As a mom, a lot of people depend on us. I recently worked with Alison, a firefighter and mom of five-year-old Gwen, who I had the pleasure of overhauling her laundry room. At work, people depend on Alison to help save lives, and at home, her family depends on her for countless things — so creating systems and spaces that allow her to reliably get the job done was the name of the game in this space.
First things first
No laundry room is complete without a washer and dryer. For this space, I chose Maytag’s Front Load Extra Power Washer and Dryer , which have an extra power feature. For the washer, the extra power button fights stains that dissolve best in hot water and in cold — all in one load. For the dryer, the extra power button helps get thick fabrics drier the first time by adding extra time to the cycle.
Tons of storage
Alison’s home is on the smaller size, so every single square inch of this space needed to count. I went with taller-than-average uppers from Ikea in a high-gloss navy blue for a look that is both modern and functional, allowing Alison to store detergent, cleaning supplies, towels and other necessities in arm’s reach. We also incorporated storage on the other side of the room with multiple drawers, and decorative shelving. This space doubles as a desk for Alison’s young daughter when not needed for folding!
Tons of folding space
Whether you are a Netflix-and-fold kind of person or not, I think a dependable laundry space needs to have ample counter space. In this space, I used butcher-block counters to provide a warm, textural contrast against the blue cabinetry and marble wallpapered walls that I found at https://anewall.com/ . Installing a counter over a front-load washer and dryer is always a must for me as it provides a durable surface and creates a more built-in look to your appliances.
Space for hanging
I think one of the most overlooked functions of a laundry room is space for hanging clothing that needs to air-dry. Whether you use a folding wire contraption that allows clothing to lay flat, a rope that allows you to hang clothing, or hooks like I did right here, you definitely need to plan for this element so you can have the option for air-drying clothing.
Make it beautiful
I am a big believer that when a space is beautiful, we are so happy to be there, and this makes us super productive. So we utilized all KINDS of strategies to make this space just gorgeous. We wrapped a marble wallpaper along all the walls, we added gorgeous crown moulding, we added all kinds of teal accents that we found at Home Sense and just had so much fun with art, beautiful towels, and greenery.