When we were designing this house Katie (my SIL) and I both really wanted it to be easy to maintain and clean. While minimalism is currently not as en vogue, when it comes to utilitarian spaces that tend to attract life clutter and kid stuff I’m still a big fan of keeping them sparse enough to maneuver easily, and visually simple. Keep the chaos to a minimum. This laundry room checks all the boxes they need, although a smaller footprint. It’s on the bedroom floor and is where the bulk of their clothes and bedding will be washed. It also has a pocket door that can be shut when guests are over because trust me – it doesn’t always look like this.
We chose the most soothing and refreshing blue tone called Eventide by Sherwin-Williams. I’d say it’s powder blue without any of the “baby” vibes to it (it’s actually what I wish I could change my bedroom to be painted). The room is pretty much drenched in that color on the cabinets and the walls. The layout is pretty simple – a large capacity washer/dryer on one side, a sink, and lots of storage for linens and cleaning supplies.
Art (vintage) | Clothing Rack (similar) | Floor Basket (similar) | Runner
We toyed with wallpapering that wall a lot but ultimately decided to keep it simple and just style it (with a vintage Oregon map and a wood clothes dryer).
We did the same groove treatment to the cabinets as the mudroom (like its little, bluer sister) and then I found these affordable handles on Etsy that have both light wood and brass that pop off them nicely.
I ordered both knobs, handles, and really long closet handles for the bigger cabinets.
Stone | Woven Tray | White Vase (similar) | Glass Canisters | Wood Hangers
The stone is from Caesarstone and we went with Organic White in here which has some movement (so hard to see in the photos!) and isn’t a pure white, but doesn’t look like faux marble. We took it up the backsplash to keep it simple since we had a ton of overage from the slab.
We styled it with cute stuff on the countertops, but in reality, they stay pretty clear for room to fold and actually do the laundry.
The Kohler sink and faucet (Purist) sit inside the cabinets and gives more of a utilitarian vibe. Big fan of this look (I did it in the OG Portland project laundry room, too!).
We used a simple wood dowel and a closet rod end kit for the hanging rod. In my experience, these don’t get a ton of play, but I like them mostly for my blouses to pull out before they get wrinkled, immediately hanging them up. Also, clearly it’s a good alt for airy drying clothes.
I love the polished nickel in here with the blue – brass could have looked great, but that shiny silver is just so pretty.
On the other side we have a longer linen closet (they have a universal vacuum in the house, so no need for a large vacuum or mop closet). It’s an incredible amount of storage for junk, tools, cleaning supplies, etc.
Clock | Wood Tray | Wood Box (similar) | Planter (similar) | Art (unavailable) | Mauve Towels | White Towel | Laundry Basket | Switchplates
We left an area open for the laundry basket to roll into and that 3 bushel industrial canvas and leather bin is perfect for it. We styled it all out with cute things on the countertop, but again this is such a hardworking space that the countertop is mostly for stacking stuff and mating socks.
It turned out to be such a fresh and simple space, not a lot of bells and whistles but hardworking and really easy to keep clean. Please note our pretty rug from our last collection – really great for these types of spaces – soft since it’s woven with some wool, but still utilitarian. Now just picture the pile of clothes on the floor 🙂 Everything is linked below:
Laundry Room Resources:
Flooring: Stuga
Paint Color: Eventide by Sherwin-Williams
Switchplates: Rejuvenation
Countertops/Backsplash: Caesarstone
Utility Sink/Plumbing: Kohler
Faucet: Kohler
Washer and Dryer: Electrolux
Handles and Knobs: Etsy
Runner: RugsUSA
*Architect: Anne Usher
**General Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Custom Construction
***Interior Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey
****Styling: Emily Henderson (me!)
*****Photos by Kaitlin Green
