Love your laundry

Here’s how to turn the washing into a more pleasurable household chore.

Doing the washing can feel like the most thankless, never-ending task. Yes, there are those among us who may find this job a pleasure, having the satisfaction of turning a grubby pile into freshly laundered clothes. However for many, sorting through smelly items, separating colours and hand washing delicates is not an ideal pastime.

But perhaps it’s time to take a new approach? We all have to do it, so ‘‘make it as enjoyable as possible,’’ says Claudia Zinzan from Father Rabbit.

First up, she suggests, is to create a space that’s a pleasure to be in.

‘‘Think about storage and how the space can be beautiful, comfortable and pleasing at the same time,’’ Zinzan says.

Her favourite laundry accessories? A wooden tower drying rack, quality buckets and lavender linen water to scent your sheets. When talking laundry staples: ‘‘You can’t beat a hard-working, oversized hand towel, separate storage baskets and a large wash sink.’’

Setting up an organised space will go a long way to help ease the load. A space that has plenty of storage options will keep things organised, tidy and more enjoyable to use.

If your laundry is small, it’s about making the most of every inch of space.

Vertical sliding storage options are great way to neatly put things away. Things like products, pegs and cleaning equipment. Laundry baskets can be adjusted to hook onto the walls and a fold-up ironing board are all great space savers.

If you’re someone who likes to also organise and fold your clothes in the laundry, perhaps create a retractable folding station that can fold down and be put back up again after use.

And don’t forget about the back of your door, a storage space so often overlooked. Shoe storage holders can work just as well to place miscellaneous items, or a series of hooks attached to the back can also work to hold laundry bags or even dry clothes.

If you’re designing a laundry from scratch, try not to think of it as a sideline room. Yes, of course they must be practical, but they don’t have to be banished to the basement or garage. Just think of everything you might use this room for and then

Open shelving for storage adds to the sense of space; an extra benchtop for folding and sorting adds functionality.

PHOTOS: KALLAN MACLEOD In Celia Visser's laundry design, mounting the dryer above the washer saves floor space.

Coil laundry basket $189, from Freedom, freedomfurniture.co.nz.