When we were working on the plans for our home addition, which was featured in our Winter Issue 8, one of the most important things on our list was STORAGE! We figured that if we were going to go to the trouble of adding on new space, we’d better make sure it accommodated all of the things that seemed to have no place. Everything that was shoved into cabinets, closets, the darkest depths of the garage…
And the room that was going to hold most of these things was going to be the laundry room. I had a list of everything that needed a home: cleaning supplies, the vacuum and mop, wrapping paper and ribbon, vases, beer brewing supplies, a few tools, etc. I wanted to be sure that the space was designed specifically to organize everything. Also, our original laundry room was a dark, dismal, one light bulb, no window, dingy kind of room – so I wanted to be sure it became a fresh, bright and inspiring workspace. AND we needed to accomplish all of this in a budget-friendly way.
To stay within budget, we used a combination of custom cabinets with less expensive shelving. The sink and faucet are from IKEA and the backsplash tile was left over from a previous project. We decided not to cover the counter with Formica as originally planned and just left the wood exposed.
The larger drawers above were sized specifically to hold wrapping paper. The smaller drawers hold ribbon, scissors, tape and other crafting supplies.
On the opposite side of the room are the washer, dryer, a full size freezer and and a tall cabinet. The counter above the washer and dryer is great for folding and the open shelving above is perfect for detergents. The top shelf was purposely sized big enough to hold laundry baskets when they are not in use (which rarely happens, but it’s nice to get them out of the way!). Also, in the first picture you can see a small amount of slat wall. That is where we hang clothes to dry. Underneath it there is room for a laundry sorter.
We put a lot of effort into the specifics of the cabinet and shelf dimensions. We didn’t want to build it just to find out later nothing fit!
When working on a project like this one, it is worth it to list, measure and even shop for storage bins ahead of time so that you can maximize your space. It is so rewarding to put everything away in its own space! And the result is a tidy, clean space that actually makes laundry enjoyable! I love our new laundry room – I think it might be my favorite room in the house!
