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Designs for Living: Cheerful Laundries
Wash away your cares with a lovely laundry that brightens your day
Dirty clothes are a fact of life, but when the washing starts to pile up at your house, it will be much less of a chore if you love your laundry just as much as you do every other room.
Here are some ideas on how to transform your laundry into a happy space.
Here are some ideas on how to transform your laundry into a happy space.
Light and lovely. With a laundry this light-filled, why wouldn’t you incorporate a home office into the space? The transparent chair makes the room feel even larger than it already is.
Splash of yellow. No colour is quite as cheery as a bright yellow. But if the thought of yellow walls is just too much, add dollops of yellow in the form of stools, blinds or accessories.
Colour crazy. The variating greens of the feature wall and peg-decorated floor make this laundry fun and cheery. Echoing the colours of the permanent fixtures in the accessories, such as in the clothes hangers, unites the space. If you’re worried about going over the top, incorporate natural timber to balance out all that colour.
Crisp and bright. This all-white laundry has been designed with practicalities in mind, and that’s enough to brighten anyone’s day. Build in as much storage as you can, and factor in ample space for folding. Note the baskets under the sorting bench – great for allocating clothes to different family members as you go.
Bold and modern. There’s no going back once you’ve chosen a washer and dryer in this fire engine red. Colour match your cabinets and use some stainless steel in the benchtop and cabinet handles for a dramatic effect that makes you smile.
Nature’s gift. This green, striped wallpaper combines two calming hues that bring the outside in. For laundries with a view of trees or gardens through large windows like these, green can be a great choice to bring the room to life.
Pretty and practical. This pale blue-and-white palette creates a fresh feeling that fits the bill for the task at hand. Complementary floor tiles, wall paint, cabinetry and window treatments in this laundry all strive to fulfil a lovely look with a sense of calm.
In style. When the rest of your house has been decorated in a particular fashion, there’s no reason why the laundry should be an exception to the rule. Take your cue from the kitchen for the choice of cabinets, but mix it up with a play on colour and pattern.
All in the detail. The simple act of emptying the washing powder into a glass jar can turn your laundry from practical to pretty. Jars like these make for a chic and polished look.
Family fun. It can be an ongoing battle to get your kids to put their clothes in the hamper, and when they do it seems to fill up way too fast. Remind yourself how much you love them with a family photo gallery of smiles and good times and then washing that mountain of dirty clothes won’t seem like so much of a chore.