WASHROOM WONDER

Bring Some Flair To A Serviceable Laundry With A Few Savvy And Achievable Diy Upgrades

Photography JAMES MOFFAT Project and styling SAMANTHA POINTON

The laundry is often at the bottom of the reno to-do list. Or, like this one, it may have been updated to make it more functional –but not very stylish. Here’s how to give a laundry those finishing touches to take it from plain to pretty in a pocket-friendly weekend job.

Lay it out

All the elements for a modern and streamlined laundry were here; they just needed rejigging to improve the look and flow of the space. The front loader was tucked under the benchtop but the tumble dryer was sitting on top – tempting to do when it has feet, but a waste of usable bench space. And while the small wall cabinet offered storage, it was in an awkward spot over the sink. So, the first step was to reposition the dryer and wall cabinet and rework the vertical space.

On the tiles

To provide a backdrop for the newlook laundry, the area above the benchtop was tiled using mosaic sheets, which makes tiling a splashback achievable for first-timers.

Next, the dryer was wall-mounted using a universal bracket. A floating shelf replaced the wall cabinet, opening up the work area, and a rail placed under it as a place to dry damp clothes indoors or hang them while ironing. This custom drying rack was made by attaching a 19mm wardrobe hanging rod to matching pillar ends.

The rod was trimmed with a hacksaw to fit the width of the shelf, then one pillar end attached to the underside of the shelf with the supplied screws. The rod was positioned into both pillars, and the other end secured to the shelf. For the base cabinet, swapping in gloss doors and pull handles gave it a more sleek, contemporary look for little effort. Then came the fun stuff: adding plants and accessories. Here, the too-small-for-a-cabinet gap next to the washer was put to good use as a home for that absolute laundry essential, a sectioned hamper for sorting whites, colours and delicates.

Keep in mind…

n Ensure the room is well ventilated when tiling. n Before wall-mounting a dryer or shelf, use a stud finder to check for wiring and pipes, turn off the power before drilling and use fixings suitable for your wall type. Call a professional if unsure.

n The shelf has a maximum load capacity of 5kg when installed onto plasterboard walls, and 10kg for masonry.

LEFT Decor8 ‘Metro’ 292mm x 286mm gloss bevel mosaic tile in Mint, $7.33/sheet, I/N: 0289682. Dunlop flexible coloured grout in White, $10.80/ 1.5kg, I/N: 6829688. Carinya universal clothes dryer single wall mount kit, $16.73, I/N: 0091712. Flexi Storage ‘Decorative Shelving’ 900mm x 240mm x 38mm floating shelf in Gloss White, $52.24, I/N: 2580893. Devil’s ivy plant. Sandleford 19mm chrome tube rod, $5.70/900mm, I/N: 4821928, and 19mm chrome pillar ends, $5.31/pack of 2, I/N: 4821974. Sunfresh wooden clothes hangers with bar, $3.99/pack of 4, I/N: 0327669, and wooden clothes pegs, $4.29/pack of 100, I/N: 0131579. Ezy Storage ‘Encore’ peg basket in assorted colours with grey handle, $3.91, I/N: 0131584. TopDry bamboo 3 section laundry hamper in Grey Stripe, $29.99, I/N: 0153202. Kaboodle Kitchen ‘Modern’ 450mm cabinet doors in Gloss White, $73.44 each, I/N: 2664585. Taskmaster 96mm satin chrome square cabinet pull handle, $7.63/pack of 2, I/N: 0296759. All other products, stylist’s own. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Before mounting the shelf, predrill the pillar-end screw holes for the rod on the underside Reseal

Australian style meets clever design

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