Wash, Rinse and Play in This Multipurpose Laundry Room
The sunny workspace in South Carolina has room for kids’ arts and crafts, and makes laundry chores a bit less tedious
A North Charleston, South Carolina, family wanted to refurbish their expansive laundry room and make better use of the space, so they created a toddler-friendly place for the kids — plus a hidden litter box.
Before. The original room had exterior vinyl siding on the walls and old, stained carpet — “It still gives me chills looking at it!” Melanie says. It also had an exterior door, which the couple removed. “We wanted to do something to detract from the old windows, so we added the faux shiplap on the walls and trim to the windows to give them some dimension and keep them from looking so flimsy until we can replace them with new ones.”
After. They removed the existing carpet and replaced it with laminate flooring that blends in with the rest of the flooring in the house. The flooring came from Melanie’s father, who had the materials left over from a project he worked on.
The couple also had extra cherry butcher block countertops and an unused cabinet from their kitchen remodel, so they used them in this space as well. The cabinet conceals a litter box for the family’s two cats. The couple left a gap between the cabinet and the wall and cut an opening on the side of the cabinet so the cats could get in and out.
The couple also had extra cherry butcher block countertops and an unused cabinet from their kitchen remodel, so they used them in this space as well. The cabinet conceals a litter box for the family’s two cats. The couple left a gap between the cabinet and the wall and cut an opening on the side of the cabinet so the cats could get in and out.
Melanie says the window-wrapped room provides lots of light and a warm ambiance that helps make doing laundry feel like less of a chore. The butcher block countertops provide a workspace for folding. “The girls like to try to help when I do laundry. It’s not always that helpful, but I’ll take what I can get!” she says with laugh.
Cherry butcher block: Lumber Liquidators
Cherry butcher block: Lumber Liquidators
The couple have two daughters, Penelope, 4, and Lucy, 2, who use the room to do arts and crafts, store their stuffed animals and play with their “kitchen.”
Melanie bought the girls a play kitchen set for Christmas because their favorite game is to “play restaurant.” She then found the matching shelf and nightstand on Craigslist, each from a different seller. To add a personalized DIY touch, Melanie and her husband cut a hole in the top of the nightstand for a sink and added knobs and a round corkboard trivet to make it look like a stove.
Melanie bought the girls a play kitchen set for Christmas because their favorite game is to “play restaurant.” She then found the matching shelf and nightstand on Craigslist, each from a different seller. To add a personalized DIY touch, Melanie and her husband cut a hole in the top of the nightstand for a sink and added knobs and a round corkboard trivet to make it look like a stove.
Melanie keeps the nearby play table stocked with a roll of paper and lots of colored pencils for doodling. “It’s their little crafting area, and it’s usually covered in sequins and glitter,” Melanie says.
Mala tabletop paper holder: Ikea
Mala tabletop paper holder: Ikea
The room includes the perfect amount of space for storage, functionality and play.
Cabinet: Nadeau; stool: Page’s Thieves Market
Cabinet: Nadeau; stool: Page’s Thieves Market
The tall cabinet that sits in the corner by the kitchen setup is a handy spot to store toys and art supplies. “It’s really nice to be able to contain or corral things in the playroom without going up and down the stairs to their bedrooms,” Melanie says.
Melanie’s interest in cuckoo clocks is on display here as well. It started when she was decorating Penelope’s nursery.
The first clock was a gift from her mother. “I fell in love with the vintage clock but felt like it wasn’t big enough to fill the wall space,” she says. Then, one day while strolling the Charleston farmers market, she came across this print of a retro clock, then found another cuckoo clock-shaped piece on Etsy. She decided to hang the three pieces in this space.
The first clock was a gift from her mother. “I fell in love with the vintage clock but felt like it wasn’t big enough to fill the wall space,” she says. Then, one day while strolling the Charleston farmers market, she came across this print of a retro clock, then found another cuckoo clock-shaped piece on Etsy. She decided to hang the three pieces in this space.
The multipurpose space’s proximity to the living room is also a bonus.
Melanie says she loves the openness between the girls’ playroom and the rest of the house. She can work on projects or take some time out on the couch while they’re still nearby.
“Now that they’re a little older they love to play by themselves, so it’s nice to read a book on the couch and get a bit of relaxing time but still catch glimpses of them playing and listen to them.”
More
Tour the rest of this house
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
How to Organize Your Laundry Room
Other Resources on Houzz
Find an interior designer
Browse laundry room and housekeeping products
“Now that they’re a little older they love to play by themselves, so it’s nice to read a book on the couch and get a bit of relaxing time but still catch glimpses of them playing and listen to them.”
More
Tour the rest of this house
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
How to Organize Your Laundry Room
Other Resources on Houzz
Find an interior designer
Browse laundry room and housekeeping products
Who lives here: Kevin and Melanie Kiernicki; their daughters Penelope and Lucy; and their dog and two cats
Location: Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 80 square feet (7.4 square meters)
A laundry room renovation was one of the first big projects Kevin and Melanie Kiernicki tackled after they purchased their 1930 Colonial in North Charleston. “It felt like a bad addition,” Melanie says.
In renovating, they decided to make the most of the space and give it a dual purpose. “It was such a big space it felt like a waste for it to be just a laundry room,” Melanie says. “And since it’s just off the living room, we decided to make it a play space for the girls as well.”