HGTV's Galey Alix Explains The Benefits Of Adding A 'Laundry Bar' To Your Home
If you're a homeowner and a lover of Pinterest, you may be familiar with a coffee bar — but have you ever heard of a laundry bar? We hadn't either until HGTV's Galey Alix dropped the idea on her show, "Home in a Heartbeat." What's a laundry bar you ask, it's exactly what it sounds like — a place to do laundry and pour yourself a drink. A little odd, huh? That's what we thought, but as Alix points out, multifunctional spaces are the perfect choice for smaller homes.
A laundry bar is fantastic for homeowners that don't have a specific place to fold laundry, which is one of the key reasons behind Alix's inspiration for the laundry bar. While walking throughout the home, she points out a nook near the staircase on the second floor, where she plans on building the laundry bar, explaining "I think we could build a built-in bar there, but we also make it dual-functioning, where we make the bar extra wide, so it could also be a place where he folds clothes," per Realtor.
The key benefits
Not everyone has the luxury of a laundry room with a countertop to fold and sort their clothes. In many cases, homeowners take to the floor to do their folding, which can get old after a while. However, building a laundry bar means you won't take up valuable space in your small home. You don't necessarily need a laundry room to sort and fold your clothes, you just need a space that gets the job done. And, let's be honest, doing laundry isn't exactly everyone's favorite chore – so why not make it fun with a beer or glass of wine?
Galey Alix loves the idea of a laundry bar because it's also a time-saver. Her client's current laundry area is in the hallway on the second floor, outside his bedroom. When explaining her reasoning behind the project, she says, "he doesn't have to run downstairs for a drink at night," (via Realtor). Of course, you can fill the mini fridge with whatever beverage you like, it doesn't have to be alcoholic.
How to incorporate a laundry bar into your home
To incorporate a laundry bar into your own home, you could take inspiration straight from Galey Alix and build yours in the nook at the bottom of your staircase if you have one. In the episode, she chooses to build an L-shaped bar to fill the empty space, with cabinets to hold the clothes and a mini fridge at the end. Because the hampers are hidden in the drawer, they don't ruin the vibe of the entertainment space — there's nothing like seeing someone's dirty clothes while you're trying to have a drink and catch up.
If you have a smaller home, feel free to downsize if need be. Perhaps, you have a wide hallway that you've been meaning to occupy. You could easily construct a laundry bar that fits that area. Same concept, different size. However, you don't need a small home to justify building your own, it's great for homes of any size! If you have enough space in your laundry room, you can definitely put one in there. That way, the room is basically a one-stop shop for all your laundry needs (plus a little treat to reward yourself afterward). Older homes tend to have their washer and dryer in the basement, so having a laundry bar on the first or second floor would be ideal.