Thistle Hill Ranch: Laundry Rooms That Inspire~

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Laundry Rooms That Inspire~

laun·dry/ˌlôndrē/

Noun:

Clothes and linens that need to be washed or that have been washed.
The action or process of washing such items.

Laundry…I often say I wish my bank account was like my laundry basket, never empty and more often than not, overflowing. But, as they say, “If wishes were horse, beggars would ride”.

So if it has to be done, we might as well make the space we do laundry, a pleasant one.

The key is to optimize every bit of space, make it clean and fresh, like your laundry and organized. I think often times the laundry room is neglected. so in order to figure out where to start you have to have inspiration.

Here Are A Few Ideas…

Courtesy of Saucy Dragonfly on Flickr

Courtesy of superizon.com

visbeen-associates-architects.blogspot.com

Courtesy of granitegurus.com

Courtesy of meridameridian.com

shoredreamsandbeautifulthings.blogspot.com

interiorstyledesign.tumblr.com

cotedetexas.blogspot.com

I love the idea of a Dutch-Door for a laundry room. This allows Mom/Dad to do laundry and still keep an eye/ear on little ones, & yet, keeping those little people out of the laundry room.

Easy Fixes for LITTLE MONEY~

This is a little room in a HUGE red-design Whole House job I did in Massachusetts. (This is in another post from Summer 2010).

The room was untouched, neglected, had an awkward shape and was NOT functioning. I wanted to give her a laundry room she would WANT to do laundry in. I really had no budget for this room and was trying to use what items she already had to make the space more functional and enticing.

BEFORE~

AFTER~

*I used a cabinet she had from a Pottery Barn entertainment shelving in lieu of the open shelves. Turns out it was a perfect fit!

*Then, she had a shelving from that same entertainment system that I used a portion of, to store extras and placed her laundry sorter on top of that.

*Added a floor lamp she had for a softer light to do laundry late at night with. This room was right between her children’s rooms and the traditional light was a tad too bright at night.

*Then, a triple basket with flip top lids for lint, extra socks-(with no mates) and fabric softener sheets on top of the washer & dryer. (This was a perfect fit, notice the slanted ceiling).

*She was adding a fabric skirt to dress up the sink and hide other items under the sink.

*Then a little “Laundry” picture I found at Marshall's for under $10.00.

*She loved her laundry room and the kids liked it enough, to help with sorting clothes the next day. I call that Successful!

My Laundry/Pet Room~

{My cat Miss Scarlett. She has her own perch away from Miss Bridgette our Westie.}

I am all about form and function; but for a laundry room, this can be tricky. Especially when there are so many things that need to function in a small space.

For me, this was my list: *Laundry *Storage *Pets *Refrigerator *Family Communication Board(s)

Not a lot of room, but I think I made it work.

{Yes, I have a cat & 2 guinea pigs in this room and believe it or not, the cat actually likes them and was found sitting in their cage resting by them, when it was left open..THANK GOODNESS!..Oh, and I have Miss “B” (Bridgette) our Westie too… I know, I’m NUTS! }

I used an old office metal desk as the Guinea Pig table and covered it to make these girls feel comfortable. Underneath the table houses the unsightly litter box and cleaning accessories and container with Guinea Pig food. My laundry room is adjacent to the garage which also makes it handy for cleaning the cage & litter box OFTEN! Also the broom and dust pan are close by for quick cleanup.

{This is the ad I have framed above the cage. Just a bit to make me smile at how far we have come!}

http://www.barricksinsurance.com/GoodHousekeeping.html

I have organizing bins under the sink and in the cabinets that help with little items, extension cords, picture hanging kits, sewing notions box, etc.).

{The knobs I have on my cabinets.}