Wet wet wet A damp, dreary laundry gets the Make It Happen treatment

Before Wet wet wet

Dim, dated and overwhelmed by damp laundry, this busy washing and utility room was ripe for a renovation by the Bunnings Make It Happen team

LUCY GLADE-WRIGHT of Hunting for George (left) with homeowners Dave and Lisa

After gutting and refitting, this laundry is now highly functional – and good-looking, too!

Kaboodle ‘Modern’ profile cabinetry in Sea Salt and Five Spice†. Kaboodle ‘Compact Radius’ profile 38mm cut to measure laminate benchtop in Terrazzola†. Dorf ‘Vixen’ WELS 4-star 7.5L/min retractable sink mixer in White, $337, I/N: 5003372†. Johnson Tiles ‘Neutral Satin’ 297mm x 97mm ceramic wall tiles in White, $26.73/ carton of 27 (0.81sqm, $33/sqm), I/N: 0111658†. Smart Home Products ‘Aquaguard’ 1235mm x 178mm x 5.5mm waterproof hybrid flooring planks in Amazon, $81.94/carton of 11 (2.42sqm, $33.86/sqm), I/N: 0147503. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores but may be ordered.

Alternating widths adds interest to a block of overhead cupboards

49 Update it

Laundry makeover

Safety tip Remember, any plumbing or electrical works must be done by a licensed tradie

Kaboodle ‘Modern’ profile 900mm and 600mm slimline cabinets in Sea Salt†. Lane 96mm square round handles in Gun Metal, $6.04 each, I/N: 0135468. Gigi 30cm x 19cm glass planter with cork top, $25, I/N: 0222873. Daytek classic wooden pegs, $11.95/pack of 24, I/N: 0209243. Inabox 28L storage containers (lids not shown) in Grey, $13.70 each, I/N: 0131396. All other products, stylist’s own. Arlec 5m silicone coated LED strip light in Cool White, $34.90, I/N: 0147685. Sansevieria plant in Lotus Collection ‘Butterfly’ 22cm x 16cm indoor glazed pot in Black, $9.98, I/N: 0209215 (plant sold separately). All other products, stylist’s own.

Too much washing and not enough space – it’s an everyday problem that many of us can relate to, including Dave and Lisa, whose laundry couldn’t tackle the task of cleaning up after their family of three outdoorsloving boys. “We constantly had clothes hanging around us inside, especially in winter,” says Dave.

The couple had renovated the rest of their house, but the laundry had been left until last. “It’s often the room that gets forgotten,” says Bunnings Make It Happen series host and renovation expert Lucy Glade-Wright of Hunting for George (huntingforgeorge.com). “People don’t really want to invest that much money into their laundry because it’s not where you’d have your guests around! We needed to create a really functional, organised space to streamline their laundry systems and create more room.”

The Bunnings team delivered a whole new scheme, designed to address every one of Dave and Lisa’s laundry gripes. Hanging out Three boys with a love of footy and mountain biking creates more than the average volume of washing – and Dave and Lisa’s biggest challenge was getting everything dry in a cool, often damp climate. “We had to find additional spaces within the small layout, so they could hang and dry their clothes inside and not have to dry them throughout the house,” says Lucy. The multi-pronged solution included a rail above the sink, a heated towel rail and an ingenious cabinetry hack, involving fitting rails into a standard drawer, which pulls out over an existing heating vent. “Everything can hang on the wall or in the cabinet and it leaves the floor space free and clean,” explains Dave.

Dial down the dark Light was a major issue in the laundry, and the existing colour scheme wasn’t helping matters! Dave and Lisa had already given the rest of the house a grey-and-white makeover, so the laundry palette was  “Laundries can’t just look good – they need to be functional. This makeover streamlines the family’s ability to process dirty clothing – and also provides ample storage for a variety of household activities”

Lucy Glade-Wright renovator

Shelf cut from Kaboodle pantry panel in Sea Salt. Pillar 2m x 16mm curtain conduit in Brushed Chrome, $10, I/N: 1284731. Sandleford 16mm pillar centre in Chrome, $2.25, I/N: 4821967. D’Lucci single bowl rectangular sink, $268, I/N: 0028223. Dorf ‘Vixen’ WELS 4-star 7.5L/min retractable sink mixer in White, $337, I/N: 5003372†. Sunfresh velvet clothes hangers, $3.30/pack of 10, I/N: 4510670. Towel, Bed Bath N’ Table, bedbathntable.com.au. All other products, stylist’s own.

50 Update it

chosen to match, with walls in Dulux Lexicon and Porter’s Paints Dusty Mule. The team lifted the light quota by installing a solar skylight in the ceiling, LED strip lighting under the cabinets and painting a partially glazed door bright white.

All systems go With direct access to the outdoors, the laundry operates as a mud room, catching the sports gear, muddy shoes and wet clothes that Dave and Lisa’s boys shed as they come in. Putting in place systems and accessible storage to cater for this makes the space work harder. “Because they’re such a busy family with so many activities, it’s not realistic to have everything hidden away all the time,” says Lucy. A series of tubs under the bench are a handy solution, forming a permanent home for items like sports shoes and equipment.

Hide and seek Some products – such as washing powder and pet food – are used often enough to earn a permanent position on the benchtop, but these practical items needn’t detract from the overall look. “Frequently used items that need to be on your benchtop will be visible – display these items with both style and practicality in mind,” suggests Lucy. Decanting into jars – actually repurposed and neatly labelled glass planters – was the simple but effective solution.

Elsewhere, every inch of cabinet space has been utilised for savvy storage: clips keep brooms off the floor of the tall cupboard, the backs of cabinet doors are fitted with baskets and hooks, and pull-out bins hold bulky bags of pet food. ◆

Extensive bench space creates lots of room to sort and fold washing

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Porter’s Dusty Mule

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1 Ezylite 450mm x 450mm solar skylight kit in Cool White, $336, I/N: 0811214. 2 Forme ‘Daytona’ 6 bar round heated towel rail, $99, I/N: 0103762. Accord 30cm x 10cm louvred metal floor vent in Charcoal, $13.83, I/N: 0810861. 3 Hume ‘Glass Opening’ 2040mm x 820mm x 40mm clear external door, $391, I/N: 1970804†, painted in Taubmans ‘All Weather’ semi gloss exterior paint in White, $41.30/1L, I/N: 0079552. Lemaar ‘Calida’ entrance set in Satin Chrome, $53, I/N: 4090623. Hakuna Pets medium deluxe aluminium pet door in White, $99, I/N: 3962393. (On broom cupboard) Taskmaster 160mm ½ round handle in Matt Black, $6.28, I/N: 0132800. 4 Kaboodle 20L soft close kitchen waste bin, $163/set of 2, I/N: 2669883. All other products, stylist’s own. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered. A double slideout kitchen bin system is the perfect solution for pet food storage SAFETY TIP

Before drilling into walls, use a studfinder to check for wiring and pipework, and turn off the power while working

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Lots of built-in storage keeps this thoroughfare to the outdoors tidy and clear of floor clutter

Watch it!

Tune into episode 4 of Make It Happen to see how the whole laundry was transformed: youtube.com/bunningswarehouse

The tesa ‘Loxx’ range has sleek modern lines that bring a fresh and minimalist look

Bathroom makeovers made easy

Geneva Vanderzeil’s secret for a hassle-free and stylish bathroom makeover? tesa’s innovative bathroom accessory range

Without a doubt, sleek accessories are the unsung heroes of a stylish and functional bathroom, and even the most dowdy space can be given a new lease of life with refreshed towel rails, wall hooks and shelving.

But in the past, updating your bathroom accessories meant using either suction accessories that can be prone to falling off the wall, or mechanical fixings that require you to drill into the tiles, both of which aren’t ideal options.

Enter tesa’s range of high-quality bathroom products. These use a patented German mounting technology that fixes to your walls permanently, but is also removable without a trace, making it perfect for renters and instant bathroom transformations. tesa’s accessories are so easy to install, of the best quality, and require no tools, no suction technology and no drilling, meaning anyone can use them and you can refresh your space in just a few hours.

STEP 1

Prep your surface by wiping with an alcohol-based cleaner.

STEP 2

tesa ‘Loxx’ towel ring, $30, I/N: 0126748

Remove the sticker backing from the adapter. Position it on the wall where you want the accessory to sit.

STEP 3

Apply the adhesive by inserting the tip into the hole in the adapter and squeezing. Let the glue dry for 12 hours.

STEP 4

Using the hex key, open the screw in the base of the accessory, then fit the base onto the adapter. Use the hex key to tighten the screw to secure the accessory in place. It’s that easy! To complete your bathroom refresh, just add textiles, plants and some storage baskets and you’ve got a picture-perfect space.

If you need to move or update the accessory, simply remove it by rotating the mounting adapter clockwise with a pipe wrench or jaw pliers.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4