A Pretty, Little Laundry Room...

I think it's no secret that I love a pretty laundry room. Let's face it, none of us can truly escape the chore everybody loves to hate. For the record, I don't hate doing laundry; I just despise putting it away!

Regardless, having a pretty spot to sort, soak, launder and fold makes the task more pleasurable.

For example, there is nothing like daydreaming at a pretty vintage sign - like the one in Serena's (of the Farm Chicks fame) laundry room. Yes, this pretty space takes up residence in Serena's home. I was struck by how pretty, fresh and sweet this room is, and although I am content with my little laundry space - carved out of my main bathroom - I sure wouldn't mind having a more generous room like this to tackle the dirty business of washing mountains of clothes each week.

Serena's taste is impeccable and I share her love of the Cath Kidston bits and bobs that she has sprinked throughout her laundry room. Somehow I don't think sweaty socks and gym gear would look (or smell) as pretty balled up in those hampers. Don't you love the red and white gingham wallpaper she used? Does it make you want to run out and scour the wallpaper shops for something equally cheery?

Don't we all deserve a pretty jail cell?

***********************************************

Here's another peek at what my own looks like:

Not bad...when it's not piled up with dirty clothes!!

Big solutions for small spaces... (Part 3)

Now that we've all decided that small homes can serve up ample comfort, let's examine how we can stretch the boundaries of our less is more rule.

One of the most common complaints I hear from home-owners is the lack of a mudroom or catch-all area for those coming and going though our door(s). Because I have already examined this exact issue, I will simply refer you to this post...and this one, and show you great examples of optical illusion mudrooms:

photo: Coastal Living

photo: Jean Allsopp

photo: BHG.com

These old lockers, reclaimed from a school, make excellent storage and take up very little room. They could serve as not only a mini-mudroom, but also a pantry, utility cupboard and more.

photo: My Home Ideas.com

A separate laundry room is often another fantasy of small-home-owners. Many older homes relegated the laundry area to the basement. As if the endless flow of laundry isn't dreary enough! If you have the budget to hire a plumber, check to see of you can install your machines in a closet on the upper floors. If your linen closet is ample, perhaps you can invest in stacking machines, which still enables you to have some linen storage space. The example below is an ideal example of a recessed laundry area. The front-loading appliances allow for a counter-top to be installed...offering up a surface to fold clothes, store laundry supplies or, alternately, even serve as a seasonal wrapping station!

When space is at a premium, having a home office can seem like a pipe dream. However, if you give up the notion that your office needs four walls and a large desk, you just might be able to squeeze one in. If you can spare it, empty out a little used closet and install shelving, a small work surface and a task light, and you will have the perfect place to catch up on emails, do online banking, or read...blogs!! If every closet is in use, then start tapping! Investigate whether there are any recesses that can be hollowed out (not a technical term) and retro-fitted with your future office space! The photo below best illustrates just how great an idea this is. I love the use of curtains on a simple cafe rod to hide computer guts, filing cabinets, and the inevitable jumble of electrical cords that come with the territory. Simply pull up a stool, and get to work. A similar set-up can also work well as a craft/wrapping area, child's homework station, or message center for a busy family. In this example, a hallway or pass-through serves as a very useful command central for all the members of this family. Remember, when space is limited, go up! Use the vertical spaces in your home to your advantage. In this case, books, photo albums, photos, and magazines are neatly tucked away, but within easy reach when needed.
Another great example of how hidden storage areas are lurking within one's walls is shown over at Chris' Just Beachy blog. Chris went poking around and solved a storage issue she was having in her bathroom.Chris is a master of transforming a smaller home into a home that lives large. She uses each and every nook and cranny to its best advantage. While her home is not small, it also is not considered large by many standards. High ceilings help it to feel more spacious and airy, and Chris has maximized the functionality of her home with true finesse. She even offers up a great solution for organizing the overflow of magazines so many of us have.

An actual guest room to put visiting family is something I can only dream of. At present, we only have a futon in my husband's office where we retreat to when company comes. I always insist that our parents use our bed (as we all know how comfortable they are), but the situation is less than ideal. When just our mothers visit (one at a time, of course), we often give them Sophie's room, and she piles into our bed. Another less than perfect solution! So, I am in search of a better solution. I love this glorious, decadent daybed, which has a pull-out trundle. Great for sleep-overs for friends and cousins, but somehow I don't see my father sleeping comfortable on that! Not to mention, it is in a huge room...in an obviously huge house!! Still, I threw in that photo for our viewing pleasure...~sigh~

I think the ideal solution to this problem is to have a Murphy bed. Some even multi-task as a slick office area and bed. I saw them at a home show a while back, and they seem like the perfect solution. Now just to find a pretty one...or the plans to make one. Paul...???

Liz at Violet Posy shared her solution to this common small space dilemma: "...when we upgraded our double bed to a super-king, we gave the old double to our then 3 year old daughter. It means that if we have guests to stay they can have her room and she has the princess blow up bed in our room." As the British say, brilliant! Right, Liz??

******************************************

In keeping with my tiny house tours, here is the most amazing link to the most adorable, tiny homes. It was brought to my attention by Jen. Go tell her thanks for making us all feel better about our small homes!!

***********************************

Next time, we will look at some survival tactics for dealing with the (ahem) shortcomings of living in a smaller space. Storage, furniture selection, colours, organization. We are on the case!!

Wash Day Blues...

photo: Country Home magazine

Laundry: it has origins of being a much reviled chore, but our distaste for it has relaxed - softened even, as the decor world and technology has transformed it into a much easier and more attractive task... even pleasant at times. It is a chore one cannot ignore; it is difficult to hire out and, yet, elements of it actually appeal to me in a peculiar sort of way. Wash day in our house is a misnomer of sorts, as every day is wash day. The constant hum of the washer can be heard throughout my home, as I try to keep up with a husband who has work clothes, workout clothes, and casual attire to wash. My youngest son wears an item of clothing for ten minutes and deems it soiled (or actually does get it dirty), and then throws it all into the hamper... usually right on top of a wet bath towel...ensuring it's fate as "dirty".

For me, my least favourite part of the laundry ritual is putting it away.

photo: Toast UK

Heaps of clothing can pile up in my laundry baskets and on my bed, awaiting their proper homes. I have finally trained my boys to put away their clean clothes, and that helps me immensely. But...still...I sigh with dread at the thoughts of that particular task. My favourite task, on the other hand, is hanging my clothes out to dry. I love the element of order it inspires in me. Hanging things out in a methodical way: pants first, then shirts, shorts, and t-shirts...or even better - hanging just Sophie's clothes out, interspersed with some pretty tea towels. The line then looks so pretty and the clothes seem to dance more happily in the breeze. Of course, nothing beats the fresh scent of the clothes after drying all day in the sun. Try as they might, the detergent manufacturers just can't bottle that fragrance!!

What's your take on wash "day"? Do you hate it, enjoy parts of it, or do you "send it out" to your local laundromat (I sometimes imagine that New Yorkers must all do this...a la Jerry Seinfeld)? I think a huge deciding factor as to whether we enjoy it or not is the actual physical space in which we launder. Who would ever enjoy the process if they were stuck in a dank, dark basement as opposed to pretty spaces like these?

Many are choosing to situate their laundry rooms/closets on the same level as their bedrooms - simplifying the "putting away" process.

The following photos show a great before and after transformation of a basement laundry area. Much improved!!

all laundry room images: Country Home Magazine

Blue Monday...or Not!!

Years ago, laundry was typically done on Mondays and it was a hugely laborious day. Housewives and daughters gathered up all the dirty clothes, boiled up huge pots of water, used their hand made soap and scrubbed article after article of soiled clothing using rocks - and later, scrub boards and brushes, and wrung them out using a hand ringer. It was painstaking and dreaded work and that is where the term Blue Monday originated.

Fast forward decades later and we still complain about doing laundry despite the many creature comforts afforded us. Today, we are faced with incredible choices with regards to our laundry needs. In fact, even the aesthetics of washers and dryers have become quite important to us! We can choose between top or front-loading, steam wash options, heavy-duty/extra capacity- whatever our fancy. One can purchase steel blue or tangerine coloured machines, steam machines to do our ironing, the list goes on and on...

photo source: Pottery Barn

I, and many others, am fascinated by the laundry implements of yesteryear. I have searched for and found a hand wringer, scrub board, soap cage, and fan-style drying rack to bring vintage charm to my own laundry area. I placed large laundry soaps and clothes pegs in old jars, vinegar and dry bleach in large glass containers with labelled metal tags, and emptied out my modern day laundry soap into an enamel bin that is labelled LAUNDRY. I love this nod to the origins of "wash day", however, I can't help wondering what our great-grandmothers would say if they could see us now. They'd probably shake their heads and scowl at such a silly pre-occupation with a chore they so detested!!!

**the top two photos show my present (left) and former (right) laundry rooms. **