New This Week: 3 Enviable Laundry Rooms
Natural light, beautiful materials and functionality make laundry chores more enjoyable
For most of us, there’s no way to get around doing laundry. We’re destined to spend a good portion of our lives in laundry rooms washing, sorting, folding and drying. If that’s the case, then why not make these spaces pleasant to be in? The following laundry rooms show how lots of natural light, storage and style go a long way in making the chore more joyful.
Designer secret: “We just kept the design and decoration simple and clean to maximize the room’s functionality,” designer Teresa Richardson says.
“Uh-oh” moment: “This room was on a concrete slab and was used to having moisture present from loads of laundry and wet shoes being tracked in,” she says. “Because of this, we had to come up with some solutions for materials that could withstand that environment. The foundation’s stem wall stuck up a few inches from the floor, which we wanted to hide with baseboard, but we couldn’t use wood or MDF, so we found a baseboard made of PVC that could repel any moisture.”
Also on the team: Scott Conover of NSConover Photography
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Floor stain: solid black concrete stain; storage across from appliances: MDF painted white; countertops: Formica; wall paint: Amazing Gray, Sherwin-Williams
“Uh-oh” moment: “This room was on a concrete slab and was used to having moisture present from loads of laundry and wet shoes being tracked in,” she says. “Because of this, we had to come up with some solutions for materials that could withstand that environment. The foundation’s stem wall stuck up a few inches from the floor, which we wanted to hide with baseboard, but we couldn’t use wood or MDF, so we found a baseboard made of PVC that could repel any moisture.”
Also on the team: Scott Conover of NSConover Photography
See more of this home
Floor stain: solid black concrete stain; storage across from appliances: MDF painted white; countertops: Formica; wall paint: Amazing Gray, Sherwin-Williams
2. Creamy and Carefree
Designers: Kai Geschke of Geschke Group Architecture (architect) and Tod Arbogast of Arbogast Custom Homes (interior designer and builder)
Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
Size: 133 square feet (12.3 square meters); 14 by 9½ feet (4.2 by 2.8 meters)
Client’s request: Create a simple, efficient and practical space in a new custom home.
Special features: Large windows. Lots of storage. Sliding barn door with reclaimed wood. Herringbone-patterned tile floor. Cabinets designed 6 inches deeper than standard flank the washer and dryer to keep the appliances from looking like they stick out into the room.
Designer secret: “Design your cabinets to reflect the function of that space,” architect Kai Geschke says. “Sliding barn doors allow for spaces to connect, making the overall space feel larger.”
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Paint by Benjamin Moore: River Reflections (lower cabinets), Dove Wing (upper cabinets) and Edgecomb Gray (walls); floor tile: City View and Urban Evening, Daltile; countertops: quartz in color Linen
Designers: Kai Geschke of Geschke Group Architecture (architect) and Tod Arbogast of Arbogast Custom Homes (interior designer and builder)
Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
Size: 133 square feet (12.3 square meters); 14 by 9½ feet (4.2 by 2.8 meters)
Client’s request: Create a simple, efficient and practical space in a new custom home.
Special features: Large windows. Lots of storage. Sliding barn door with reclaimed wood. Herringbone-patterned tile floor. Cabinets designed 6 inches deeper than standard flank the washer and dryer to keep the appliances from looking like they stick out into the room.
Designer secret: “Design your cabinets to reflect the function of that space,” architect Kai Geschke says. “Sliding barn doors allow for spaces to connect, making the overall space feel larger.”
See more of this home
Paint by Benjamin Moore: River Reflections (lower cabinets), Dove Wing (upper cabinets) and Edgecomb Gray (walls); floor tile: City View and Urban Evening, Daltile; countertops: quartz in color Linen
3. Roomy and Refined
Designers: Joelle C. Nesen of Maison and Lucy Roland, formerly of Maison
Location: West Linn, Oregon
Size: 123 square feet (11.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: “We had free rein on style, but the homeowners needed laundry, storage for overflow pantry items and dishes, a big sink for gardening and a closet sufficient for cleaning supplies — all in a relatively small space,” designer Joelle Nesen says.
Special features: Custom cabinets with lots of storage. Open shelves. Basalt countertop. Stacked washer and dryer. Ice maker.
Why the design works: “We wanted to create quiet cabinets but dramatic materials that were clean and natural, to minimize the looming of the cabinets and draw your eye to the open area and windows,” Nesen says.
Designer secret: “The open wood shelves stacked on the high basalt backsplash draw your eye to the openness,” Nesen says, “and the thick linear slab pulls your eye toward that view.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “We realized after the fact that also on the wish list was an ice maker,” Nesen says. “That was a definite ‘uh-oh.’ Flexible clients helped a lot, and we tucked it in on the side of the armoire piece and created a more shallow working space from the front.”
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Countertop: basalt slab; pendant: Visual Comfort; cabinet hardware: Alno
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
Where to Put the Laundry Room
See an Amazing $400 Laundry Room Remodel for a Family of 8
Designers: Joelle C. Nesen of Maison and Lucy Roland, formerly of Maison
Location: West Linn, Oregon
Size: 123 square feet (11.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: “We had free rein on style, but the homeowners needed laundry, storage for overflow pantry items and dishes, a big sink for gardening and a closet sufficient for cleaning supplies — all in a relatively small space,” designer Joelle Nesen says.
Special features: Custom cabinets with lots of storage. Open shelves. Basalt countertop. Stacked washer and dryer. Ice maker.
Why the design works: “We wanted to create quiet cabinets but dramatic materials that were clean and natural, to minimize the looming of the cabinets and draw your eye to the open area and windows,” Nesen says.
Designer secret: “The open wood shelves stacked on the high basalt backsplash draw your eye to the openness,” Nesen says, “and the thick linear slab pulls your eye toward that view.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “We realized after the fact that also on the wish list was an ice maker,” Nesen says. “That was a definite ‘uh-oh.’ Flexible clients helped a lot, and we tucked it in on the side of the armoire piece and created a more shallow working space from the front.”
See more of this home
Countertop: basalt slab; pendant: Visual Comfort; cabinet hardware: Alno
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
Where to Put the Laundry Room
See an Amazing $400 Laundry Room Remodel for a Family of 8
Designer: Teresa Richardson of Renaissance Remodeling
Location: Boise, Idaho
Size: 110 square feet (10.2 square meters); 10 by 11 feet (3 by 3.3 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Transform a nondescript mudroom and laundry room that lacked organization and function into a more hardworking space with separate zones and a style that would honor the 1930s era of the home.
Special features: Lots of natural light. Mudroom storage. Folding table. Open shelves.
Why the design works: Two windows and two doors meant less wall space to work with but allowed more natural light. A light and soft color palette brightens things even more. Grayish-beige walls and a dark charcoal-black concrete floor make the white elements pop.