Room of the Day: The Laundry Room No One Wants to Leave

“This homeowner didn’t want her laundry room to be a place where she just threw the wash in the machine and left,” says project manager Brandon Linsday. Instead, she wanted it to be a welcoming place where she’d want to stay and get things done. Of course, two lovely windows with ocean views made the room very enticing; with those kinds of vistas not much other beckoning was required. However, beautiful tile that complements the scene outdoors, a handblown glass lamp, miles of quartz countertops for workspace and ample storage add to the allure, making time spent in here anything but a chore.

Room of the Day
What happens here: Washing, drying, bonding over crafts, household organizing, working on a laptop, daydreaming, ocean gazing
Location: Orange County, California
Size: 9 by 12 feet; 108 square feet (about 10 square meters)

You’d never guess a utilitarian space like a laundry room hides behind this custom barn door. Its special glazed finish and beautiful trim suit the rest of the home’s French Mediterranean look. In this case the door is more about controlling noise from either side than closing off the view of the laundry room.

“The house has a lot of rustic touches,” says Linsday, of Brandon Architects. These include 8-inch-wide engineered oak flooring planks that continue from the upstairs hallway into the laundry room.


As the entry door foreshadows, this is no ordinary laundry room. Yes, I know, I know; it’s bigger and more beautiful than most of our kitchens, but it’s fun to dream. Two large windows open the room to the ocean views and natural light. A stool and workspace are set in front of one, while a sink in front of the other makes for the most pleasant stain-removing setting in the USA. The backsplash is composed of an enchanting mix of sea-green square tiles.

Beyond the laundry, the room serves as a true household hub. It is a craft center for a mom and her two kids, it serves as an alternative office, and it even has a linen closet and a broom closet (foreground left). Cabinetry and baskets provide plenty of space for storing cleaning and crafting supplies, household paperwork, sheets, towels and personal electronics. Extensive counter space allows enough room for folding, crafting and working on a laptop all at once.


Of course, your average laundry room doesn’t have vaulted ceilings. Due to its central location on the second floor (right above the front door’s pediment), the space gets this lofty architectural bonus.

Windows: Western Aluminum Windows


“The homeowner was very involved in picking all of the finishes and details,” Linsday says. One lovely detail is the drawer pulls, which are wrapped in thin strips of wood, adding a beachy texture in an unexpected place. The homeowner also chose the grilles on the cabinet fronts — the mix of solid Shaker doors and grilles adds visual interest and prevents the space from feeling hemmed in by cabinets.

The space serves as a great spot for doing projects with her kids as well as a productive hideout for the homeowner. I don’t know if anything could top a hot bath as a relaxing retreat, but this room might just have us saying, “Downy, take me away.”

Similar cabinet hardware: Atlas Homewares

More:
8 Laundry Trends to Watch for in 2015
7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Laundry Room

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