Why You Should Ditch The Door To Your Laundry Room
Ditching the laundry room door is a great hack that provides you with better accessibility, ventilation, and functionality. It makes the room more accessible and convenient to go in and out of, especially if your laundry room is small. "Many laundry rooms are made even smaller by doors that don't open all the way, so remove them to free up your nook," professional organizer and decorator Darla DeMorrow from HeartWork Organizing told Realtor.
Without the door taking up space, you can also have more flexibility in organizing and using the laundry room. When the space is tight, the area covered by the open door becomes hard to reach and turns into a catch-all place for random items. Ditching the door is a great way to make the entire area available and open. This also helps laundry rooms that typically get hot and stuffy when the machines are running. By removing the door, there is better airflow and ventilation.
More perks of ditching the door
There are also design and layout issues that this can solve. Some doors can't close properly with the machines or get in the way of the machines operating by blocking the detergent dispenser, for example. Removing the doors is a great solution to such problems. It also helps to easily check in on your laundry as you have the ability to see into the machines without having to open a door.
If you're concerned about exposing your appliances for all to see, Darla DeMorrow wants you to remember that modern laundry machines are typically aesthetically pleasing and won't be a sight for sore eyes. Open-concept spaces have become popular in modern interior design, so your modern machines can act as accessories and support the rest of the decor. Removing the doors opens up the space and creates a flow between the laundry room and its surroundings. This also reclaims the visual space that they take up.
Alternatives to consider
While keeping your laundry room open can be a good design move. there are some alternatives to a door that can provide some coverage if you really need it. The traditional swinging door poses the most problems to space and organization — pocket doors and sliding doors are better alternatives to save space. Based on the space available, sliding doors can be as simple as double glass doors, or as grand as a large barn door.
You can also consider curtains. By installing a rod and hanging up a set of curtains, you can add a lighter feel to the space and cover as much or as little as you'd like. Bead curtains are a classic that can add a playful look. A simple dividing wall is another option. It acts as a great separator between spaces and can be designed to fit the decor. Whichever alternative you choose, remember to close up the holes of the door hinges to achieve a clean look.