Easy Laundry Room Updates

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  EFFICIENT: For large families with lots of laundry, consider doubling up with two stackable units that save time and space. An oversize table makes a pleasant spot for folding laundry, ironing, sewing, or even working on crafts.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Keith Scott Morton

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  Machines have become quieter, more efficient -- and attractive -- to fit in with our busy lives as well as our homes' decor. And laundry rooms, long relegated to a damp corner of the basement, have been migrating upstairs to further ease the load. But even if you can't relocate your washer and dryer, you can improve their surroundings.
  
  IMAGINATIVE: Put things that you love but no longer use, such as this doll house, to playful yet practical use. Anchored to the wall with decorative brackets, it becomes the highlight in an otherwise understated room. Each room of the doll house makes an easy-to-access cubby for laundry supplies.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Keith Scott Morton

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  Location, Location, Location! Today, lifestyle dictates where the laundry room is situated. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 31 percent of respondents prefer the laundry near bedrooms, while 25 percent favor a location close to the kitchen.
  VERSATILE: Many laundry rooms pull double duty. This one, with its location near the garden, makes an ideal potting area, too. If you're planning to add a sink, position it near the washer to save steps. A linoleum floor offers easy cleanup.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Keith Scott Morton

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  DISCREET: This ironing board folds up and slides neatly out of the way in a customized drawer when not in use. For a similar solution at less-than-custom prices, try the Ironing Cupboard, a shallow cabinet that holds a foldaway ironing board and supplies; potterybarn.com. Or use the simple Over-the-Door Ironing Board; bedbathandbeyond.com.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Keith Scott Morton

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  Add pizzazz to your laundry room even on a budget with touches like cheery paint, a table with built-in shelving, and inviting personal decorations.
  
  THRIFTY: Not ready to invest time and money in a major renovation? Try these simple fixes that have big impact: Place a vintage table between the washer and dryer for additional storage. Fix up the walls with inexpensive tile, or try quick-to-install beadboard-look Ply-Bead Panels from Georgia-Pacific.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Laura Resen

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  To maximize efficiency in a small laundry room, put a front-loading washer and dryer beneath a counter so you have work space, and utilize flexible space savers like a folding drying rack.
  
  HANDY IDEA: Keep a small sewing kit nearby to repair tears or loose buttons.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Laundry Rooms: Easy Improvements

  Keith Scott Morton