Elegant Style and Family-Friendly Function
Karen Law and David Paine are two busy doctors with two young children. They had a stunning kitchen in their Buckhead home, but their drab laundry room-mudroom was quite the opposite. The space serves as their family’s primary entry, and wasn’t serving as welcoming space or as a good drop zone. They hired Innovative Design + Build to come up with a new plan for the space. The result is a family-friendly laundry room-mudroom with elegant style.
Before
The laundry room-mudroom had a dated tile floor that darkened the space. The door to the left led to a pantry that we removed in order to make the space more expansive and open. Then we were able to slide the washer and dryer to the right into the space where the pantry used to be. The opening to the right leads to the kitchen.
Matching the Kitchen’s Style
We matched the white Shaker-style kitchen cabinets and Mont Blanc honed marble countertops Karen and David had in their kitchen to make the home feel cohesive. The custom cabinetry includes drying racks. These are handy for items that need to be laid flat to dry like sweaters. One thing we did a little differently saved them money on cabinetry. Their kitchen cabinets are inset, which are much more expensive than overlay cabinetry. We crafted overlay cabinets in a way that gives the illusion of inset cabinetry.
A Pretty and Durable Floor
Since this is a place where family members may come in with dirty shoes on, using durable flooring was important. This beautiful digitally printed porcelain tile has the look of a marble mosaic. But it can stand up to whatever they drag in from outside. This tile is a geometric print from the Laura Ashley Heritage Collection.
Before
The family uses this side door as their primary entry, but it wasn’t very welcoming.
A Welcoming Entry
We added a small porch roof with a curved, standing seam metal roof and a corbel. The overhang offers protection from the weather. And we planned it around their existing lantern, which was a favorite piece of David’s.
A Crucial Drop Zone
A drop zone or landing zone was on their list of priorities. We provided cubbies, coat hooks, cabinets and a bench for their coats and other outerwear, shoes and bags. The bench and cubbies are stained white oak. This material provides warmth and contrast in the mostly-white space.
Before
There was a much more utilitarian sink in the mudroom before. It did not have any cabinetry or a countertop around it. And it was not doing a thing to add any style to the space.
A Hardworking Laundry Area
The laundry area has everything they need within a few steps. A countertop over the front-loading machines provides a space for folding. A hanging rod right overhead provides space for air drying. A sink is a good spot for treating stains and hand-washing delicate items. It’s also a good spot for everyone to wash their hands as they enter the home.
Before
Karen and David needed space to air dry clothing. And hanging a clothesline in front of the cabinets over the washer and dryer was a less-than-ideal solution.
Laundry Room-Mudroom Style Notes
Now they have a handy rod for hanging clothes to dry. Shiplap adds texture to the walls and homey farmhouse feel to the space. The shelves over the washer and dryer are white oak that matches the bench and cubbies. Vintage-style ceiling lights continue the look overhead.
Laundry Room-Mudroom Connection To the Kitchen
The pocket door on the right leads to the kitchen. Pocketing the door eliminated an awkward swing and saved space. And it’s easy to leave completely open whenever they want.
Now the family has a welcoming and comfortable entry, and a well-functioning laundry room. There’s plenty of room to treat stains, hand-wash clothing and store their outerwear and shoes.
Check out Karen and David as well as other Innovative Design + Build clients in our Client Stories.
