Who likes doing laundry anyways....
Laundry rooms can be a sad and scary place and no one really wants to spend time there. I doubt anyone loves doing laundry, BUT, the washing must go on. So, if you have the room, make your life easier and create a functional laundry space to get it done with ease, and dare I say joy? Take it one step further and say make it a fun space to be in.
If you're like me and wait to do laundry until you run out of clean undies, then there is some serious time spent getting the laundry clean, hung up, folded, etc. Laundry life is much easier when you have space for detergents, space to throw the dirty tings (other than the floor), a place to hang items, a spot for folding, and ideally a sink for hand washing your unmentionables. A clean, functional and fun laundry space where you run to rather than from.
Thus, this was the case for my lovely parents. They have lived in their humble abode for over 20 years, renovated twice and for the most part, created a beautiful home. However, the poor little basement laundry room has been neglected.
I finally convinced my mom to let me help redesign her sad and scary laundry room. I understand that not everyone wants to dish out the big bucks for a lil ol' laundry room and my parents were no different. Thus, it was my goal to reuse most, if not all of their existing laundry cabinets and add more storage where I could.
They asked for a simple and clean laundry space that felt spacious but still has the required storage for ALL their 'stuff'. Time to air some of their dirty laundry...Below are some 'before' glamour shots.....
Not very clean or spacious, and definitely no fun to be in. They have A LOT of stuff so part of this remodel was to "marie kondo" the s#*@ out that room.
Keeping with their design request, I proposed a clean, simple and fun laundry room that dreams are made of.. ok maybe not dreams, but at least a lil dreamy. I proposed the 3 options below.
1st option reuses aaaall of their existing laundry cabinets (ikea) with the addition of one new base cabinet to fill in. The 2nd and 3rd options include new full height Ikea cabinets, which are mucho affordable and just so happen to fit freaking perfectly! Adding few filler trim pieces at the sides and top, their new closet looks custom but without the price tag.
They chose the clean modern look of the stacked white subway tile with contrasting grey grout and wood veneer counter top to add some warmth. Incorporating full height closets where you can is always the smart choice as it maximizes on storage space and has the flexibility to store small and large items as needed. Needles to say, I was over the moon to hear they love the clean and modern look. Now it was full steam ahead!
Before the big laundry reveal. Here are....
3 DESIGN TIPS FOR CREATING A FUNCTIONAL, CLEAN AND FUN LAUNDRY ROOM
DESIGN TIP 1: EFFICIENT AND DURABLE STORAGE & FINISHES
For optimal storage space, utilize full height closets when possible. This way you can configure the interior by adding shelves, drawers and/or hanging rods that best suit your needs. To ensure your laundry can stand the test of time and abuse, choose durable surfaces such as laminate cabinets, quartz or laminate counter tops, stainless steel sink with a pull-down spray faucet.
DESIGN TIP 2: LIFETSTYLE
Doing laundry is unique for everyone, so how you use the space should direct the design. Plan enough space for laundry detergents, a hamper storage for dirty laundry as well as for the clean laundry. If you hang dry majority of your laundry, create some space for hanging that is easy to access and won't be in your way. There are many smart storage solutions on the market to help keep organized so get that pinterest board ready with smart storage solutions that help with your particular laundry needs.
DESIGN TIP 3: HAVE FUN WITH IT
Life is short, so go big or go home. Funky tile or wallpaper catch you eye? Go for it. It's not a space that you hang out with family or friends so live a little and add a splash of fun that brings you some joy. Disclaimer: This is not a blessing to go overboard, but start with a painted accent wall in a more bold colour or a unique backsplash tile and let that be the main focal point.
BACK TO THE REVEAL>>>>
Holly molly, what an improvement. The best part is hearing my mom say how much she enjoys going into the laundry room, not necessarily to DO the laundry, but now she appreciates how spacious it feels and how easy is it to access everything she needs. Adding the full-height storage was key to keeping this space clean an tidy. Let's hope it stays that way ;)
Keeping the budget low was tricky, but staying with Ikea was the best solution and luckily the dimensions were on point. Another challenge was maintaining access to the electrical panel, so an easy and quick way to deal with that was simply hanging art over the ugly panel, plus it allowed for the opportunity to add a rod for hanging clothes. All in all, it was a quick and fun remodel that I hope will help make my parent's domestic life a bit easier.
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