Laundry in style – create a functional and fashionable laundry room

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the laundry room must be the liver. The laundry room cycles through messy household clothing and towels, and cleans them up time and time again.  In addition to being the place to do laundry and store cleaning supplies, many households also have their laundry room act as a mudroom; a place to drop off school bags, shoes, and jackets.  The laundry room gets a lot of wear-and-tear, but is often the most neglected room, design-wise! For my latest project, I wanted to showcase the laundry room, and how it can be designed as a functional and fashionable space.

 

Clean, simple colours. I chose washable gloss white cabinets and applied a coat of CIL Wexford Fog on the walls. The simple colour palette created a calming effect in a usually chaotic room. I added in greys and stainless steel touches throughout the room for a more unisex overture. The laundry room isn’t just the woman’s domain!

Who doesn’t need more storage?
I turned to Cutler Kitchen and Bath, a company that makes cabinetry in Canada and sells through Lowes stores  (www.cutlerkitchenandbath.com/)  I added tall pantry storage to one side of the room which enabled me to store laundry baskets, kids boots and bins for mittens, hats and scarves, keeping everything organized and easy to find for winter. Upper cabinets are used to store and hide away detergents, extra towels and cleaning supplies, keeping the space organized.  Using storage baskets from Bouclair Home helps the kids to put away their mitts and hats each day, keeping the room tidy with the bonus of reducing morning chaos when everyone can find their belongings on their way out the door.

 

Make room for countertop space. Don’t overlook counter space! Make sure you have enough room to deposit dirty clothes, apply stain treatments and fold clothes. Choose a countertop that will hide dust and dirt; I used one from Belanger Laminates, a Canadian company who creates laminates that mimic raw stone. Multiple flecks of colour help hide messes and add an industrial element to the room. Laminate has come a long way in recent years; it’s stunning how you can now get it to look almost identical to stone, but at a fraction of the price.

                                                                                   

A well-oiled machine needs a good engine. What is a laundry room without gorgeous appliances? For this makeover I chose Whirlpool Duet Steam Front Loaders in Chrome Shadow. Not only are they stunning, they are also a homeowner’s dream. They keep clothes looking newer longer and have amazing features that make caring for clothing simple.  This washing machine does all the work for you, determining your load size, adding the right amount of detergent, even steaming and removing wrinkles.

 

Laundry sinks can be stylish!  Don’t forget about the sink, which is an integral part of any working laundry room. I wanted to find a faucet that was both stylish and that makes life easier.  I chose a Delta faucet where you can simply touch anywhere on the spout or handle of the faucet with your hand, wrist or forearm to start and stop the flow of water.  If your space doubles as a mudroom, this sleek faucet is not only visually appealing, it is also a great solution to easily clean up  muddy hands after gardening or washing up when arriving home from school, work, sports or  after taking the dog for a walk.

 The little touches. The laundry room doesn’t have to be a room you dread heading into. I wanted to make it a place that was functional and stylish and with a few touches from Bouclair Home the look was achieved – I added a great piece of artwork, a bowl for keys, and a multitude of great baskets to keep the room in tip top shape. Everything is out of sight and organized but very easy to access.

 

Make sure you give your laundry room some love to create a room that works for your entire family. Who knows, you just might enjoy doing the laundry.

 

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!