[
L AU NDRY LOV E
]T
he laundry is usually the last room
in the house to undergo a makeover.
While its glamorous stablemates –
kitchens and bathrooms – receive all the
attention, the laundry reliably hums away
inthe background. But show the laundry
some love – combined with good planning
anddesign – and you’ll soon be humming
happily too.
“Laundries have traditionally been
neglected, but people are increasingly
putting thought into the design and look
of t hem,” says Sweden-born, Sydney-based
interior designer Anna-Carin McNamara,
a uthor ofMake a Home to Love.“I recently
had a client who said ‘I want the laundry
to be something unexpected. When I spend
timethere, I want to feel happy’.”
It’s an understandable aspiration: create
aroom that makes you happy and it will
help elevate the everyday activity of doing
the washing. And who doesn’t want that?
But the laundry is so much more than
just a place to wash clothes, says Anna-
Carin, whose design approach is based on
the Scandinavian principles of “simplicity,
functionality and sustainability”. In most
households, thelaundry is also the place
for storing all the things that don’t belong
anywhere else: reusable shopping bags,
sewing kits, shoe polish, picnic baskets,
gardening tools, gumboots... the list goeson. “In most homes, the laundry is very
much a multipurpose room,” she says.
The key to designing a laundry begins
with planning and attention to detail, says
Anna-Carin, an ambassador for Swedish
appliance brand Electrolux. First, make
sure the design encourages daylight and
fresh air into the room. “Then put your
thoughts on paper. Think about all the
things you store in the laundry and create
clear, defined spaces for each of them.”
The aim is to streamline the storage and
de-clutter benchspace. “Optimise storage
with floor-to-ceiling shelving; include
hooksand racks on the walls for hanging
items. Consider storage for your iron,
ironing boardand vacuum cleaner.
I always like to place the washing machine
anddryer under the bench to maximise
benchspace, and I highly recommend
including space for a clothes drying rack,
andhanging space for shirts.”
For luxurious touches, Anna-Carin
recommends under-floor heating and
stone for the benchtop. The laundry is
noton view so you can be adventurous
with colour, she says. “It’s also a place
where you can play with tiles and
textures.” Accessories are important too:
think sleek trays and containers – “little
things that give you a bit of enjoyment
every time you use them”. #3 OF A KIND
DRYERS3 OF A KIND
WASHERSWASHERSFrom topEWF1042BDWA 10kgfront-loader,4.5-star WELS and 5-star energy rating,
$1699, Electrolux. WH1260F1 12kgfront-loader,4.5-star WELS and energyratings, $2299, Fisher
& Paykel. WTZH 730 WPM 8kgwasher/dryer(5kg), 4-star WELS and energyratings (washer)/
4.5-star energy rating (dryer), $4299, Miele.DRYERSFrom topAsko T408HD Logic 8kg
heat-pump dryer,8-star energy rating, $2199, The Good Guys. EDH903BEWA Ultimate Care
9kgheat-pump dryer,7-star energy rating, $2099, Electrolux. Hoover DXH85TCEX-AUS 8kg
heat-pump dryer, 6-star energy rating,$1699, Appliances Online.For Where to Buy, see page 198. Text by Elizabeth Wilson. Shopping information by Georgia Madden.Turn your unsung hero into a room that sings.