Handy ideas to make your laundry renovation easier

Most people have relegated their laundry renovation to the bottom of the makeover list. They see it as the last room that needs doing. This doesn’t have to be the case, thanks to some clever ideas.

The beauty of the laundry is that it's normally a smaller space with far less in it than a bathroom or kitchen. Renovating it should be easier and quicker.

With minimal effort, you can transform your laundry into a lovely contemporary space that's functional and a pleasure to be in. Maybe now could be the best time to do it.

The first things to consider when you're renovating your laundry

As you may know already, the best way to save money is keeping to the same plumbing configuration, using the existing location of power points, and not changing the doorway width or position. This means there's no need for any structural work, there's less disruption, you'll eliminate the cost of extra labour and the job gets done quicker.

An important point to remember is if you have an old home which needs restumping, then now is the time to do it, before any renovations. This is a large expense but crucial in the entire scheme of updating your home. With rotting timber stumps, it could damage your renovations and cause more work and heavy costs.

If there's no need for restumping, you can get on with gutting the room.

Gutting the room yourself can save you money

A space as small as the laundry is easier to gut than most other spaces in your home. You can normally do it yourself. It won't take as long because there's not as much in the laundry to take out.

Once you’ve emptied the space, you’ll know immediately if you want to re-tile or not. If you have old, tired looking tiles, then re-tiling would probably be a good step. Now is definitely the time to do it, before you put in new cupboards. That way if you want to change cupboards down the track there’s no footprint to match.

If your laundry tiling extends into an adjoining room, it's still worth re-tiling it now. You can do the makeover in stages, if you’re happy to live in a space that’s a work in progress. You can re-tile the laundry now, and the adjoining room down the track, when you’re ready to take on that room. A good tip is to buy enough tiles for both rooms now.

During your laundry renovation it’s your chance to create more storage space

Now that it’s an empty room, step back and consider what will go where. Obviously, the washing machine will be in the same position, but maybe this time it can be stored inside a tall cupboard with the dryer on top of the washing machine. That’s easy.

All you need is a hole saw to create circular holes in the back of the new cupboards for the tap hoses and power cords. That way the washing machine and dryer are out of view, and the space is beautifully free of clutter.

A matching cupboard beside this could be perfect for the broom, sponge mop, ironing board, even your vacuum cleaner.

A bench with a large modern trough gives you abundant space for laundry tasks. High rise mixer taps or goose neck pull out spray mixers are the perfect addition. They can give you even more room to move under the taps to do tasks at the trough. If you have room for a longer bench, the additional underbench storage comes in very handy.

Overhead wall mounted cupboards create additional storage space above the laundry basin. Cupboards that reach the ceiling mean there’s no dust trap, reducing the amount of cleaning.

A modular laundry can be the solution

Another easy option for fitting out your laundry is buying a modular laundry. Usually you can arrange it in a configuration that caters for existing plumbing.

With modular laundries, the designers have thought of all the space saving ideas already, and have provided creative layouts for tallboys, overhead cupboards, bench space, trough, incorporating the washing machine and dryer as well.

This can save you a lot of work on your laundry renovation. It provides a wonderful solution for the laundry and all you need to do is get it installed, which DIYers often do themselves.

Colours are important no matter what room you’re renovating

You’ll already know how colours play a major part in the mood of a space, and the laundry is just as important as any other room. A good tip is using colours that make you feel happy being the laundry.

Here are some colours and the moods they can create:

• Whites create a feeling of brightness and hygiene
• Light pastels are joyful colours, with a feeling of gentleness, softness and calming
• Yellows are vibrant and warm, and associated with happiness and sunshine
• Timbers and lighter browns give an earthy feel
• Blacks convey a sense of power and sophistication
• Bold colours make a statement that's loud, energetic and confident

The one thing to remember doing a laundry renovation, is to try and enjoy the journey.

The Bathware Direct difference

Bathware Direct have all the products you need for a laundry, bathroom, or kitchen makeover.

There are literally thousands of products, including tapware, storage and complete modular laundries such as the super-functional Modular Laundry System 3 from Timberline.

Along with that, Bathware Direct have the best prices and offer an enjoyable customer experience.

PLUS - there's prompt delivery.

For the best range of quality bathroom products, at the best prices, it's got to be Bathware Direct.