Ironing boards historically have been hung in laundry rooms, stashed in corners, or stuffed into hall closets. In order to save room and to add an element of convenience, the ironing board cabinet was invented. The cabinet provides a storage space for the ironing board in convenient locations to offer easy access. The ironing board typically is attached to the inside of the cabinet and simply needs to be lowered down for use and raised up for storage.
Ironing board cabinets come in a variety of sizes depending on your needs and space limitations. Some will include a full size ironing board surface while others will have a much smaller version. Regardless of the size of the board, ironing board cabinets save space and add convenience to your home.
Ironing board cabinets typically mount directly to a wall in convenient locations for ironing tasks. The cabinets generally have a single door which opens to reveal an ironing board. The ironing board folds down to working height and is held firmly in place by springs or bracing included in the cabinet. When the ironing is completed, the board folds back into the cabinet where it is concealed until needed again.
Sometimes an ironing board cabinet mounts on the wall with the base near or on the floor. In this type of cabinet, the ironing board folds upward. Other types of ironing board cabinets are designed to mount higher on the wall, requiring the board to fold down rather than up.
For stability purposes, an ironing board cabinet generally should be installed between wall studs. This type of installation can give the cabinet a much more built-in appearance as well. The cabinet also should be installed near an electrical outlet. In certain situations an outlet is installed within the cabinet itself, but this is less common and typically requires wiring.
Some ironing board cabinets are constructed to allow for additional interior space as well. This space can be used to store an iron, spray starch or other ironing supplies. These cabinets typically are larger and require more mounting space, however.
As the ironing board cabinet has evolved, there have been many advances made. The better cabinets are now as thin as 3 inches (about 7.6 cm), making installation more versatile. Some cabinets also offer a swiveling feature in which the ironing board, once lowered, can swivel into the most convenient position.