CLEANING UP
How to spruce up the ever-so-practical laundry room
Just because the laundry room is the ultimate utilitarian space doesn't mean it has to look the part. Whether you have a separate room, a closet or just a corner in your basement for your washer and dryer, there are ways to keep the space tidy and esthetically pleasing.
That's designer Brigette Romanek's sweet spot.
“It's this idea that I have all of these ingredients and put them in a pot and hopefully come out with a good meal,” says Romanek, the owner and principal designer at Romanek Design Studio in Los Angeles.
“Clients tell me what they need, and it's my job to enhance that vision, to make it beautiful but also make it functional.”
In the laundry room, that means thinking carefully about how you'll use the space. Keep the detergents, softeners and similar products within easy reach of your machines, Romanek says.
Think about whether you are right-handed or left-handed, short or tall, when deciding where to place items.
And if your laundry space allows, Romanek says, have at least some closed storage to tuck away extra supplies or unfolded clothes.
The take-away: Don't get caught up in trends. Instead, make the room work for you.
Here are Romanek's suggestions for items that will help you keep your laundry space organized while adding a bit of beauty. Combine them in your own space, or use them as inspiration to hunt for similar items at a lower price point (prices in U.S. dollars unless noted):
■ Baskets add instant texture to any space, but they're also a great place to store detergents and items such as light bulbs and batteries. Water hyacinth storage bins with handles (CND$11-$25, containerstore.com) come in four sizes and are available in a lighter shade and a mocha colour. Add bin clip labels (CND$12.50 for three, containerstore.com) in black or white to help everyone stay organized.
■ A drying rack is a must for clothes that need to air dry, but that flimsy foldable model you used in school has to be dragged out each time you need it. A wall-mounted drying rack by Iris Hantverk ($75, helenmilan.com) can be hung within arm's reach of your machine, and it folds back against the wall when you're not using it. It's made of solid oak and has three 55-cm bars.
■ Reduce visual clutter on open shelves by decanting detergents and other laundry products into refillable dispensers, such as clear two-litre glass jugs with labels from Church Street Designs ($35-$110, etsy.com). There are options for caps and pumps, and the bottles are sold individually or in sets of two or three.
■ Add texture and warmth with a hamper in a natural finish. Romanek likes the basket-weave Marjan hamper ($293, luluandgeorgia.com), made of teak. For a similar look at a lower price, the laundry hamper from Longshore Tides ($84.99-$87.99, wayfair.com) is also made of wood and comes with a removable liner. It's available in natural, dark mahogany and white.
■ Use the Selena hook rack ($98, anthropologie.com) to hang mesh laundry bags, reusable grocery bags, totes and other items. The 18-inch brass rack with a bronze finish has four hooks and can hold up to about seven kilograms.
■ Although Romanek likes to have some closed storage in a laundry room, not everyone's space (or budget) has room for that. Marble wall-mounted shelves ($69.95$99.95, cb2.com), made of Carrara-style grey-and-white marble, add storage and style. The shelves are available in two lengths, 60 cm and 90 cm, and are 20 centimetres deep. They come with metal brackets in a brass finish.