Everything has been taken out of the room for cleaning and/or replacement, and while it's empty my mom decided she'd better get some new floors put in. And then I was like, "Wait, why don't you use this chance to reorganize while everything's out of the way?" The room was getting pretty full, so some new storage might help when she's putting everything back in.
The room isn't just for laundry, it's also a pantry, coat closet, and miscellaneous storage center. So they have a lot goin' on.
The first thing she could do is add cabinets above the washer and dryer. There used to be a wire shelf up there, which was fine, but think about allllll the stuff you can put in a cabinet instead. Plus you can close the door and nobody has to see the mess if you're cleaning up in a hurry. These are easy to find, but here's an example from Lowes. (You could also thrift them if there's a ReStore near you.)
Side-wall storage will also be key. They had a combination of wire racks and bookshelves before, but I think an expandable closet system will be a nice upgrade. It has space for hanging those extra coats, plus little shelves for everything else. The one above is from Amazon and it's only $110. Heck, could even fit two of them in there. Some square baskets would also be handy, and I found a set of three for only $29.
And since my mom mentioned new flooring, I had to offer a suggestion. I know she'll go with vinyl in there again, so why not go with a vinyl designed to look like stone?
(Mom, I hope this helps!)
What's your laundry room like? Any storage solutions you recommend? Have you ever dealt with a fire or other bizarre damage? How did you fix it?
I have a laundry closet with no room for anything except my stackable washer and dryer. The detergent doesn't even get to come in and play. Fail.
ReplyDeleteWe had the same situation in the condo. It's not a *ton* better here, but at least they're full-sized now.
DeleteAhh, all this talk reminds me how I always wanted to be an interior designer growing up! And maybe still do.
ReplyDeleteHow scary! I wish them the best of luck getting everything back in order.
ReplyDeleteWe have a laundry closet. It actually looks a bit like the picture you choose minus the white cabinets. We have a just shelving instead. Thankfully we haven't had any fire incidences.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh...I'm so glad everyone is okay and the damage was contained to that room!
ReplyDeleteBut how fun to get to help her redesign :) I love the addition of the cabinets above the washer and dryer. And what a great price for the wire unit!
Our "laundry room" is in the basement, so there's not much hope of making it pretty until lots of other work is done. Nice thing is...it's out of sight :)
Ours is down there, too. They finished the basement really nicely (it's our family room), but didn't really do anything about the laundry. Tons of pipes and exposed studs in there! Good thing I can just close the door and hide it. :-)
DeleteWow! There was a lot of potential for the rest of the house to go up in flames, so I'm glad the damage was contained to the laundry room. You have some great ideas here. My laundry room is in the basement, and is nothing fancy, just purely practical. No one ever sees it but us because of where it's located.
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