Laundry Room Refresh

When we first moved into our home, my sister and I (fueled by coffee and adrenaline) spent an entire weekend painting each room of the house. My favorite room for a long time was the laundry room that we painted black. My vision was a Laundress-inspired black and white, chic laundry room that would make the chore of laundry feel elevated and luxurious. After living with the black walls for a few years, in a room that faces north and therefore has limited daylight, I decided that the space could be improved by a fresh coat of brighter paint. The dark walls also showed every ding and scuff that I was constantly needing to touch up.

This room gets a lot of traffic, and is where we enter and exit the house each day through the garage. It also belongs to the dogs during the day while we’re at work, so it has to serve the function of being a cozy little doggie nap room as well as feeling like a fresh space where clothes can actually get clean. We added the white cabinets, which we removed from another location in the house to over the sink and the countertop. To the cabinets, we added these polished crystal knobs which make me happy every time I open the doors. These cabinets are a placeholder for this interim state of our laundry room. One holds laundry supplies, and the other is for dog food, treats and grooming supplies. Ultimately, I would like to replace all of the existing cabinetry and add a long soapstone countertop with a sink in the middle in front of the window, much like this inspiration image. The washer and the dryer would be built-into the cabinetry on either side of the sink. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams ‘Alabaster,’ the same as our trim color throughout, except in a flat finish.

I ordered two maple Boos block cutting boards which are stored in here and serve as a countertop across the washer and dryer when not in use in the kitchen. They makes a nice surface to fold upon, as well as to warm up the space. I keep a basket on top of the washer exclusively for cleaning and kitchen rags so they don’t mingle with clothes in the laundry sorter and I’ll do a load of rags every other day. We have a drawer full of flour sack towels in the kitchen which I try to reach for as much as possible instead of paper towels, and it has really cut down on our consumption. If I do use a paper towel, I’ll compost it. I store our ironing board on a hook on the inside of the door to the basement. Near the sink I have an old chair which I love that came from my great-grandparents’ farm house. It’s mostly there as a decorative piece, but it serves the function of a step stool as well. Having this light and bright space helps set the tone for the house and makes the chore of laundry a delight!