Laundry List

If I'm honest, when it comes to laundry, I'd really rather 

be doing something else.  Anything.

It's not that it's hard.  It's not that it's stressful.  So, what is it then?

I think it's just that my laundry room is boring.

There's nothing exciting or artistic in that little room at the end of the hall.

Nothing inspiring me on to new heights in the laundry life of my family.

Ok, I know.  Dramatic.  But I think I may be on to something...at least for me.

 So how can I make all this sorting, spraying, washing, hanging, folding

and ironing more exciting?  More inspiring?  More meaningful?  (again, with the drama)

Or at least a little easier on the eyes?

My laundry room, Minneapolis, MN

Above is my little laundry room. It measures 7x8 and is a pass-through from the garage.  

(Living in Minnesota means this is also the muddy, snowy boot removal room 

for about half the year.)  There is one small set of cabinets, 

two shelves that span the length of the room, and sadly, no window.

Adequate?  Yes.  Interesting?  Not so much.  I've got my stylist eyes peeled for ideas...

MJ Designs & houzz.com

This one actually looks a lot like my laundry room.  Similar flooring and layout.  

Floor to ceiling cabinets hide all the supplies, and the 

can lighting makes it nice and bright.

Simple and functional.  This would work fine.

Oakwood Homes & houzz.com

This one's also similar to mine in size and layout.  The shelving is kept open with

 big baskets and black cabinetry for storage of supplies.  Nothing too fancy, but nice.

Jodi Foster Design and Planning & houzz.com

  This one's pretty.  It's a pass through like my laundry room, 

but feels upscale and polished.

Lots of cabinetry in a painted finish feels clean and organized,

and substantial hardware makes the room seem more integrated

with what I imagine the rest of the house to look like.

It doesn't feel like the forgotten room where all the dirty clothes go.  

It looks like it would smell nice, too, you know?

Borroso Homes & houzz.com

 Oooo, slick.  Polished marble floors and beautiful light at the other end of the room.

Very crisp.  I won't be changing the flooring in my room 

and I can't achieve the natural light, but this one has a nice feel.  

I love the continuous, black countertop, sleek cabinetry and double bars for hanging.  

I'll keep this one in mind.

Clean Design Partners & houzz.com

I'm throwing this one in just to show what fabulous-ness you can achieve even if

you only have a laundry closet to work with.  The mirrored backsplash is

nothing short of glam.  The cabinets flanking the clothing bar is a genius use

of the small space.  Question:  Can a laundry closet be sexy?  Obviously.

Dwellings Inc. & houzz.com

Mmmm hmmm.  Love this one.  It has a custom, built-in feel, but modern,

open and airy.  And can we just talk about the wall color for a minute?  Dramatic dark

grey?  Fits me to a tee!  So, this is it...my inspiration photo.  Again, I can't achieve

the wonderful natural light in this room, and I'll certainly have to rework

the cabinetry for my room, but I'm hooked.  I'm home.  This room has a combination

of many of the elements I liked in the rooms above.  

So, one of these days in the near future when I have the laundry room 

of my dreams (see pictured above), I'll blog about the joys of spin cycles, 

organic fabric softeners and steam ironing with fancy linen sprays.  

For now, I'll get my measuring tape out, envision the glory to come...

and hunt down all the missing socks that somehow disappear

with every load of laundry in my little, plain-jane room at the end of the hall.

Stay tuned!

- Amy