If you had to guess as to which room in a house occupied by a big family was the most used, what would you say? The kitchen? The family room? The bedroom? How about none of the above.

The correct answer is the laundry room. OK, so the other rooms are used a lot, but the laundry room, out of necessity, is used even more. With this knowledge in mind, let's explore ways to make the room more attractive and user-friendly. Here are some makeover plans.

According to Pat Simpson, host of HGTV's "Fix It Up!," the makeover should start from the walls and work outward. So what do we do with the walls other than creative painting or whimsical wallpaper? How about cedar planks? The cedar makes a statement, rendering the room statelier, and the aroma helps make the room inviting and pleasing to be in. If you have to do laundry, you might as well make it a pleasant experience. Cedar planks are available at most building-supply home stores and the project is a rather easy do-it-yourself one. Installation is simple as all you need is a tape measure, a hammer, nails, a saw and a level. A little patience helps, too, but I don't think you can purchase that at the home store.

Popular now are the front-load washer and dryers. They are usually taller, up to 60 inches in height. That height can make it difficult to reach the standard 12-inch cabinetry that goes over them. But there is a solution. Make the cabinetry deeper so it protrudes more from the wall. If you prefer to use the 12-inch cabinetry because it is standard and less expensive, simply frame behind the cabinets so they project farther from the wall. This is called "firring-out."

In the building-supply home store you bought the cedar planks, you also will find hanging rod/dowels with brackets. Or, if you prefer, wire shelving with a hanging rod attached. Either of these is ideal for hanging clothes to air dry, or to hang clothes fresh out of the dryer to keep them from wrinkling. The wire shelving also provides storage on top. And as we all know, you can never have enough storage.

Here's another option. If you have or are purchasing a standard-size washer and dryer, storage bases can be placed underneath the appliances. The storage bases can be purchased ready-made or they can be built. The construction is simply a 2-by-4 framing, wrapped in cabinet-grade plywood. Drawer tacks/glides are then added to provide large drawer space for storage under the appliances. Most upright, front-load appliances either have storage space under them or have ready-made ones that match the appliance. There are also narrow storage sleeves that fit in between the washer and dryer.

Are you in the market for a new washer? If so, look for the ones that require less water to complete the wash cycle. These appliances make for great water conservation.

So you see, even wash day can be a fun day if the laundry room is made attractive.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.)