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Residential laundry rooms seem to have come a long way in the last century.
Advances in washer-dryer technology and current interior design trends have inspired families to think outside the box when it comes to laundry room placement, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Kitchens and basements may have been convenient places for laundry rooms, but quieter, more compact machines are allowing people to place washers and dryers in other parts of their home where plumbing and electrical hookups are installed, the nonprofit agency reported. news.
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According to Encyclopedia.com, the first electric washers and dryers were made in the 1900s.
(iStock)
The AP cited four home design trends that are being applied to laundry rooms across the country.
Space saving
In smaller homes or apartments, freestanding washer-dryer units are said to be gaining popularity.
“Stacked cars save space,” Jeanne Chung, a California-based interior designer, told the AP.
Freestanding washer-dryers can be hidden in closets or bathrooms, according to Chung.
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Chung went on to note that families who have side-by-side washer-dryers in rooms like kitchens have been able to hide the appliances “under the ceilings to use every inch.”
Space clothing
Not everyone wants to hide their laundry room.
Abby Gruman of Abby Leigh Designs in New York City told the AP that people are taking the time to dress up the space around their washer-dryer.
Hillary Stamm, an interior designer at HMS Interior Design in El Segundo, California, likes to use wallpaper, textured tiles and colorful patterns in laundry rooms.
(Hillary Stamm via AP)
“[Laundry rooms are] another area to design and decorate,” she said.
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Gruman noted that people are “taking a risk with a bright, fun background.”
Maritza Capiro, an interior designer in Coral Gables, Florida, likes to include drawers and cabinets in laundry rooms so household items can be stored in an organized manner.
(Mayra Roubach/Maritza Capiro via AP)
Meanwhile, Florida-based interior designer Maritza Capiro said home renovators can decorate a laundry room with wall tiles, faux stone, bold patterns and nature prints.
Out of kitchens and cellars
People who choose to pass up the kitchen or basement for their laundry room are choosing other areas that can be located on the first or second floor or inside a garage, according to the AP.
This image provided by Samsung shows a laundry room with a dark blue washer and dryer. The room is decorated with a marble-patterned wall, a stone counter, and dark wood shelves and cabinets. It is accented with a woven hamper and textured rug.
(Samsung via AP)
Gruman told the AP that she is seeing laundry rooms on the level that is a master bedroom in newly built homes.
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She said she’s also noticed people doubling up on standing washer-dryer units.
“Instead of one, people want two,” she said.
Capiro, on the other hand, said he is seeing customers putting washers and dryers on the first and second floors.
Typically, she has noticed a washer-dryer located near a bedroom and another washer-dryer located near a kitchen. Many of these kitchens have a sink, according to Capiro.
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Multipurpose storage room
Households are choosing to make the most of their laundry rooms.
Jessica Nicastro, an interior designer based in Los Angeles, told the AP that laundry rooms are “often” used as “linen and utility closets.”
Jeanne Chung of CozyStylishChic, an interior design company in California, likes to make the laundry room multifunctional. Here she has an ironing board, storage baskets and shelves.
(Dylan Riley Photo/CozyStylishChic via AP)
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In her line of work, she is said to have included ironing boards, drying racks, storage cabinets, counters and even pet baths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.