A Laundry Room to Love

By Kathryn Weber

Who says a laundry room can’t have style? This Asian-inspired laundry room, with its bright colors and fun accents, will surely snap anyone out of the laundry day doldrums

Who says a laundry room can’t have style? This Asian-inspired laundry room, with its bright colors and fun accents, will surely snap anyone out of the laundry day doldrums.

Do you dread facing piles of laundry, or are you one of those people who find deep satisfaction in all that folding, sorting and stain removal? Regardless of where you fall on the laundry love-hate continuum, the fact remains that the job has to get done. And the task is going to be a lot more pleasant if you make the space where you do it more efficient and attractive.

Crying for Style

Most laundry rooms are, frankly, way more institutional than they need to be. Tackling this lack of style should be agenda item No. 1 in your redesign. Rather than merely focusing on the requisite cabinets, counters and colors, start with a design that appeals to you. Pick a decorating theme to help you stay focused: British Colonial, say, or an ultra-contemporary laboratory look -- anything to add a little fun or pleasure to the humdrum task at hand. By selecting a decor theme, you'll stay on track when choosing colors and accents.

Details count

Once you've decided on a theme and the colors that support your style, it's time to attend to the little details that make doing laundry more comfortable, easy and attractive. Art objects are often overlooked in the laundry room. Find decorative items, especially prints and accessories that can be hung on the walls, that support your design theme.

Laundry detergent is the product used more than any other in the laundry room, so it should be convenient and easy to use -- and stored attractively. If you're a fan of powdered soap, select a large, stylish canister to store and display your detergent. If you're a fan of liquid soaps, use a smart looking beverage dispenser that will look great on the counter. Plus, it will be much easier to dispense the soap than pouring from a large, heavy bottle into a small plastic cup. Another plus: Seeing your soap in these pretty containers might make you want to do laundry.

Make it easy

Doing laundry is a time-consuming chore. Time spent on your feet on tile floors can create an aching back and legs. To make ironing and folding more comfortable, buy a gel floor mat (these can be found in the kitchen area at home centers or in restaurant supply stores). To make air drying easier, install a wall-mounted accordion drying rack that can be pushed back under a small shelf when not in use. A telescoping valet rod mounted to a cabinet can hold garments you want to hang or repair, or it can be a convenient spot to hold dry cleaning. Add a pretty basket on a wall next to the dryer to store dryer sheets so they're at the ready and not in the box.

If you're giving your laundry room a complete overhaul, consider installing extra deep cabinets that have open shelves to hold laundry baskets. The baskets will be out of sight, and the deeper countertops will give you more folding and workspace.

Another fun thought? Pick a washer and dryer in a stylish color. We've moved way past white, and a garnet-colored washer and dryer would look incredible with cabinets painted moss green.

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Home & Garden - A Laundry Room to Love