It’s one of the hardest-working rooms in your home – but that doesn’t mean it has to be completely utilitarian! Take inspiration from the distinctive laundry rooms on the next few pages. Then get the look with our pick of appliances, hampers, storage solutions and decorative accents to personalize your space. Who knows? You may end up loving laundry day!


Photography Monic Richard

Cottage casual
“Sometimes paint and imagination are more than enough to create a wonderful space,” says designer Kathy McAuley, who pulled together this rustic laundry room located in a guest cabin about 50' from the main house on Quebec’s Brome Lake. The look is inspired by the same cheeriness and no-fuss decorating approach as the rest of the cabin, resulting in a room that’s as fresh as a breath of country air.

Storage smarts
Two long wall shelves plus a narrow one backing the washer and dryer offer plenty of storage for accessories. Baskets and small pails in a variety of shapes corral supplies and define the country look.

Ideas to steal

• Kathy painted the original pine board flooring using Corrostop paint (tinted Benjamin Moore Cloud White CC-40). It contains polyurethane, giving the floor shine to reflect sunlight.
• The walls and ceiling are pine board, painted pale blue and warm white. Only one coat was used so the knots would be visible.

Photography by Robin Stubbert

For active families
Refined and functional define this handsome, hardworking Lake Rosseau cottage mud/ laundry room. Designed and built by architect Ian Maclaren of Hicks Partners in Oakville, Ont., and Hugh Smith of Forest Hill Fine Homes in Port Carling, Ont., the room is accessible from outdoors, so dirty towels and clothes can bypass the main living area after a day spent in the sun. The reclaimed hemlock floors, large casement windows and dramatic navy and white custom cabinetry make it easy to forget you’re in a “work” space.

Storage smarts
Cabinets below the sink and above the washer/dryer (plus full-height cupboards and a large refrigerator on the opposite wall) make it possible to store a summer’s worth of supplies – a must when you’re on an island.

Ideas to steal

• The cabinet above the washer/dryer was designed with a fold-out drying rack that can easily handle hang-to-dry-only laundry.
• An extra-deep stainless sink makes it easy to fill large buckets.
• The owners wanted a gas dryer for doing large loads of bedsheets and towels quickly and to lessen reliance on electricity, especially during power outages on the island.

Photography by Virginia Macdonald

For europhiles
Designer Catherine Hoffmann was raised in a 17th-century hunting lodge in Portugal, so it’s no surprise that the laundry room in her Knowlton, Que., farmhouse looks like it’s right out of the European countryside. Exposed beams, terra-cotta floors and an aged wood door set the stage. Retro design details like a vintage drying rack, curtained sink and painted wrought-iron brackets leave no doubt as to the inspiration for this wonderfully rustic room.

Storage smarts
Bracketed wall shelves with vintage-style canisters hold small essentials, while larger items can be tucked out of sight under the sink. The wooden rack above is perfect for drip-drying.

Ideas to steal

• The extra-large stainless sink was a factory sink that Catherine camouflaged with yellow-and-white fabric left over from decorating the adjacent kitchen.
• Catherine chose a Bosch washer and dryer for their quintessential European styling. Side by side, they provide a surface for folding towels.