My mother-in-law asked me to help her remodel her laundry room. This may be one of my favorite before and after transformations that I've done. I absolutely love the problem solving aspect of interior design to maximize the functionality of a space. Function over form, always, but make it pretty! This project allowed me to do just that.
My in-laws built their house about 10 years ago with a master local builder. I'm not sure what the architect was thinking when they designed the laundry room and put cabinets along the back wall. No matter which washer/dryer combo (top load, front load, stack) you had, this was NEVER going to be functional in its then configuration. So, when my MIL's washer broke, she decided it was time for a full overhaul and she asked me to help.
the CANVAS
This room was poorly designed from the get-go. The only place the washer and dryer fit was along the left wall when you immediately walk in. The size of the units were too big so you couldn't close the door without scratching the washer. Half of the bottom cabinets were inoperable and overall, the space just didn't function well. ANYTHING was going to be a BIG improvement.
the INSPIRATION
I headed over to Pinterest, of course, for some ideas. The laundry room is situated right off my in-law's kitchen. The kitchen cabinetry matches the cabinets shown in the before photo, along with heavy early 2000s earth tones throughout their open floorplan. While my MIL would like to refresh her kitchen/great room in the future, I wasn't sure what her timing would be so I wanted to make sure that whatever we did to the laundry room complimented the adjacent space(s). I wanted to pull in some darker tones to play off the rest of the house and provide some contrast.
But after visiting a few stores with my MIL, it was clear she was picturing a super light, bright, and clean laundry room, similar to this one.
the PALETTE
So we met somewhere in the middle. I wanted to soften the look of her laundry room by adding a pretty window treatment and really make the window a focal point in the room. I fell in love with this fabric (Suite Berkshire Fabric in Porcelain), which then drove the rest of the colors in the design. Also, my MIL immediately knew she wanted the solid surface Wilsonart Beige Travertine countertop, the second she saw it. Note: since this was a laundry room, we wanted to be a little cost conscious which narrowed our textile options.
WALLS SW Mindful Gray PLANT Cocoboo Faux Eucalyptus COUNTERTOP Wilsonart Beige Travertine CABINETS Bellaire in Alabaster FABRIC Suite Berkshire in Porcelain FLOORING La Belle Purity Hexagon CHANDELIER Emerson Semi-Flush Mount
the LAYOUT
I was looking for a free computer program that would let me layout the cabinets in the room myself. I stumbled across cabinets.com and was immediately hooked. Their program allows you to create a layout utilizing their products to design your space. I created a design and then sent it off to the company for 1) confirmation the design worked and 2) pricing. I received a response immediately with suggestions on how we could tweak/customize the design. My POC then went back, edited the design and sent me a PDF featuring both 2D and 3D dimensioned designs, as well as pricing. They will also ship samples of the cabinets which you can return for a full refund.
When designing the space, my MIL wanted to accomplish the following:
maximize storage to minimize clutter on the counter
create an area to fold clothes and store the laundry hamper
relocate and install a stacked washer and dryer unit
The cabinets were delivered fully assembled (which our contractor loved) within a few weeks of ordering.
2D Designs
3D Designs
the FINISHED PRODUCT
A light, bright, and spacious laundry room. My MIL claims this is her "favorite room" in her house and my husband says "I actually WANT to do laundry in here." Pretty good, considering this is practically a utility closet! Here are a couple more photos for your viewing pleasure:
PHOTOGRAPHY Tammy Dean Photography
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