Laundry may not be fun, but the space you do it in can be.
Tucked away from the main living space, the laundry room offers the opportunity to take design risks you may not be willing to embark on in your living room or kitchen, says Danielle Stanley, design coordinator at Renew Properties. Stanley works with clients across Buckhead and North Atlanta on custom home builds and large-scale renovations, many that include statement making laundry rooms. Below she shares her tips on adding style to an often forgotten-about space.
Color & Texture.
“We do a ton of color in laundry rooms, whether it be on painted cabinets, the wall color or the floor tile. And, while wallpaper can get pricey, when you’re working in a smaller space like a laundry room, it’s a great opportunity to incorporate nice quality, textured or statement wallpaper.”
Statement Lighting.
“People think they just need a builder-grade flush mount fixture or canned lighting, but making a statement with elevated lighting is a fun way to jazz up a space and make it a little more enjoyable to be in.”
Stylish Storage Solutions.
“We’ve seen clients get creative in the way they store their dirty laundry with baskets that create a cohesive design and storage solutions—for instance, storing laundry pods in a funky vase or a cool jar and dryer sheets in a fun little tissue box. Things like that elevate the functionality of a laundry room with a design spin.”
Art Display.
“Clients often have sentimental things they don’t want to hang above the fireplace—art their kids made or special family heirlooms they can frame. Add those to the laundry room to give it that personal touch. Some people just like wall art, whether it’s prints off of Etsy that give local artist flair or original paintings. Art is an easy way to add some dimension and interest.”
Functional Feature.
“When we are doing a custom cabinetry buildout, one of the things that clients tend to love and we think is a huge value-add is the concept of a trash can pull-out. Take the kind you would see in a kitchen and integrate that as a laundry pull-out. It’s a really functional way to tuck away the dirty laundry and keep things concealed.”
Pooch Perks.
“Dog-washing stations in laundry rooms are all the rage. We’ve done custom dog crates built in under the countertops; toe kick food bowls where the drawer spits out, and there is a bowl you can push into the cabinetry; and then of course the dog washing station as well. Dogs are a big part of our lives, and the laundry room seems like the appropriate way to incorporate some functionality for them.”
