Iron It Out! Storage Solutions for the Ironing Board
3 Helpful Tips On How To Make Space for this Household Essential
An ironing board is a household essential that's often forgotten about when designing a home. "Ironing boards are one of those necessary evils, like vacuums, toilet brushes and buckets," says designer Jamie Herzlinger. "They're just constantly overlooked." Instead of shoving your clunky ironing board behind a washer or in a closet, try following these three simple tips from four pros: Hide it, hang it, or decorate it!
Cabinet hideaway ironing boards don't have to be installed in the laundry room either. Since they're hidden away in an attractive cabinet, you can choose the location that fits your home and lifestyle best, and install the ironing board there. When it's not in use, simply fold it up and close the door — no one will ever know that it's there! The hideaway ironing board featured above was found at NuTone.
Jamie Herzlinger had a cabinet built in this laundry room to match the laundry cabinetry. She used a full-sized ironing board from Iron Away. The great thing about this type of cabinet is that when you buy it, you can face it with your own material to match the rest of the room, so the ironing station is seamless with the rest of the room’s design.
Drawer hideaway ironing boards are another space-saving solution that requires even less space than a cabinet ironing station. This closet designer had a pull-out ironing board installed in a closet drawer for last minute touch ups. A similar model is sold through Rev-A-Shelf.
This designer opted to keep the ironing board in the laundry room. Its simple and clean design helps keep this room (and its gorgeous cabinetry) looking spotless.
If you’re a renter — or simply don’t have the right kind of set up — sometimes doing a hideaway board isn’t really the best option. Try investing in a smaller ironing board that’s easier to hide, but not any more difficult to use.
If you’re a renter — or simply don’t have the right kind of set up — sometimes doing a hideaway board isn’t really the best option. Try investing in a smaller ironing board that’s easier to hide, but not any more difficult to use.
2. Hang it. If a lack of storage is an issue, interior designer Nicole Lanteri suggests looking no further than your laundry room door. “Over the door is always my go-to for anything,” she says. “Look for doors you haven’t thought of yet. My ironing board is over the door in the closet with my water heater. There’s just enough room for it there.”
Here, Janet Grubb, author of I Heart My Glue Gun, came up with a cute and convenient way to hang her iron on her laundry room door.
Here, Janet Grubb, author of I Heart My Glue Gun, came up with a cute and convenient way to hang her iron on her laundry room door.
3. Decorate it. Julie Holloway came up with an even simpler solution. She didn’t want to deal with the muss and fuss of installing new hooks or cabinetry to store her ironing board. So instead, she decided to embrace it! One cute ironing board cover later, and it looks perfect in her adorable laundry room — tucked away, but still visible.
Lanteri suggests looking into getting a custom iron cover made. "You can get a custom cover with your favorite fabric without spending a lot of money," she says. "Hang the board on cute black and white hooks from somewhere like Anthropologie. It will actually add to your decor, rather than detract!"
Next: Products to spruce up your ironing station.
Next: Products to spruce up your ironing station.
PRESSA Ironing board cover
These adorable ironing board covers from IKEA come in a pack of 4, with colors and styles suited for virtually any home. These are easy to clean and maintain, and are a quick, simple solution to spice up an unattractive ironing board.
Peacock Feathers Ironing Board Cover
If you want something a little more unique, try searching Etsy. This Etsy seller specializes solely in covers for ironing boards, and has everything from a bold teal and pink peacock feather pattern, to a more subtle Marimekko-like poppy cover.
Hide-Away Ironing Board with Sleeve Board
Although installing a cabinet hideaway ironing board looks like a high-end job, it can actually be a fairly easy process. This recessed model has a swivel board and a door that can mount on the left or the right side. It comes with all the screws needed to install. With a little elbow grease, a piece like this will end up looking like an integrated part of your home.
More ideas:
10 Tips for Making Your Laundry Room Better
Laundry Rooms That Put the “Fun” in “Functional”
More ideas:
10 Tips for Making Your Laundry Room Better
Laundry Rooms That Put the “Fun” in “Functional”
Design a new laundry room that meets your needs — in style