This post has been written in collaboration with ASKO
In the last 18 months I’ve seen a real push in home improvement projects to create a livable laundry space. If I’m honest, the last place I want to spend more time in is the laundry. It’s not a place I want to dwell in, other than to fill the washing machine with dirty clothes and remove freshly washed clothes to hang outside.
The first home Jacob and I owned didn’t have a laundry. We had a laundry tub and washing machine in our single car garage. For the two of us, the arrangement worked fine, but I knew that if we were going to have a family, we would need a laundry.
We upgraded to a bigger home and it had an internal laundry with a storage cupboard. In recent months I have been thinking about how to make our laundry more user friendly because we have no shelves and limited space. I like the idea of making over my laundry to be more livable – but not because I want to spend more time in there. Mainly so I can keep baskets of washing in the laundry and not in my living room. With some research and plumbing knowledge, here are some tips on how to make your laundry more stylish and livable.
1. Light and Air – your laundry needs to be positioned in a room that has access to outside and can easily allow light and air in. The laundry needs to be well ventilated so having a window and/or sliding door to access outside is essential. Laundries can be quite damp which can cause mildew to grow on the walls and ceiling. Make sure the walls are tiled or painted with mould-resistant paint. An exhaust fan – like the ones in bathrooms, can also help with removing moisture from the room to prevent mould and mildew growth.
2. Organise the layout – If you are renovating an existing laundry space, the plumbing will already be set in position for you. To save plumbing costs, you can hook up your appliances to sit where the plumbing has been set already, or you can organise your plumber to change the layout for you. The laundry tub waste can often be diverted under the kicker of a cupboard. Just beware that your design may be limited depending on space and how much you have in your budget to fix up holes in the walls.
Before you change the layout, work out what needs to be installed in your laundry. Will you have a front loader washing machine or a top loader? If you’re in the market for one, click here. Will you have a dryer and some cabinetry and shelves? Will you have a drying cabinet like the one from ASKO? Maximise the space in your laundry for extra storage to store miscellaneous home items like cleaning equipment, ironing boards, outdoor entertainment equipment or pet beds and bowls. Also ensure that when you install your dryer above a top loader washing machine you can open and close the lid. It’s a common mistake to install the dryer right above the top loader which deems the washing machine unusable.
3. Choose your appliances wisely – When you have children, your washing machine becomes a workhorse and is relied on to wash many loads of washing. It pays to invest in a washing machine that can do large loads. You might consider investing in two washing machines (if your space can allow it) to keep up with the laundry needs of your family. A dryer can be a great investment for emergencies or when you have a season of wet weather that makes it hard to get clothes dry. A retractable hanging rack is a more green and economic solution if you have no room for a dryer. Or why not install a drying cabinet? This is a new way to dry your clothes without the need for ironing.
4. Choose your taps and fixtures conveniently – Choosing the right tub for your laundry is important. You will want a deep tub for soaking clothes and you may choose to have a double bowl tub so that one bowl can be used for soaking and the other used for convenience like hand washing clothes or filling the dog bowl. Tapware can be a simple sink mixer or you might like to install a gooseneck mixer to add a bit of style to your livable laundry space.
5. Flooring – The floors in the laundry should be water-resistant and not slippery when wet. It’s not compulsory to have a floor waste in the laundry, although having one could give peace of mind if you have a laundry tub or washing machine overflow – but this a rare occurence. Ceramic tiles or vinyl floors work well in laundries.
6. Style it – Once you have decided on your layout and design, add some finishing touches using accessories like some wicker laundry baskets. If you’re so inclined you could empty your washing powder into canisters for a fresh and neat look. You can also personalize the space with a print or two. Kirsten and Co released a free laundry printable which you can access here.
What is your laundry like? Does your laundry need a make-over?
This post has been written in accordance to my disclosure policy.
I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
