Lifestyles

Until now, it hasn't been given much respect. Often located in the darkest corner of the basement or, worse yet, the garage, it was basically a depository for piles of dirty duds, missing socks, last season's soccer uniforms and outgrown outerwear -- not to mention half-empty bottles of detergent and floral-scented boxes of dryer sheets.

The only furniture in the crowded space was maybe a set of utility shelves and the traditional stark-white washer and dryer.

Research shows that homeowners today are realizing how important laundry rooms are to their busy lives, and as a result, they are looking for larger, more convenient areas to house their essential appliances and cleaning tools.

In a recent consumer preference survey by the National Association of Homebuilders, 95 percent of those surveyed said they preferred a separate laundry room in their home. A similar survey by Sears indicates more than 61 percent of today's homes have laundry rooms located on the main level.

Steve Erenrich, owner of Patete Kitchen and Bath Design Center in Carnegie, says one of the new ideas in two-story homes is to place the laundry room on the second floor where it is more visible and more accessible.

"It makes more sense to locate it in the living area by the bedrooms where the majority of laundry is generated," he says.

Erenrich says he has incorporated washers and dryers in the master bedroom suite, large bathrooms and even in the kitchen, where modern stackable appliances take less space. The current housing trend toward one-level living has made laundries located off the kitchen more popular than ever, he says.

The Homebuilders survey also found that homeowners want the same upscale design elements -- such as hardwood or tiled floors, wall coverings and crown molding -- in the laundry that they have in the rest of their rooms.

Appliance manufacturers have responded to the consumer preferences by introducing washers and dryers in bold new colors that can easily become part of the decor.

At the 2007 International Builders Show, a major trade show for building industry professionals this week in Orlando, Sears is displayed its Kenmore Elite HE5t washer and dryer in its latest Barolo designer shade. Sears spokesman Larry Costello says the rich red color replaces an orange shade known as Sedona that was introduced three years ago and is being retired. A sales associate at the Sears at Century III Mall, West Mifflin, a sales associate says the Barolo washer is available at $1,500, while the dryer runs $1,150 for electric and $1,210 for gas.

Costello says company research indicated that while Sedona was a fashionable color choice in 2004, "it was mainly of interest to consumers in the Southwest. We are confident that our new Barolo shade is more sophisticated and elegant, and will be more popular with a broader range of consumers." Kenmore also sells the front-loading washer-dryer combos in Pacific blue, black diamond and Champagne.

At Lowe's, spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson says the home improvement chain is preparing to launch a red washer and dryer set from Samsung that will be available in late summer.

The addition of colorful appliances reinforces the "fresh feeling" that homeowners want in their home, which is their biggest investment, she says.

"Colors can also signify personality. Laundry rooms that used to be in dark, dingy basements are now becoming showcases," Wilson says.

Nicole Hunnicutt, spokeswoman for Home Depot, says their designers worked with LG Electronics to come up with the new wild cherry and Nnavy shades in its 4-cubic-foot front-loading steam washers and dryers. The new hues are generating a lot of interest, especially in urban markets where small laundry areas are part of the kitchen.

"We think the wild cherry could really take off," she says.

The Home Depot Ross Park store has the wild cherry and navy shades of the LG Electronics appliances. The wild cherry washer is $1,399; the dryer is $1,059 for gas and $999 for electric. The navy set -- which has more features, including an LCD screen -- sells for $1,599 for the washer and 1,209 for a gas dryer, $1,149 for electric.

Costello says the addition of appliances in designer colors is an important element to the revitalization of the laundry room.

"As consumers bring the laundry room into the master bedroom, it becomes more of a room to show off to their friends or as a stop on a house tour," he says.

Color consultant Jill Morton of ColorMatters.com says she feels a large percentage of people will be drawn to appliances because of their bold new shades.

"It's great that they're finally selling color appliances -- 30 years after we survived that avocado green shade that'd we'd rather forget," she says. "You can go out and choose a color in an iPod, a cell phone and a George Foreman grill. Why not a washer and dryer?"

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