Let’s face it: no one likes doing the laundry. But when your laundry space is cluttered, disorganised and impractical, it makes laundry even more of a chore.
Your laundry, while necessary, isn’t the most glamorous space in your home. Nor does it help when it’s dark and poky, making it all too easy for your laundry to turn into a walk-in wardrobe full of dirty clothes. That was this family’s reality, and perhaps it’s yours, too!
Here, this simple laundry makeover proves that achieving a chic and workable utility area is possible no matter the size. It might even inspire everyone in your household to pitch in on washday! Just look at this before and after:
While the French-style patterned tiles on the bench and playful splashback are the show-stoppers in this revamped laundry, there’s a lot more to applaud.
A variety of storage in Nantucket-style colours and textures, decorative hooks that ‘float’ and subtle steel accents throughout keep this zone from looking too utilitarian but, at the same time, make it highly functional.
And, if you have a picture window, as here, take advantage of the natural light but add style with smartly dressed coordinating sheers.
You can maintain a sense of order by hiding messier elements behind closed doors, as here. Use versatile flatpack cabinets and base-mount hampers for easy space-saving storage.
To open up the space visually, go for a darker blue for the bottom cabinets and a lighter shade for the walls. To balance out all the blue, add greenery in a crisp white vase.
Opt for a hard-working, multipurpose benchtop.
Here, the benchtop is an ironing board, storage and folding table in one. The U-shape design acts as a room divider, and lets natural light shine through, while the shelves provide accessible storage with baskets to keep shoes tidily tucked away.
Make the most of spare tiles by turning them into whimsical ‘floating’ hooks. Simply drill and screw a long screw through a piece of cut dowel.
Glue the dowel to the back of a tile with construction adhesive, then secure the tile to the wall using a WallMate. No more picking up bags and towels from the floor!
How to makeover your laundry
With a clever redesign, you can keep Mt Laundry from soaring in your utility room.
01
Remove walls
By removing a wall that has no structural purpose, you can make room for a pretty yet practical return bench that acts as a boundary between your laundry and hallway.
02
Stick to the same colour palette
Create a gorgeous integrated effect with a patterned blue and white tiled benchtop that meets a solid-hued, curvy splashback, making room for pristine white cabinets above.
03
Tile your benchtop
For your benchtop, pick sturdy tiles designed for both floors and walls, and that don’t require sealing. These patterned 200 x 200mm tiles, made in Morocco, tick all these boxes.
04
Focus on shapes
Once the benchtop tiles are in, the attention-grabbing fish-scale tiles can go up. This beaut splashback will protect your wall from moisture, and keep you mesmerised!
