Lana, Bonnie and Erin of Three Birds Renovations have created their fair share of dream laundries. “Gone are the days that the laundry is the small, damp room relegated to a dark corner of the house,” says Lana.
Here we look at two laundries designed by the talented trio as part of their ‘Australian Staycation’ project, home of their head designer and long-time friend, Louisa. Each of Louisa’s laundries needed to be as functional and beautiful; a brief the Three Birds have nailed. Each room is “gorgeous to look at and functions fabulously too,” says Bonnie.
The first laundry, located in the main house, is designed to withstand family living. It is functional and beautiful, with handmade ceramic tiles, sleek custom cabinetry and, most importantly, plenty of storage. The second laundry, located in the property’s pool house, maximises both space and style.
Here are 7 design elements that make these laundries so successful.
The Main House laundry
1. Choosing the right appliances
While there is a lot to love about this laundry, highlights of the design include the “laundromat chic” bank of two washers and two dryers surrounded by an entire wall of storage and custom cabinetry. “With two busy boys and a builder husband, Louisa’s laundry pile isn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” says Bonnie. “Four machines means she can do double the amount and separate colours at the same time to make doing the laundry a breeze.”
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2. Elevating the machines
You’ll also notice that the machines have been slightly elevated off the floor. “We love this idea because it means there’s no need to bend down to the ground to easily access the appliances, especially when you’re tall like the homeowner,” says Bonnie. As for washing machine shakes, the Birds have thought of that too. “Each machine sits in its own cubby hole which is optimal for securing the appliance in place so it won’t move around.”
3. Creating a place for everything
But this laundry offers more than just good looks. “We literally added as much storage as possible,” says Erin. The room’s functional items are all neatly tucked away behind the cabinetry, custom built by Carrera by Design.
“The Electrolux washers and dryers are built into a wall of cabinets, the washing baskets pull out like drawers, there are cupboards for the ironing board and vacuum cleaner and there’s even a sneaky built-in pop-out washing rack to dry your delicates,” says Erin.
4. Selecting feature tiles
The floor tiles, which Lana calls “her fave tiles ever,” also serve multiple purposes. “The combo of mosaic stars and crosses is to die for,” says Lana, adding, “They feel textured and old-worldly under bare feet and won’t show up dirty footprints coming in from the garden.”
5. Going big on bench space
“There’s bench space aplenty,” says Erin. “We chose the stunning Talostone Calacatta Gold to make it look pretty too. It has the classic look of Calacatta marble with an antique white background and subtle golden veins throughout which tie in perfectly with the brass gold handles and tapware.”
The pool house laundry
The pool house laundry may occupy a small footprint, but it’s big on style. “When you can’t have it all, a Euro laundry is the perfect solution for a fully functional laundry,” says Bonnie.
6. Prioritising ventilation
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners can make when designing a compact laundry is to forget about ventilation. “An exhaust fan is ideal to ventilate your Euro laundry and if you can open a window within the space – even better!”
7. Putting storage everywhere
Laundry storage is always a top priority, even if you’re working with limited space. “In the pool house, we added an extra shelf above the washer and dryer that is great for additional storage for items that don’t need to be accessed every day,” says Erin.
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