LAUNDRY LOVE
When my eldest sister renovated her home a few years ago, the laundry was never going to be just an afterthought. The space, designed by our other sister, who’s an architect, was one of the most talked about and dissected – from its size and location to its precise, family-friendly lay-out. And it was big. When I first saw those initial plans, I thought it might have been a slight case of laundry obsession. But now, every time I walk into that light and bright room, with its white floor-to-ceiling cupboards hiding a multitude of family life busyness, and its spacious shower in the corner, I think: “Yes. Inspired decision, sisters.”
There’s something about a well-designed laundry that gets the heart racing. It may be the last place on earth you’d want to find yourself on a wintry Sunday afternoon after a particularly muddy Australian rules under-17s match, but if a laundry is bright, functional and incredibly well thought out, it makes the chore of keeping your house, and life, running more than bearable.
In our definitive guide to laundries (‘10 steps to a dream laundry’, from page 131), you will fall in love with all the design possibilities available for this hardest working of rooms. The idea that I love most and have mentally scribbled on to my renovating moodboard? A distinct feature splashback, all of its own.
There is plenty of design and decorating inspiration in this much-anticipated annual ‘Magic Makeover’ issue of ours. While it’s probably not an understatement to say that most of us dream of the ‘big’ renovation, often it is the smaller project that is a little more manageable right now. In our 38-page special, you will find plenty of ideas to transform your spaces into rooms to enjoy for years to come – from an unused lounge room that is now a library to linger in with a book, to a fantastic outdoor room that takes you straight to dreamy holidays in the sun. I hope you are as inspired as we are to make a little bit of magic in your own home.