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9 Ways to Make Your Laundry Sing
Practical tips on how to create beauty in the most prosaic of spaces
Laundries are one of those spaces that can make or break a house design. Lovely kitchen, beautiful bathroom, gorgeous living areas … cramped, non-functional laundry. Sure, it’s prosaic, but since you spend enough time there, why not make it special?
As these laundries show, it’s possible to make your laundry functional and good-looking. You’ll be chewing through that pile of washing in no time.
As these laundries show, it’s possible to make your laundry functional and good-looking. You’ll be chewing through that pile of washing in no time.
Swoon. This laundry is tucked away anonymously into the corner of this kitchen in Willoughby, Sydney. It’s home is a smart white cupboard behind folding doors, with a handy shelf for cleaning products.
2. Make it colourful
Go on. This laundry – in a small renovation of a Hamilton cottage by MOAA – is hidden behind sliding doors and comes with bright yellow cabinetry, contrasting with a white bench. It fits the gently mid-century vibe of the rest of the renovation (ply, timber, pastels), but creates its own sense of fun by brightening up the space. Note the practical high laminate splashback – an excellent choice in a place where there’s a lot of water splashing about.
See more photos of this project
Go on. This laundry – in a small renovation of a Hamilton cottage by MOAA – is hidden behind sliding doors and comes with bright yellow cabinetry, contrasting with a white bench. It fits the gently mid-century vibe of the rest of the renovation (ply, timber, pastels), but creates its own sense of fun by brightening up the space. Note the practical high laminate splashback – an excellent choice in a place where there’s a lot of water splashing about.
See more photos of this project
3. Make it dramatic – and invest in cabinetry
This house near Brisbane by Atelier Chen Hung is a study in steel and timber, with smartly detailed ply cabinetry in contrasting birch and dark plywood, plus nicely mitred cutout handles. The laundry is no exception; birch surrounds the hand basin on one side, and dark open shelving takes care of the business side. Dark painted walls complete the look. Note the way the handle in the folding door lines up with the negative detail under the benchtop.
This house near Brisbane by Atelier Chen Hung is a study in steel and timber, with smartly detailed ply cabinetry in contrasting birch and dark plywood, plus nicely mitred cutout handles. The laundry is no exception; birch surrounds the hand basin on one side, and dark open shelving takes care of the business side. Dark painted walls complete the look. Note the way the handle in the folding door lines up with the negative detail under the benchtop.
Just because a laundry is small doesn’t mean it can’t be an exercise in timbered practicality. The washer and dryer in this cupboard laundry sit inside the cupboard, raised off the ground for ease of access and below a detailed timber shelf for folding washing – or, um, shoving away your un-ironed clothing pile when people are coming for dinner.
4. Stack ’em up
If space is really tight, go vertical and stack the dryer on top of the washer, then slip them both behind an anonymous cupboard – in this case, off to the side of the kitchen table. You’ll have to put up with the noise of the washer at awkward times – in the middle of lunch, say – but it does save some space.
How to squeeze a laundry in anywhere
If space is really tight, go vertical and stack the dryer on top of the washer, then slip them both behind an anonymous cupboard – in this case, off to the side of the kitchen table. You’ll have to put up with the noise of the washer at awkward times – in the middle of lunch, say – but it does save some space.
How to squeeze a laundry in anywhere
5. Install a chute
Sometimes, getting your laundry to the laundry is half the battle, right? To overcome this, install a chute. (Just keep the small humans away from it.) I particularly like the LAUNDRY signage on this one – just in case you missed it.
Sometimes, getting your laundry to the laundry is half the battle, right? To overcome this, install a chute. (Just keep the small humans away from it.) I particularly like the LAUNDRY signage on this one – just in case you missed it.
6. Have a space for everything
Here’s a thought: if you have room, create a space for everything – note the three rolling laundry baskets here, instead of one big messy one, and the handy cane baskets on the shelves above the bench. The harmonious combination of green, bright yellow and black-and-white creates a soothing, restful space.
Here’s a thought: if you have room, create a space for everything – note the three rolling laundry baskets here, instead of one big messy one, and the handy cane baskets on the shelves above the bench. The harmonious combination of green, bright yellow and black-and-white creates a soothing, restful space.
7. Squeeze space from every corner
Laundries are small spaces, crammed into the most awkward of places – under eaves, in the corner of kitchens and bathrooms, on a hallway. Solution: use every millimetre of space for maximum practicality. A drying rack in a cupboard – like this one – may better appeal to those with a decent hatred of indoor drying racks.
Laundries are small spaces, crammed into the most awkward of places – under eaves, in the corner of kitchens and bathrooms, on a hallway. Solution: use every millimetre of space for maximum practicality. A drying rack in a cupboard – like this one – may better appeal to those with a decent hatred of indoor drying racks.
8. Pull it out
Similarly, a pull-out cupboard – more commonly seen in kitchens where, let’s be frank, they don’t work very well – makes for a practical place to store cleaning products. And buckets, because who isn’t sick of pulling buckets out of the bottom of overcrowded cupboards?
Similarly, a pull-out cupboard – more commonly seen in kitchens where, let’s be frank, they don’t work very well – makes for a practical place to store cleaning products. And buckets, because who isn’t sick of pulling buckets out of the bottom of overcrowded cupboards?
9. Go full height
Gosh this is nice. With the luxury of a very high stud, the designers of this loft in New York took the cabinetry almost to the ceiling, with one dramatic door opening to reveal dark timber cabinetry – a striking contrast in a minimalist white apartment. There’s a stainless-steel bench for practical tasks, and a lot of storage above. Though I do wonder how you’re supposed to reach the towels on the top level…
TELL US
What do you value most in a laundry? Tell us about it or share a photo in the Comments.
MORE
Your Guide to Hardworking Family Laundries
Give Your Cleaning Zone a Clean-up
Hung Out to Dry: Fresh Ideas for Your Clothes Line
Gosh this is nice. With the luxury of a very high stud, the designers of this loft in New York took the cabinetry almost to the ceiling, with one dramatic door opening to reveal dark timber cabinetry – a striking contrast in a minimalist white apartment. There’s a stainless-steel bench for practical tasks, and a lot of storage above. Though I do wonder how you’re supposed to reach the towels on the top level…
TELL US
What do you value most in a laundry? Tell us about it or share a photo in the Comments.
MORE
Your Guide to Hardworking Family Laundries
Give Your Cleaning Zone a Clean-up
Hung Out to Dry: Fresh Ideas for Your Clothes Line
You can make laundries beautiful, regardless of the size. But there’s one thing you will have to get your head around, and this is a difficult thing to do for an Antipodean: you need (a) a front-loading washing machine and (b) a condenser dryer that doesn’t need venting. These appliances fit into narrow, tight spaces under benches and in cupboards, plus they stack on top of each other and generally behave well if you do.