The laundry room. It represents a chore that many of us dread, but this doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of design attention. Interior designer Ricka Crozier of Dave Fox Design-Build Remodelers thinks the aversion we feel toward laundry day is all the more reason to spruce up this space. In fact, her firm is seeing an uptick in laundry room design projects. “It’s a room that has not always been very pleasant, but it’s one that most of us use every day,” she explains. “That’s why it’s important to be functional but also bright and cheerful.”
A smart room
For one of Crozier’s recent projects, the homeowner wanted what so many of us do: plenty of accessible storage. Smart storage areas are essential to keeping a laundry room clutter-free and giving every item its proper place. This laundry room contained a partition wall that obscured a series of cabinets filled with an array of clutter. Crozier removed the partition and incorporated taller custom cabinets with rollout trays, one long enough to hold rolls of wrapping paper. This new Omega cabinetry also houses a beverage cooler, so “the homeowner can have a nice glass of wine in there while she does the laundry,” says Crozier.
The relaxing aura in this room is further enhanced by the color scheme. The cabinetry’s blue-gray hue is Rain, a color that is mimicked in the window treatments, by Home Source Interiors, which soften the room and offer a little bit of privacy.
The striking tile lining one wall is from Hamilton Parker and is part of Sant’Agostino’s Patchwork collection. “It’s classic looking, so she won’t ever get tired of it,” says Crozier. The light fixture makes a similar striking statement—and complements the black accents of the faucet and cabinet hardware—but doesn’t take away from the open and airy feel of the room.
Starting at the sink
Regarding the faucet, one of the homeowner’s must-haves was the Kohler farm sink. The sink served as inspiration for the reclaimed wood shelves; these floating shelves provide more storage, and their undermount recessed lighting adds soft illumination.
Beadboard behind the washer-dryer, with a rod across the top for hanging shirts, adds aesthetic value as well as functionality. The countertop is a resilient quartz, both visually pleasing and stain-resistant. And the flooring is LVT luxury vinyl flooring, which is both water and stain-resistant with a cork backing so that it’s soft to walk on.
“The end result makes me smile, and the homeowner loves it,” concludes Crozier.
Indeed, the finished product is a compilation of the many trends favored in laundry rooms today, including eye-catching designs in a space that no longer inspires dread.
Article by Lee Rhodes/Photos by Jamie Bratslavsky
Article originally appeared in Housetrends Columbus – October/November 2019
