If the kitchen is the heart of the home then the laundry is very possibly the engine room. When it comes to the list of home renovations we want to tackle, it may be hard to get excited about a space that's home to some of the most mundane chores – like washing clothes, folding fitted sheets, or ironing work shirts. It’s because of this the laundry is often overlooked as just a utilitarian space, but by renovating it you can not only add additional value to your home, but create a functional efficient workspace to help you power through your day-to-day laundry duties. 

There are many design elements that need to be considered when planning a new laundry space, and the team at Balnei & Colina are here to help. Regardless of the size of your laundry space, whether you’re renovating or constructing from scratch, it’s important to ensure your laundry is both functional and practical for maximum gain. 

In this month’s B&C Journal we provide a masterclass on the hardest working room in your home, the laundry. Our Laundry Masterclass will show you how to create a laundry that’s packed with functionality and is beautiful. Enjoy!

The team at Balnei & Colina

Balnei & Colina Laundry Renovation

Lesson 1 - Locating your Laundry

Detemining a suitable location for your laundry is essential to creating a functional floor space for your home. Be it a European style or hidden laundry in your hallway, at the rear of your home or leading out from your butler's pantry or your kitchen, the location of your laundry deserves due consideration. Many existing homes have allocated spaces for a laundry, and a skilled designer will be able to work within these parameters to help determine the perfect place to locate your laundry room.

Ideally, the laundry should be in any space away from living areas and the bedrooms. This way, when the washing machine or dryer is being used, the sound will not disturb anyone using the entertaining zones or resting areas. You may also want to consider a laundry shoot in multi level homes, and this could influence your laundry placement. 

Alternatively, positioning your laundry closer to the living areas also means you can pop on a load while cooking dinner. We often see laundries awkwardly located in older houses, for example taking up prime real estate at the back of the house opening out onto your lawn. At Balnei & Colina we believe this space could better be used as an extension of your living area for outdoor entertaining and enjoyment.

Not every home may have space for a separate laundry room. If your home is smaller, consider incorporating the laundry area into another room of your home, preferably your kitchen or bathroom. If this isn’t an option an expert laundry designer at Balnei & Colina can look into a custom cabinetry laundry solution at the end of a hallway or living space. 

It's also important that the location of your laundry have access to natural light, adequate ventilation and an external drying zone or a clothesline.

Image credit: Sharyn Cairns Photography

Lesson 2 - Laundry Layout  

The next step after deciding where to locate your new laundry is to design the right layout. A good laundry design will have sufficient space for storage as well as comfortable room to complete all your everyday laundry activities like, washing, folding, as well as drying. Creating an efficient laundry design will help reduce double handling and give you a better movement flow within your laundry. 

Laundry bench space is high on the wish list for most Balnei & Colina clients possibly second to storage in terms of priorities. A Balnei & Colina laundry design expert can consult with you to design the perfect laundry layout for your specific needs as well as optimise storage and functionality. 

Design Tip: In a dedicated laundry, consider including a broom cabinet, a linen closet, built-in ironing board and maybe some overhead cupboards for cleaning and laundry needs. This type of custom designed cabinetry will save floor space and give you more room to move.

Image credit: Lisa Cohen Photography

Lesson 3 - Laundry Appliance Selection

Step 3 in renovating your laundry is selecting your laundry appliances. While most washing machines and dryers are available in standard sizes, you can now also find extra-wide, deep or tall appliances to fit any laundry size or layout. 

Design Tip: Ask your Balnei & Colina laundry design expert, to help choose appliance combinations that best suit your laundry space, before investing in any purchase. 

Ask yourself

• Do you prefer a top or front-loading machine?
• Do you prefer an appliance with a separate dryer and washer or a single unit?
• Do you want your appliances to be concealed in cabinets?

Design Tip: Remember for large laundry applicanes that are planned to be concealed within custom cabinets, adequate ventilation would be required. A good laundry design specialist will be able to design joinery to suit.

Laundry Renovation by Balnei & Colina

Lesson 4 - Laundry Style

Custom joinery is a great way to create a highly functional rooms that complement your home style. This is why the team at Balnei & Colina often advise designing your laundry and kitchen at the same time. By using the same company to create both areas you'll achieve home joinery with a consistent quality and finish as well as save time and money.

Consistency and harmony are important for any home interior, and the laundry is no exception. If your laundry is located close to either the kitchen or bathroom, take materials and surfaces from these areas and duplicate them in your laundry renovation ie similar colour scheme and finish for door fronts, bench tops, taps, and splashback etc. to ensure style consistency throughout your home. Even the floor should be the similar or the same throughout, if possible. 

Image credit: James Knowler Photography

DECORATE YOUR LAUNDRY

Finally, dress and inject some personality into your laundry space with interior decor. A feature pendent light, artwork, candles, pretty soaps, and greenery can all help to make your laundry a space you’ll enjoy working in.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON WATERPROOFING YOUR LAUNDRY

The laundry is a wet room and needs to be waterproofed in accordance with Australian building regulations. Leaks and moisture build up can damage any laundry and it’s therefore worth engaging a qualified and fully licenced renovation expert, like Balnei & Colina to undertake a laundry renovation. 

Balnei & Colina Laundry Renovation

Custom Storage Solutions Sydney

Balnei & Colina provide custom cabinetry solutions, for any room in your home including kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, bedrooms, living areas. This unique approach means each of our Balnei & Colina custom joinery solutions are designed to perfectly fit your available space with optimum functionality.

Still unsure how to create the perfect laundry? Leave it to the experts at Balnei & Colina renovations.

For more information about our custom laundry Sydney solutions, contact Balnei & Colina on 1300 450 320. You can also send us your laundry renovation project details via this contact us form. 

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Balnei & Colina Laundry Renovation