ARTICLE
How to create the most practical Laundry on the planet
March 5, 2024-4 min read
A practical laundry comes down to smarter appliances, enough storage, good ventilation and a layout that supports sorting, folding and ironing without clutter. This article shows how to avoid the biggest design mistakes and choose features that make wash day easier.
Key takeaways from this article
Choose efficient washers and dryers with features that protect clothes and cut energy use.
Use tall cupboards and open shelving to store brooms, detergents and ironing gear.
Add a sink for soaking, stain treatment and messy rinsing jobs.
Plan space for sorting, hanging and folding, not just the machines.
Alisa Fraser (Interior Designer, Ambassador for Kinsman Kitchens) recommends wall-mounted boards and hanging rails to reduce clutter.
Is your laundry your next renovation itch? Or, lucky old you, you’re creating your dream laundry from scratch? Either way, you’ll want something stylish and streamlined. Stocked with the smartest new laundry appliances to lighten your load. And a practical design that won’t hinder your workflow.
We flag the 7 deadly laundry design sins, plus share expert tips from Kinsman to help land you with a hardworking laundry you’ll give thanks for every single wash day.
Sin #1: Inefficient Appliances
Remote-controlled washing? Smart sensors that won’t overdry your delicates? With so many exciting new tech features to choose from now, there’s no excuse to settle for lazy laundry appliances that don’t measure up.
Washing Machines
Haier’s 10kg Front Load Washer is the perfect solution if you have a large family and busy household. Developed with innovative technologies to be gentle and hygienic, washing at lower temperatures keeping your clothes at their best for longer. Available in both dark and white colours, Haier’s sophisticated front load washer includes UV Protect fabric care – this feature uses UV light to kill 99.9% of germs*. Plus, it cares for the environment with the sustainably minded Eco Wash option , reducing energy usage by up to 44%, and reducing water use by over 25 litres using your cotton wash cycle!
Shop Washing Machines
Fisher & Paykel 10kg Front Load Washer
Dryers
The Haier 8kg Heat Pump Dryer uses energy-efficient drying technology to achieve ready-to-wear clothes in no time. Equipped with specialised cycles, this dryer is tailor-made to deliver optimal results for all sorts of fabrics.
With an 8-star energy rating, this clever unit can dry clothes at a lower temperature, making it perfect for delicate items. Featuring 16 optimised dry cycles, this dryer can care for all different material types, and become the centrepiece of your perfect home laundry setup.
Shop Dryers
Asko 10kg Logic Heat Pump Dryer
“"With so many exciting new tech features to choose from now, there’s no excuse to settle for lazy laundry appliances that don’t step up."
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Sin #2: Skimping On Storage
You’ve factored in the floor space for your new star washer and dryer (and decided between a stacked or side-by-side layout). But what about the rest of your laundry entourage? The ironing board, mops, brooms, buckets and detergents?
“Slim, tall cupboards work in most laundries and make great spaces for brooms and ironing boards,” says Kinsman ambassador and interior designer Alisa Fraser.
“Make your walls share the workload with a mix of closed cabinets to conceal those messy piles of unsorted clothes and floating shelves that you can reach easily for everyday props like laundry liquids.”
Sin #3: Forgetting The Sink
Do you have room for a sink? It’s a huge laundry helper! For one-spot convenience, hand wash clothes here (as opposed to in the kitchen or bathroom!). Treat stains and pre-soak with ease. A laundry tub also makes light of grubbier chores like dunking the family pet or rinsing off those post-match trainers.
Shop Sinks & Taps
Hafele Squareline Plus Single Bowl Sink
Oliveri 45 Litre Inset Tub with Bypass
Sin #4: Incomplete Layout
There’s more to laundries than just washing and drying clothes. But many don’t twig until it’s too late. Where will you do your sorting, hanging, ironing and folding?
“If space is tight, consider a fold-down or wall-mounted ironing board, placed near your dryer, so it doubles as a sorting surface,” says Alisa. “This will minimise clutter. And if you’ve got a side-by-side machine layout, install a hanging rail above.”
Sin #5: Poor Ventilation
Laundries can be swampy places; banished to the garage or a back corner without adequate ventilation (hello, mould and mildew!). Add a window – a small, high one will do – to allow fresh air inside, or install an exhaust fan to curb moisture. And don’t wedge your dryer too close to the wall (it’s a fire risk). No option for outside ventilation? Heat pump dryers don’t need to ventilate and can be installed anywhere!
Sin #6: Bad Lighting
How will you sort your lights and darks – or spot pesky stains – if you can’t see them? If natural light is limited due to location (perhaps your laundry is under the stairs, European-style, or in the hallway), consider under cabinet lights, LED downlights or overhead flush mount lighting. Got high ceilings? An eye-catching pendant light will jazz things up!
Sin #7: You can be too functional!
Laundries are chore-centric but there’s no reason they can’t be beautiful, too. “Stamp your style on your laundry with sleek, integrated cabinetry to house new appliances and add statement handles and baskets to inject your favourite mood, such as coastal or contemporary,” advises Alisa.
“Or make a splash with on-trend navy cabinets, such as Kinsman’s Avalon panel-look door in Oxford, paired with the latest dark appliance finishes, to make laundry day a pleasure.”
Planning a laundry renovation? Talk to the design experts at Kinsman, then visit us online or in-store for advice on choosing the perfect new washing machine and dryer!
*Independently tested to eliminate greater than 99.99% of staphylococcus aureus and E. coli using the Durable cycle + UV Sanitise wash option
