HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM

by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Dec 7, 2017 | Interior Design

Laundry rooms are on of my favourite spaces to design. I’m not sure if it’s because they are often dark and dingy neglected spaces where storage items go to die (anyone remember what my laundry room used to look like?!), or if it’s because it’s an area where so much care happens for a family (we do minimum one load a day for my family of 8), but whatever my attachment, I just love the opportunity a laundry room presents to do something fun!

In my newest sponsored makeover at the lovely Jenn Pike‘s home, we created a customized laundry room for her family of four. This space presented quite the design dilemma as it has to serve a lot of purposes. Jennifer’s home has no garage, no basement, and no outdoor shed. So this room has to fit off season clothing, sports equipment, paint cans, and random odds and ends. Plus, it has to function as a space to wash, sort and fold clothing!

If you’re looking to give your laundry room a refresh soon, here are a few ways you can add some custom elements to your space.

1. START WITH COLOUR

I think the laundry room is the perfect spot to inject a bold hit of colour- you can be more adventurous that you might typically be in a bedroom or living room. With all the natural light Jenn gets in this space, I knew we could go dark and bold- so I used Benjamin Moore’s Bermuda Blue 2061-30
on the custom cabinets and picked up the colour in this beautiful patterned rug from HomeSense, and these striped towels by Pamuk and Co. Bright, bold colour in any application (but especially in painted millwork!) can really make a space look and feel more custom and original.

2. ADD ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS

Another way to instantly make a space look more custom is to add architectural details. We changed the swing on the original door to open against the staircase to maximize the space in the actual laundry room, and replaced the interior door with this beautiful Metrie Pretty Simple door with Millenium patterned glass. In addition, we wrapped the entire room in Metrie’s MDF tongue and groove to create a shiplap look. I like shiplap (and all mouldings, really) as it provides a subtle texture to a room. And I am all about wrapping it on every wall, especially in small spaces.

3. CUSTOMIZE YOUR STORAGE

Strategic storage makes me REALLY happy. Proper storage is essential to keeping a space clutter free, and a family from feeling overwhelmed by stuff! I designed the millwork here 36″ deep to give the family LOTS of space for large, bulky storage. But to make sure these large cavities remain really practical, I used a series of large, easy view bins by neatfreak .to keep things that require more frequent access like towels and cleaning supplies in plain sight.

This 3-Tier Home Storage Organizer by neatfreak provides ample storage for Jenn’s collection of yoga gear and hides pool toys and sports equipment conveniently close to the backyard entrance. I like the portability of this unit- the entire thing can be picked up and brought outside for easy access.

With space at such a premium, I had to maximize literally every available square inch. This triple sorter laundry system with built in ironing board by neatfreak allows Jenn to create an additional surface area for laundry sorting and folding, and eliminates the need for a folding ironing board, saving precious storage space!

Lastly, we created custom floating shelves out of the same Belanger laminate counter we used to provide room for additional storage and decorative display.

They key to customizing storage is to think of the specific activities that need to be performed in a space, and then select the bins or systems that will make it easy for you to stay organized.

4. ADD SOME BLING

I love me some handcrafted cabinet hardware, and these pieces by Shayne Fox Hardware are my current obsession. These bright bronze pulls and knobs are made out of cast bronze, and are finished in what is called a “living finish”- they are going to oxidize, and patina over time. With Jenn’s commitment to natural living I thought this collection was such a great fit for her family.

And we continued by obsession with all things bronze with the Cassidy faucet by Delta in Champagne Bronze. A small hit of a warm metal is a really on trend way to provide a custom element in your laundry room.

5. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CLEANING

And finally, don’t forget you can customize the most important aspect of your laundry room, your washer and dryer. We selected a stackable washer and dryer by Whirlpool to maximize all available space. The front load machines offer a multitude of settings that allow Jenn’s family to wash and dry everything from well worn sports gear, to delicate dance costumes. The Load & Go system holds enough detergent to wash 12 loads of laundry, so you can fill it and forget it while the Precision Dispense releases the right amount of detergent at the right time so all your family’s clothes receive the best care. Available in three finishes, we went white as a bold contrast against the blue cabinetry.

Creating a space to provide the care for a family that laundry is so important- I hope this makeover gave you some ideas to try in your own space!

Special thanks to the brands mentioned above for providing product and partnering with me on this project. I love recommending products that will make a family’s life more beautiful, and easier. Opinions are very much my own!

VIDEO: MY MASTER BEDROOM AND BATHROOM

by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Mar 16, 2016 | Interior Design

Wow wow wow I have to start this post with a great big thank you for the love and warm wishes on my video collaboration with Style At Home. If you're just joining me, I recently completed a renovation of my Toronto semi-detached home which took so long I had not one, but TWO babies in the process. And we filmed it, just to add to the general chaos. You can also check out the other videos in the series here and here.

There were 2 aspects I found really difficult while renovating:

1. Indecision. I had paralysis about EVERYTHING, for fear of making the wrong decision. I over thought every single decision and carried around finishes in my purse everywhere I went. It was terrible. If I were to do it again I would have tried to be a bit more objective and treat myself like I would a client.

2. Exhaustion. Partially from the decision making, and partially from the regular displacement and lack of routine that can come from living through a major reno.

But we made it- and the bathroom in particular really helps our family to thrive. Using a barn door and a wider than normal door opening allows us to make the hallway feel like the bathroom, giving us the extra space a family of 5 kids desperately needs.

I've seen it with countless parents as clients- and we were exactly the same- parents often put themselves last. The master bedroom is way too often where stuff gets dumped. And as you'll see in the video our closet was a literal avalanche of crap. I'll let you in on a secret- the film guys asked if we made it look that messy on purpose cause we were filming. NOPE! THAT IS JUST HOW GROSS WE WERE!!!!!

You can watch the transformation below or click here.

I hope this video has given you some inspiration to put yourself first and tackle your own little oasis.

To help get you started I’ve compiled all the items used in my house, PLUS a fun PDF on how to survive a renovation with kids to jump start your plans.

Just enter your email below to get all the goodies in your inbox.

ORC WEEK 6: A CHEERFUL HOME GYM

by lisa@lisacanning.ca | Nov 12, 2015 | Interior Design

IT'S DONE! I made it. Praise God, because this was another race to the finish of this amazing blog series called the One Room Challenge, hosted by Linda at Calling It Home. We're all challenged to design and reno a room to completion in 6 weeks. I participated last spring to finish my laundry room before giving birth to our 5th child, (a whole other kind of race in itself!) and am so happy to have participated again. Deadlines like this can be pretty motivating, and the entire experience is a fun ride watching what everyone else does to their spaces, and cheering each other on in the process.

As I have mentioned previously, doing the ORC is kinda like childbirth at times- when you're doing it and things are going wrong and you're realizing you only have 7 days to finish a room and the paint was mixed slightly off hue and so now you have to buy more paint and now you have to delay your electricians and so now you have to delay your trim guy and so now you have to install the carpet at midnight after your teething / sick baby has FINALLY gotten to sleep and you forget how much dirt you still clean before you actually put said carpet tiles down etc. etc. etc.- when you're doing it, it cam be painful. But when it's done… you are blissed out and in love. Well, in love I am!

I wanted the space to feel cheerful and bright, so I started the design with the Frug rug from FLOR. They are modular carpet tiles, which are easy to swap out when mess occurs. I love the soft padding they create for working out- and my children have had so much fun rolling around in what they deem their new place space. Bright white walls in Snowfield by CIL Paints reflect tons of light and let the floor be the star.

As physical fitness has become a new priority for me (just started working out with a personal trainer and I have eliminated the sometimes twice a week habit of eating poutine), I am trying to make it as easy as possible for me to live a healthy lifestyle. For me that includes waking up early and starting the day with prayer and then exercise and a healthy beverage. So I am keeping a mini fridge stocked with lots of my favourite juices (love Jenn Pike's Juice Matters plans).

I am slightly obsessed with applied moulding right now (massive massive thanks to my trim installer Steve Leonard!) and continued the love of it in my gym with the Metrie Very Square collection. And I have to gush publicly over these sconces- which cost only $49!!!! Add a little bench from Bouclair and mirror from Home Sense and my home gym is complete.

And for kicks let's revisit the before:

And now to my happy face with another completed space!

Thanks for following along on my journey- to check out some seriously amazing transformation check out the featured 20 designers and the guest participants here! Photos by Larry Arnal.