Loads of Style
A designer puts a new spin on her laundry room
Small Laundry Room, Big Style
When it comes to remodeling smaller rooms, designer Kathy Ann Abell has a theory—the tinier the space, the more fun to be had. And that theory holds true in one of her latest home projects: her laundry room.
“When we built our house 30 years ago, I wanted my laundry room to be a part of my living space—close to the kitchen and easy to access,” she says.
“First, I began with the layout of the room. We expanded the linen closet by about 3 feet, so that the space became more useful. Then we added in counter space above the washer and dryer.”
Because this is a smaller room, Kathy decided to go with simple, patterned Schumacher wallpaper. The tiny blue flowers add color and whimsy while the cabinets and window trim, painted in Sherwin-Williams Naval, also add tones of navy.
“Blue is a featured color throughout my home,” Kathy explains, “so I carried it over into this space to tie everything together.”
Finally, to create a current feel, she chose gold hardware, which adds a little twinkle to the room and a slightly modern edge.
Before!
Keeping right along the same line, she also chose a marble herringbone floor.
“It’s fresh, bright, and easy to clean—that’s what I call a win-win,” Kathy says.
“It took me a long time to finally take the plunge and whip this laundry room into shape,” she admits, “but I love the final outcome. This space is now more useful and more beautiful. I figure, if I’ve got to do laundry, I might as well do it in a pretty space.”
Photography by Shannon Novak
It’s Small Spaces Week! We’ll be sharing our best stories, tips, tricks and ideas for making the most out of small spaces, and we want to see yours! Whether it’s your kitchen storage or a tiny house, we want to hear all about it. We’ll feature some of our favorites. Tag us on instagram and use our #SDsmallspaces hashtag!
