Room of the Day: Cheerful and Bright Laundry Room in Toronto
A new layout makes efficient use of a spacious room for hanging, folding and ironing clothes — and washing dogs
Interior designer Cynthia Soda knew the issues with this laundry room all too well because she grew up in this house. In addition to a seriously awkward layout, it had green tile counters with pink grout. When her parents were finally ready for a remodel, they gave her full freedom in the design. “My mom said she wanted ‘an eclectic-modern-retro-vintage-cheerful laundry,’ ” Soda says. “I said, ‘Mom, that’s not a thing, those are just a bunch of words linked together,’ but I tried to hit each one of those words in the design.”
As for eclectic, Soda used a lively 8-by-8-inch hexagonal floor tile in a black-and-white patchwork pattern. “My parents were totally down for this, and they appreciate high contrast,” she says.
Before, there was a door to the driveway where the window now is. “The washer and dryer were on either side of this door, and for some reason, they faced each other,” Soda says. “It was a very awkward layout.”
Because her parents never used that door, she replaced it with the window, which let her take advantage of all the square footage with a layout that made sense. “A lot of people have doors they never use. It’s wonderful when you can get rid of it and reclaim useful space,” Soda says.
Wall color: Chantilly Lace OC-65, Benjamin Moore; cabinet color: Gossamer Blue 2123-40, Benjamin Moore; cabinets: Colclo Custom Woodworking; appliances: Duet, Whirlpool; floor tile: St-Barth 8-by-8-inch hexagon, Céragrès
Before, there was a door to the driveway where the window now is. “The washer and dryer were on either side of this door, and for some reason, they faced each other,” Soda says. “It was a very awkward layout.”
Because her parents never used that door, she replaced it with the window, which let her take advantage of all the square footage with a layout that made sense. “A lot of people have doors they never use. It’s wonderful when you can get rid of it and reclaim useful space,” Soda says.
Wall color: Chantilly Lace OC-65, Benjamin Moore; cabinet color: Gossamer Blue 2123-40, Benjamin Moore; cabinets: Colclo Custom Woodworking; appliances: Duet, Whirlpool; floor tile: St-Barth 8-by-8-inch hexagon, Céragrès
Soda worked in cozy bed cubbies for Bella and Eddie, her parents’ pups. The cabinets above hold all of the dogs’ food, toys, shampoo and other supplies.
This second window was existing, but a sink had stood where the built-ins are now. Soda moved the sink next to the appliances to make room for these hardworking pantry cabinets, which she sized to accommodate the ironing board. With the new layout, there’s plenty of room to iron in here.
This second window was existing, but a sink had stood where the built-ins are now. Soda moved the sink next to the appliances to make room for these hardworking pantry cabinets, which she sized to accommodate the ironing board. With the new layout, there’s plenty of room to iron in here.
Now the sink is conveniently located for pretreating stains and hand-washing. It’s also deep enough for bathing dogs.
Soda hung the rod over the machines extra high to accommodate longer dresses and skirts. “We were in the retail business, so we already had a long grab bar for hanging clothing up that high,” she says. Of course, before bathing the dogs, they make sure they don’t have any clothes hanging overhead!
Sink: 400779 Practika laundry-utility sink with built-in washboard in stainless steel, Blanco; light fixture: Glendora 14259/4, Supreme Lighting
Soda hung the rod over the machines extra high to accommodate longer dresses and skirts. “We were in the retail business, so we already had a long grab bar for hanging clothing up that high,” she says. Of course, before bathing the dogs, they make sure they don’t have any clothes hanging overhead!
Sink: 400779 Practika laundry-utility sink with built-in washboard in stainless steel, Blanco; light fixture: Glendora 14259/4, Supreme Lighting
Another retro touch is the choice of pillow-front cabinetry, which Soda mixed with on-trend brushed-brass hardware in a modern streamlined shape. The pleasing blue hits the “cheerful” her mother wanted. So do the white tongue-and-groove walls, which bring the popular shiplap look in a cleaner, more modern way.
Cabinet hardware: Lew’s Dolin Bar Series in Brushed Brass, Upper Canada Specialty Hardware
Cabinet hardware: Lew’s Dolin Bar Series in Brushed Brass, Upper Canada Specialty Hardware
Soda mixed metals in the sink area, with champagne bronze for the faucet and stainless steel for the bowl. “For the [marble] countertops we just wanted an easy solution that wouldn’t take away from anything else,” she says. “I just went to my local stone place and asked them what they had that was easy and readily available.”
Trinsic single-handle pull-down kitchen faucet in Champagne Bronze, Delta; countertops: Cashmere Carrara, Simplex Marble & Granite
Trinsic single-handle pull-down kitchen faucet in Champagne Bronze, Delta; countertops: Cashmere Carrara, Simplex Marble & Granite
Before, the room had no workable counter space. Now there’s plenty of room to seperate and fold. There’s also scads of storage space for non-laundry-related items like cleaning supplies. “Actually, my parents are redoing their kitchen now, so it’s really convenient for them to have all of this extra cabinet space for dishes while they complete construction,” Soda says.
“My parents were always super supportive when I was growing up, letting me design my room however I wanted. But my sisters kept questioning everything I was doing in here,” she says. “When it was all done, everyone loved it. This was an exercise in trust.”
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“My parents were always super supportive when I was growing up, letting me design my room however I wanted. But my sisters kept questioning everything I was doing in here,” she says. “When it was all done, everyone loved it. This was an exercise in trust.”
More
Trending Now: 15 Laundry Rooms Packed With Storage Ideas
Browse more laundry room stories
Laundry Room of the Day
What happens here: Stain removing, rinsing, spinning, drying, fluffing, folding, hanging, ironing, dog washing
Location: Just outside Toronto
Size: 76 square feet (7.1 square meters)
Designer: Cynthia Soda
To hit “vintage,” Soda found a funky laundry room decal for the door on Etsy and used a classic crystal knob. The frosted glass on the door adds a more modern touch.