Laundry, the never-ending chore that I don't think anyone enjoys, or at least I haven't seen anyone actually smile when talking about laundry. So it makes sense that laundry rooms are starting to gain the attention more attention, as we try and give new life to the chore.
Our client was looking for a new-life solution when she reached out to us. The space had quite a bit of storage in the form of older cabinets, but really no practical functionality or style - it fit the feeling of the chore...redundant and unsatisfying.
Before images
We came up with a pretty simple plan that our client could manage on their own (our client is pretty handy). We assisted, by making the bench, folding/storage cubby, the (basic) supply closet, and the wood trim pieces. Our client had the room painted, to include the wainscoting, and hired someone to lay the ceramic flooring. The actual installation only took about 4 hours, because everything was prepped, built and ready for installation.
The design worked out so well we are sharing our shoe bench, and folding/storage cubby plans with you over the next couple of weeks, just in case you like what you see, and want to work on your own laundry space.
Concept sketch and after installation images.
This laundry room, like many others has an entry point to the house...it seemed logical to include some sort of shoe storage since this is a receiving area to the home. We got lucky, and had just enough room behind the doors to make a 12.5" deep bench and not encroach on the door swing - plenty of room for shoes. The solution is the shoe bench (above) that provides a place to sit and remove shoes before entering the main house. We kept the design simple, with the intent of sharing our plans, so anyone who liked this idea could make one too.
The Folding/Storage Cubby sits right across from the washer and dryer, so the were made large enough to house large bottles of laundry soap, fabric softener, and all those extra laundry supplies one might use. It's topped with a pine wood butcher block that we picked up at our local ReStore (Habitats for Humanities), which kept the overall cost low. The overhang provides a spot for a laundry basket or trash can. All the wood in the space was sanded multiple times, stained and covered with a semi-gloss oil polyurethane.
The flooring selection adds a more modern look to the farmhouse vibe throughout the home, with a darker rich color that bring sophistication into the space. The wood brings warmth to the colder color palette making this laundry inviting and cheerful.
The functionality of the space was improved with a spot to store brooms and cleaning supplies, laundry necessities, and shoe storage. It went from having an large amount of cabinet storage to storage that made sense.
After installation.
After installation
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