DO IT YOURSELF
Laundry low-down T H E L A U N D R Y I S O F T E N T U C K E D AWAY, B U T T H AT D O E S N ’ T M E A N T H I S F U N C T I O N A L S PA C E S H O U L D B E N E G L E C T E D . AB O D E’ S D I Y E X P E R T S S H AY D E N A N D G E O R G I A F R O M M O O C H S T Y L E H AV E B E E N W O R K I N G AWAY T O F I N D T H E P E R F E C T M I X O F B U D G E T, F O R M A N D F U N C T I O N .
L
aundries can be a forgotten space in the home, an afterthought to save on budget and, in our case, the last space to renovate. But, after a long night trawling through the depths of Pinterest, we decided we should make a start on planning the renovation of our utility room.
BUT THERE WERE A FEW THINGS WE NEEDED TO D E C I D E O N F I R S T:
1 Budget 2 What to DIY 3 What to get tradies for 4 Timeline 5 Custom build or kitset 6 Materials and colour scheme.
Once we had these basics sorted, we got to work on product selection. Laundries are well used, so while our choices are based on aesthetics, it was also critical that they are also functional. A top tip here is to be cautious with the cabinetry. There are various types you can buy, and all will have different qualities. For instance, you can save money by choosing a substrate-like acrylic that looks and feels like stone but is half the price. Our laundry is shaping up fast. It’s been very straightforward to plan and manage compared to projects like the bathroom. Online designers make it easy for you to DIY, and you can often produce a shopping list from the plan. We prioritised storage because it was lacking in the original laundry and we’ve been impressed with the options: from slideout cabinets to push-to-open pantries. It’s important to consider everything in the design stage. Write a list with all the nice-to-haves and must-haves, and you’ll probably find you can accommodate both. We’re currently chipping away at the build of the laundry over weekends, so we don’t bother the neighbours with power tools, and we’re getting very close to finishing now. In the next issue, we’ll share the finished product and a few organisational hacks to make life easier. But for now, head over to our Instagram @moochstyle to keep tabs on the progress. moochstyle.com
78
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
