I don't think it's much of a secret around here that laundry and I are not bffs. I actually don't know many people that really enjoy doing laundry. It's one of those necessities we can't really get out of doing though. I always joked around that if I had a pretty laundry room then I would be more motivated to want to do it. In our previous homes, our laundry was always down in the basement. In a way, it was nice to have it out of sight, out of mind. However, lugging baskets up and down several flights of steps and forgetting when you threw a load in was not convenient, at all. We never had a mudroom before and knew with three boys it was important to come up with a way to incorporate one into our home.
As odd as it sounds, I think knowing what we didn't want in a laundry room really helped us when it came to designing our new space. Speaking of designing, do you guys remember how I partnered with designer Leigh Heagney from California Closets on my master closet renovation? Well, California Closets did such a great job that we decided to use them for other projects as well. What I love about them is, they don't do just closets but sooo many other things. From playroom storage to garages, they offer a lot more than we realized and were able to transform this space into what we envisioned.
What you're seeing here was not the original laundry room. There was a previous laundry room that we will eventually be turning into a walk-in pantry. We decided to renovate and convert a downstairs bedroom that was being used as an office. For us, this space made so much more sense as a laundry/mudroom.
We did a lot to this room to make it the functional space we have now. We added in a staircase that comes up from our garage which really makes this the perfect spot to come in and hang up all of our coats and have a place to take our shoes off. I cannot tell you how amazing it's been to have a spot for all of our things when we come home. Before all of this, you would see shoes piled up near the front door, the boys would be running around in the morning trying to figure out where they left theirs, and somehow their jackets would randomly hang from whatever doorknob in the house they could reach.
Having a dedicated space for things has made such a difference and allows all of us to feel more organized. When we worked with Leigh she saw our vision and new that having a designated area to store our shoes, hang our coats, along with shelves to use for our hats and gloves, or whatever we needed, was the primary focus. We loved the idea of bench seating and having an area to sit and put your shoes on. It's worked out so well and we're so happy with how it turned out.
California Closets made the installation quick and seamless and transformed this space from a blank canvas to functional in no time. We wanted to go with finishes that would compliment the classic twenties inspired tile we have on the floor yet still create an overall neutral feel. We decided on the color Cashmere, which is a gray tone, that works out perfectly for this space.
Since this was not the original laundry room and we added in the staircase to the garage, we needed to get creative with how we could make this work for laundry. A stackable washer and dryer made the most sense next to the half wall that goes along the stairs. That area felt empty and unfinished and needed more functionality. I loved the idea of adding in a countertop and cabinet for extra storage and couldn't be happier with how it came out.
This area turned out even better than I thought. I love the surround that encases the washer and dryer and really gives it a finished looked. The extra storage overhead is an added bonus. I feel like you can never go wrong with extra storage.
We decided to go with a classic subway tile backsplash as an added design feature. We finished it off with the same gray colored grout that is also on the floor and picks up the Cashmere color from the bench seating and cabinet to tie everything together.
We added in some personal touches with pillows for the bench seating, decorative baskets, and a stool for easy access to reach things. I've been gravitating towards a less is more approach with my decor and letting the focus be on the features we are creating as apposed to having things feel over decorated or cluttered. One of my favorite finds was this cute little laundry cart. I don't know about your kids, but mine would be barefoot all the time if we let them. It doesn't matter how cold it is outside, the minute they get through the door and take their shoes off, their socks are coming off with them. We were finding socks allll over the place. This little cart is now dedicated as the sock cart and has been such a help for those stinky little socks to have a place to go.
As a boy mom of three I should have known spending my time in the laundry room was going to be inevitable. I mean, the laundry...NEVER.ENDS. I think I appreciate this space now more than ever because of the versatility it gives me and the storage space I have. The extra counter area has been so helpful and I love using it as a little folding station. My new motto has been to try and get through one load of laundry a day. I'm talking from start to finish...wash, dry, fold, and put away. Some days I'm a rockstar at it and others I'm trying to play catch up. The effort is always there and I'm so thankful to have an area to make it all happen now.
Do you have a designated laundry room or a mudroom? I'd love to hear about what you love about yours or what you would do differently if you were to redesign it.
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