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Tips to revamp your laundry room
09:42 (GMT+2), Fri, 20 July 2012

Most people spend five to seven hours a week in their laundry rooms, yet these spaces are often drab, dull and uninviting. Make yours part of the home by taking tips from three successful setups. You may find yourself a little less hesitant to do the washing.

LIFESTYLE NEWS - Most people spend five to seven hours a week in their laundry rooms, yet these spaces are often drab, dull and uninviting. Make yours part of the home by taking tips from three successful setups. You may find yourself a little less hesitant to do the washing.

Here's how to make your laundry room more inviting!
Evaluate your laundry room and ask if a new floor plan is needed.

When rethinking space, evaluate your current appliances. Consider the longevity of your washer and dryer. Today's models conserve energy and time, including dryers that eliminate the need to pretreat laundry and that adjust cycle lengths to compensate for dampness.

Choose between open or closed storage. Laundry rooms need storage because they often act as a household's drop-off point. Include adequate storage in your planning. Cleaning agents and other accessories are easily accessible in cabinets above the washer and dryer.

Continue your home's decorating scheme into the laundry. This combination transforms the laundry room into a seamless continuation of the home.

Add ample lighting.

Ceramic tile stands up to high traffic. With damp and dirty clothes in the area, a tile floor is the perfect option. Not only do ceramic tiles offer resistance to damp clothing or towels on the floor, but they also help conceal dirt.

Spruce up small areas with bold colour

Bring outdoor lights in for an interesting twist on lighting.

Add an open shelf.

Conceal the unsightly with corrugated aluminium. Try wrapping a sheet of aluminium around the front of an insulated water heater. Leave the back open to allow air circulation. The silvery aluminium makes a nice counterpoint to chrome lights.

Give the laundry room a new floor. You can floor a laundry room in one afternoon with a single box of self-adhesive vinyl tile squares.

Install a hideaway ironing board. When space is an issue, think about including a wall-mounted ironing board. You can even paint it to match.

Paint the walls. Paint is the quickest way to change the look of any room, especially a basement or garage. To paint concrete, clean walls with soap and water, and rinse completely; let walls dry. Apply a waterproof sealer to the entire area, and let dry. Paint walls the desired colour, and enjoy the quick results.

Conceal concrete walls with tile board. Basement laundry rooms often feel dark, damp, and scary.

Refinish worn garage or basement windows. Clean up unsightly basement windows by painting frames and sills and installing new trim.