Laundry

This cupboard laundry achieves style and practicality in a small space

Article by Your Home and Garden

A small space renovation gave this family of five a stylish cupboard laundry that met all their needs in terms of storage, bench space and functionality

Meet + greet

Becky Lewis, 38 (full-time mum with a background in interior design), Greg Lewis, 40 (national engineering manager), Levi, 9, Finn, 7, and Indiana, 3.

Why have you installed a new laundry? The laundry was originally housed in a small cupboard. Initially, it was fine, but once we had children the laundry was too small and wasn’t functional.

How did you carve out a bigger space for the laundry? Originally there was a cupboard, hallway and a powder room. We made the three small spaces into one room, relocated a door and put in a cavity slider.

What was your brief? I wanted a space that was nice to be in when doing the laundry. It needed to have things the old laundry didn’t have, like bench space, storage and a sink. It needed to function well and meet the needs of a family of five.

cupboard laundry

How long did the process take? It took far longer than we’d imagined! There were unexpected delays with the cabinetry. Once the laundry was installed, finding someone to tile the splashback was challenging!

Where did you look for inspiration for your design? The inspiration came from the limits of the space, and from the rest of our house. I wanted the splashback to be something that made you smile when you opened the doors.

How did you decide on the colour palette, tiles and finishes? The colour palette and finishes are in keeping with the rest of our house.

cupboard laundry

Any tips on designing a good laundry layout? Take the time to think about how you want to use the space and what will work for your needs.

What flooring did you choose and why? We used matai flooring to match the existing floors.

What material is your benchtop? We used a laminate benchtop. The laundry is hidden behind doors so laminate was a practical option.

What’s your advice when choosing tradespeople? Ask for references and, where possible, the contact details of previous clients.

Honesty box

What do you love most about your new laundry? The tiles! I love them. And the dirty-washing baskets hidden away in the drawer.

Budget

Did you use existing plumbing to help minimise costs? The laundry is in the same location, so any plumbing work was minimal.

Did you reuse any of the old fittings or have you purchased everything new? We reused our existing appliances but everything else is new. We’re planning to add a drying cabinet, which gently dries clothes.

Where have you saved? We saved money by having a laminate benchtop, reusing existing appliances and matching the existing flooring.

Total spend: $13,350