5 laundry room ideas tailored for homes in New Zealand

Few rooms in our homes are purely functional anymore, particularly with our penchant for open plan living these days. The laundry, however, is perhaps the last truly utilitarian space, traditionally eschewing form for function.

As with any space in the home, the laundry only functions as well as planning allows, so it’s a good idea to work out how you can maximise its functionality to ensure doing chores doesn’t become a chore. Here are five great ideas for getting the most out of your laundry.

There’s a saying about not teaching your grandmother how to suck eggs, which is a colourful way of saying there’s nothing new under the sun. This sentiment is equally true of the laundry. In days past, it wasn’t unusual to see fiendishly clever inventions such as fold-out ironing boards and pull-out surfaces in the laundry.

While a fold-out ironing board may evoke images of your nana, your usual ironing board is unwieldy at best and downright annoying at worst. On the other hand, a fold-out option is convenience epitomised and you’ll be amazed at how much time you save yourself without having to set up and put away your free-standing board. Likewise, incorporating a handy pull-out shelf into your laundry cabinetry will double your bench space and make your whole laundry routine much easier and faster.

In the bathroom and laundry renovation pictured above, which are part of a loft apartment in a former carpet factory, designer Yvette Jay envisioned a delightful nod to the building’s past in her contemporary design that offers a seamless flow between the design ideas of the bathrooms and laundry.

One of the reasons why we don’t really enjoy spending time in the laundry is because they’re so… well, plain and boring. Take some ideas from other rooms in your home and give your laundry the zhuzh it deserves.

An eye-catching splashback is not only practical but can transform your laundry from an ‘also ran’ into a stylishly chic space. Choosing a look that matches your kitchen splashback will bring some cohesion to your interior design. Likewise, a statement lighting fixture will add a much-needed sculptural touch and help create a layered lighting scheme. Look at adding some under cabinet lighting, too. Strip LED lighting is discrete and can be controlled to cast a warm glow or a bright, task-oriented hue.

Colour is another way to create character in the laundry. Don’t be afraid to make a statement with colour – feature walls and playful hues are all on the table, such as is in the project pictured above, My Laundry Bay by Kanat Studio. Although it is a commercial premises, it’s a space that offers inspiration for residential counterparts.