Let’s delve first into average dimensions and measurements for laundry appliances – namely, your sink, washing machine, dryer, or a washer-dryer combo. First up, though, keep in mind that there is no single ‘standard’ measurement and that most models differ slightly in their dimensions.

That said, the average front-loading washing machine and dryer are about 600 to 700 millimetres wide, 600 to 700 millimetres deep, and 800 to 900 millimetres high. A cavity of about 800 millimetres deep and wide should suit most models.

For top-loading washing machines, the average width is 500 to 700 millimetres, the depth is about 500 to 700 millimetres, and the height jumps up to approximately 800 to 1100 millimetres. For top-loading machines, allow a cavity of about 800 millimetres deep and wide and, for obvious reasons, avoid mounting anything directly above your top-loader.

Washing-dryer combinations are generally 600 to 700 millimetres wide, 600 to 770 millimetres deep, and usually around 850 millimetres tall.

And let’s not forget the humble laundry sink or tub, which are usually larger than kitchen sinks. Laundry sinks about 600 millimetres wide and 500 millimetres deep provide plenty of space for all your laundry-related tasks. Typical laundry sinks or tubs hold between 45 and 70 litres, though it’s easy to find smaller off-the-shelf 30-litre models. Laundry sinks can be mounted flush with your benchtop, under-mounted, top-mounted or set into your benchtop as with farmhouse- or butler’s-style sinks. When it comes to colour and material, the sky’s the limit so don’t be afraid to make a statement.

Washing Machine & Dryer Configurations

1. Side-by-Side

Washers and dryers placed side-by-side are typically designed to fit within 1520 millimetres of width, but some manufacturers make larger or more compact machines, so always check the specifications of your chosen models. If you place front-loading machines side by side, you will have a nice, broad surface on top of them to do the folding.

If you have a top loader and want folding and work space, you might be able to add a benchtop next to the appliances or elsewhere in the room. It will help to have between 460 and 610 millimetres of free benchtop ‘landing’ space on either side if possible in your floor plan.

The space above the machines can be used for a drying rod set at about 1930 millimetres in height. Some newer washers and dryers stand taller than a conventional benchtop, which can work to your advantage if you’re tall. But keep this in mind if you regularly need to hang up long dressing gowns, trousers or dresses to dry.

2. Stacked

Stacking the machines is an option when space is limited. If this is your requirement, be careful to have or buy machines that can be stacked.

The width of the space normally shrinks for most models when they are stacked, and the height of the top machine is quite clearly increased, so shorter people may need to use a step ladder or stool to reach the top controls of stacked machines.

Extra Laundry Features

1. Mudroom

Laundries can also serve as mudrooms, especially when they come complete with a bench seat; hooks for bags, coats and hanging up wet garments; and shoe racks or cubby holes for footwear. Any banquette you choose to include in your laundry/mudroom should have a minimum depth of about 450 to 470 millimetres. Its seat height can start anywhere between 400 and 450 millimetres, or if you have storage drawers beneath your banquette, the seat height may reach up to 600 millimetres.

Hooks are best located at the height of the user, so primary-school-aged children will need low wall hooks in order to reach them to hang their school bags. In a similar vein, adults can easily access higher wall hooks for hats, bags and coats – anything around 1500 millimetres above floor level is fine, though you have a fair amount of flexibility with this measurement.

For shoe storage, the lower the better. Baskets on the floor or cubby holes or a shoe shelf located just above your floor can be standard practice.

2. Pets

Laundries often perform key functions for household pets, too. The only things stopping you from including a dog-washing station is limited floor area or the lack of a forward-thinking designer. And if you want a hole cut out of your lower cabinetry to give your cat access to their food or kitty litter, an experienced cabinet maker or designer will be able to oblige.

Here at Hurst Homes we offer complete customised homes that can be as individual as the owner. Work directly with our draftsman to design every aspect of your home. We guide your through the entire process including your selections to ensure you create your dream home. Just another reason why we are considered Waggas best builder. With over 30 years in the industry as a Wagga Builder you can trust Hurst Homes with your dream home. For a free no-obligation preliminary estimate contact us today on 0438 692 962 or fill out the contact us page on our website.

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