It’s not just for washing clothes anymore.



Think the laundry room is just for laundry? While we can’t say with certainty that the laundry room is going as upscale as the bathroom and kitchen, we have seen products at trade shows that suggest the laundry room isn’t just for laundry anymore.

Take a look at a couple of basics - sinks and faucets - to see what we mean:

Kohler’s Sterling division, for one, prefers the term “utility room.”

“No longer tucked away in a basement corner for laundry purposes,” says John Hansen, senior product manager for Sterling sinks, “the utility room takes a prominent place in the household, typically on the main floor between the garage and kitchen - a highly trafficked area.”

The company’s single-basin Latitude sink offers a stepped ledge that allows homeowners to clean paint brushes or plant pots. The sink is made of Sterling’s proprietary Vikrell, a combination of polyester resin and fiberglass that stands up to scratches and stains. Available as either a self-rimming drop-in model or undermount, the Latitude utility sink is 25 inches wide by 22 inches long and 12 inches deep.

For faucets, Moen considers that what works in the kitchen sink can work just as well in the laundry room. While the company’s line of pullout faucets are classified as kitchen faucets, the product’s durability, long hoses and pause buttons can do double-duty.

The company’s Extensa line, for example, features an increased height (8 1/4 inches) and reach (10 3/4 inches) with a pullout wand that stretches out to 2 feet. The flow pattern is easily switched from an aerated stream to a spray at the touch of a button. The spout swings 145 degrees.