A
laundry room. What a luxury. Some are blessed with one, and some do their
laundry in a small space or the garage.
But whatever the area, the way you utilize the space around a washer and
dryer just may help remove the word “chore” from this vital household task.
One
key to smoothing out the wrinkles in laundry day is to maximize the space you
have and have the right tools right at your disposal. In a small space, like the pass-through
between the garage and the hallway or kitchen, you could make your laundry area
feel bigger without changing its
size. Paint the limited wall space in a
brighter shade than the walls that border it.
Give your baseboards, trim, and door frames a fresh coat of bright white,
glossy trim paint for a clean look.
If
you have basic cabinets mounted over your machines, consider removing the
cabinet doors. Paint the cabinets a
bright white, which will help them blend with your likely-white appliances. But paint the back of the cabinets the same
as your wall color, giving the cabinets a suspended cubby system feel. For some flair, you could wallpaper the back
of the cabinets with a bold and bright geometric print instead.
Now
the next thing to consider is the visual appeal of what you ordinarily keep in
those upper cabinets. By removing the
doors, you put your supplies on display, which can ruin the look or
decoratively add to it. Detergent,
laundry additive, and fabric softener can be put in glass apothecary jars with
drink dispenser spigots. Stain treatment
sticks, mesh laundry bags, dryer softener sheets, and other small laundry
supplies can be put in woven milk crate baskets for an attractive, streamlined
storage and organization solution.
Ditch
the plastic laundry bins for a traditional woven laundry basket with fabric
liner for hauling your clean clothes.
This looks more appealing sitting on top of the dryer than the plastic
version. Use an area rug or runner in
front of the washer and dryer to cushion your frequent steps and to add a homey
touch. Utilize a mounted rod to hang
clothes fresh out of the dryer.
Capitalize on a kitchen island or other designated folding surface
nearby to have a work space that works for you.
A
few changes can take a blahh laundry area and turn it into a room with some
visual appeal. The task may be the same,
but making the atmosphere more pleasing certainly can’t hurt that ongoing cycle
that is wash-dry-fold-or-hang-and-put-away.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 5th.
