Looking for European Laundry Ideas?
Think of the amount of time us Mums spend in the laundry! We need a laundry that is functional, efficient and lets be honest, looks just a little bit special.
If space in your home is at a premium then consider the trend of a European laundry. This is basically a small laundry in a cupboard, which we love because you can close the cupboard and then hopefully forget about laundry (well, at least for a little while)…
If you are looking for European laundry ideas, here are some great tips and advice to help your planning along.
For eye-candy, check out modern laundry ideas on Pinterest as well, you are sure to get some design inspiration as well as some innovative hints for flexible hidden storage. (And if you need some laughs, google memes about laundry, it’s a lot of fun…)
Why you should consider a European Laundry
Generally, the main reason why people choose a European laundry is to conserve space. They are fantastic for smaller homes, townhouses, and apartments because they don’t take up an entire room on their own.
A European laundry could be located in the kitchen, hallway, mudroom or in an alcove like underneath stairs or a sloped roof.
Usually, they are hidden by bi-fold doors or those that tuck away into the wall cavity. As well as taking up less space than a full laundry room, they can be a more attractive option, neatly hiding away those appliances that we’d rather not think about if we don’t have to!
This kind of system borrows laundry space from the room you are hiding it in for when you need to do laundry. You can stand in the kitchen or hallway to put a load of washing on or fold some up, but then when you are not doing laundry, the space outside the laundry cupboard goes back to being the original room it is meant for.
Another reason to choose this kind of small laundry is that no one really wants to create a whole room just for doing the laundry. Every other room in the house can be pleasant to hang out in, and can bring joy, serenity, and peace.
But most people don’t enjoy being in a laundry, so it may make sense to not even create a specific laundry room. Especially if you could use that space for an office, play room or artist’s studio instead – am I right?
European Laundry Must-Haves
If you are designing or planning a European laundry, these are the basic must-haves:
- Fan for ventilation
- Washer & dryer space
- An insert in the joinery that lets the moisture out (for when the door is closed)
- Power points
- Connections to services
European Laundry Storage Ideas
You might also like the option of some of the following:
- A rail to hang clothes hangers on
- Built-in washing basket storage
- Space where you can soak stained items (small sink or storage for bucket)
- Cleaning cupboard up high out of little finger reach!
- Somewhere to store a vacuum, broom, mop or even a full-sized ironing board
- Look into clever laundry storage ideas such as full-length drawers, fold away racks and ironing boards.
European Laundry – Key Things to Remember
- Think about how you will move around the space. For example, you don’t want to be trying to get clothes out of the washer while someone needs to get to the fridge or oven.
- You could consider stacked appliances if space is very tight. Side by side washer and dryer will allow for more bench space although you would not like to do this to the detriment of having a small sink.
- Think about where you will locate power points and what you want them for. You will obviously need them for the washer and dryer, you may also use this space for ironing or steaming clothes, or for charging a stick or handheld vacuum. Consider practicality and location for these.
- Consider the noise that the machines will make. Try and locate the washer and dryer away from where you will congregate e.g. a kitchen island, and go for appliances that have a low operating noise level. You can also consider solid or noise-proof doors so that you can’t hear the appliances going with the doors closed.
- Have a look at a condenser dryer which will be plumbed in to avoid moisture and condensation accumulating.
- Consider existing plumbing and also plumbing in adjoining rooms when looking at the position of all water appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, fridge) and the sink. The closer you can get to existing plumbing the easier and cheaper it will be.
- If you have a front-loading machine it can be easier on your back to mount it up off the ground, putting the opening around waist height. If you do this you can use the space below for storage.
- Install excellent lighting so you can see stains and focus closely on any tasks you are doing. Think directional spot lights and task lighting.
- Putting a small sink in the space is a good idea as this can be kept just for soaking clothes, filling the mop bucket etc. If you don’t go for a sink but choose to soak clothes in a bucket, ask yourself where else in your home will you fill this bucket when needed? You may wish to consider a handy tap with an extender hose for this purpose, even if you don’t want a sink.
Final Thoughts
A laundry isn’t something that we can banish completely from our lives, unfortunately, but a sleek and sexy European laundry is pretty much the next best thing. Clever use of storage, fixtures, fittings and finishes can have this tiny space feeling just that little bit special as well.
Don’t be afraid to create a small laundry space that looks good and that you love – if you have to spend time here it should at least be as attractive as you can make it. And even better if you can hide it away in a stealthy cupboard!
Do you have any great small laundry ideas you can share with us? We’d love to hear from you so pop a comment in below…
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Excellent blog. Thanks for sharing these ideas. I love these all. Keep sharing more content like this.
We have this in our plans aswell! So was good to read now.
But I am wondering what is meant by “An insert in the joinery that lets the moisture out (for when the door is closed) “???
Hi Val, thank you for your comment. I believe this is refering to ventilation grill. This could also be quite decorative as assisting to reduce moisture building up.
Hi I recently downsized we have decided to expand the kitchen and move the Laundry into the Garage. We live in North East Melbourne. Would be keen to talk to someone about designing a European Laundry in the Garage.