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A small laundry becomes far more useful when its layout is solved before its colour scheme. Jen Bishop’s 2500mm by 1500mm room had to accommodate a work bench, detergent storage, a hanging rail, hooks and a dryer. Her renovation used vertical storage and hanging space to keep those jobs off the bench, then gave the room a deliberate finish with deep navy cabinetry, gold details, patterned floor tiles and stone surfaces.
The result, reported by Better Homes & Gardens Australia on February 16, 2021, is a useful model for anyone planning a compact laundry: reserve the footprint for essential work, move storage upward, and spend selectively on the surfaces and fittings that receive daily wear.
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What the laundry looked like before
The original room sat behind a blue barn door and was visible from the kitchen. Bishop described it as a “total mess,” with a brown-and-beige palette and “glow-in-the-dark orange floral sixties wallpaper inside the cupboard!” The problem was not simply that the finishes were dated. There was too little bench space and not enough organised storage for a room expected to handle washing, drying, folding and hanging.
Because the laundry could be seen from a living area, the renovation had to work as both a utility room and part of the home’s visual sequence. A strong colour and coordinated hardware made the room look intentional when the door was open, while the storage changes addressed the practical failure of the old arrangement.
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Begin with the 2500mm by 1500mm footprint
The published room measurement is 2500mm by 1500mm, reported by Better Homes & Gardens Australia in 2021. In that compact rectangle, Bishop’s non-negotiable requirements were a bench, a hanging rail and room for a clothes dryer. Treat those as fixed planning constraints before choosing cabinet colours or tiles.
- Draw the appliance and door zones. Mark the washer, dryer, door swing and any passage that must remain clear. Measure the actual machines, including hoses, plugs and ventilation requirements, rather than relying on nominal appliance widths.
- Protect a continuous work surface. Reserve enough bench for sorting, folding and treating stains. Avoid allowing detergent bottles or clothing to consume the only clear area.
- Move storage above the work line. A wall cabinet can hold detergent and cleaning supplies without taking floor space or reducing bench depth.
- Add a dedicated hanging zone. A rail for hangers and hooks for shirts use wall height and keep damp or freshly ironed items from piling up.
- Check every opening and service point. Confirm that cabinet doors, the dryer door and the laundry entry can open at the same time, and leave access to water, waste and power connections.
This sequence prevents a common small-room mistake: selecting a dramatic finish first and discovering that the machines, folding area and storage cannot coexist.
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How the storage makes a small laundry work harder
Wall cabinet for detergent
The renovation used a wall cabinet to store detergent. Elevating bottles removes visual clutter from the bench and keeps frequently used products close to the washer. For a new installation, set the cabinet where its door can open without striking the rail, light fitting or laundry entry. Use an internal shelf height that suits the tallest bottle you actually buy, and keep heavy containers on adequately supported shelves.
Rail for hangers and shirts
A wall-mounted clothes hanging rail provides a temporary home for shirts and garments on hangers. Bishop said the rail gives “a high amount of space for hanging up clothes on hangers” and that her husband particularly likes it for hanging shirts. The rail is most useful when it sits between the wash and wardrobe routines: high enough to keep garments clear of the bench, but reachable without standing on an unstable stool.
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Three wall hooks
Three wall hooks add short-term hanging capacity for individual shirts or items that do not need a hanger. Hooks also help separate clothing waiting for ironing or repair from clean laundry. Fix them into a stud or use a rated wall anchor matched to the wall construction and the load you expect each hook to carry.
Together, the cabinet, rail and hooks create three different storage behaviours—closed storage, hanger storage and quick-drop storage—without requiring a larger floor plan.
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The finished room combines deep navy or blue cabinet fronts, gold accents, patterned floor tiles, a stone bench and stone splashback, plus a gold Lavello sink. Bishop described the effect as “really quite luxurious with the deep navy, the gold accents, patterned floor and stone bench and splashback.” The visual impact comes from concentration: one dark cabinet colour, one warm metal, one assertive floor pattern and a restrained stone surface.
Deep navy can make a compact room feel enveloping rather than bland, but it also reveals uneven preparation, roller marks and dust more readily than a pale neutral. If you are painting existing cabinetry or walls, inspect the surface in side light before applying colour. Fill dents, sand glossy areas to a dull key, remove detergent residue and use a primer compatible with the existing coating. A washable, moisture-resistant interior finish is a sensible specification for a laundry; follow the coating manufacturer’s recoat and curing times before reinstalling hardware.
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Gold works best as a controlled accent. Repeating it on handles, the sink and a small number of accessories creates a visual link without turning every surface metallic. Patterned tiles can supply movement underfoot while the navy cabinetry keeps the eye anchored.
Materials and their jobs in the scheme
| Element | Role in the renovation | What is established |
|---|---|---|
| Deep navy or blue cabinet doors | Sets the room’s main colour and creates a strong visual statement | The project used blue doors; Bishop identified the cabinet choice as a value decision |
| Wall cabinet | Stores detergent above the bench | Included in the completed laundry |
| Hanging rail | Holds garments on hangers and shirts | Included; the exact model and dimensions are not stated |
| Three wall hooks | Adds quick-access hanging space | Included in the completed room |
| Caesarstone bench and splashback | Provides a continuous work surface and a coordinated, wipeable wall finish | Named by Bishop as a worthwhile splurge; no price is published |
| Gold Lavello sink | Adds a functional basin and a warm-metal focal point | Named by Bishop as a splurge; no model or price is published |
| Patterned floor tiles | Adds pattern and visual interest under the darker cabinetry | Patterned flooring is described; tile brand and specification are not stated |
Where the project saved and where it splurged
Bishop used Kaboodle flat-pack cabinets as the value choice and said the blue doors delivered strong visual impact. She regarded the Caesarstone bench and splashback and the gold Lavello sink as worthwhile splurges for quality and appearance. The article does not publish an itemised budget, supplier quotes or a total renovation cost, so those choices should be treated as a spending strategy rather than a price guide.
| Budget decision | Reasoning from the project | How to apply it |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-pack cabinetry | Controls cabinetry cost while allowing a high-impact door colour | Compare carcass dimensions, door finish, internal fittings and installation costs—not just the advertised cabinet price |
| Stone bench and splashback | Selected for quality and appearance in a heavily used area | Prioritise surfaces that receive daily water, detergent and folding activity; confirm edge, cut-out and templating costs |
| Statement sink | A gold finish contributes both function and visual identity | Check bowl size, tap-hole arrangement, cleaning instructions and compatibility with the bench material |
Her broader advice is practical: “Don’t skimp on the things that get heavy use, like the washing machine. You can add a lot of design details to give your laundry a more expensive look than the reality, like handles and statement tiles.” That principle puts reliability ahead of decorative upgrades while still leaving room for colour and pattern.
Appliances: useful capacity, but no published performance test
Bishop said her husband Damian was especially pleased with the new machines’ large capacities. In her account, larger loads meant fewer cycles and a smaller power bill. The feature does not identify appliance brands, models or capacity figures, and it does not provide measured energy use or independently verified savings. Treat the lower bill as the homeowner’s observation, not a guaranteed result.
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When selecting machines for a similar room, compare drum capacity with the household’s normal load size, cycle duration, water and energy ratings for your region, noise levels and service access. Confirm that the dryer’s installation requirements fit the planned cabinetry and that heat and moisture can be managed safely. A machine that physically fits but cannot be opened, serviced or ventilated properly is not a successful space-saving choice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Painting and finishing a navy laundry: a practical sequence
- Empty and degrease. Remove products, shelves and hardware. Wash walls and cabinet surfaces to remove detergent film, fabric softener residue and dust. Rinse and let everything dry.
- Repair the substrate. Fill chips, dents and old screw holes. Sand repaired areas flush, then remove all sanding dust with a clean, slightly damp cloth.
- Protect the room. Mask stone edges, tile junctions, appliances, hinges and plumbing fixtures. Use drop cloths that will not slide on a patterned floor.
- Prime according to the surface. Use a bonding primer for slick laminate or previously coated doors, and a suitable stain-blocking primer where old wallpaper adhesive, tannins or water marks could bleed through. Allow the stated drying time.
- Cut in before rolling. Paint corners, cabinet reveals and around the bench with a quality brush, then roll broad areas while the cut-in edge is still workable. Maintain a wet edge to reduce lap marks.
- Build the navy gradually. Two or more thin, even coats usually produce a more consistent dark colour than one heavy coat. Respect the product’s recoat window; rushing can soften the first coat and create drag marks.
- Reinstall only after curing. Paint may feel dry before it reaches working hardness. Wait the coating’s full cure period before fitting handles, loading shelves or placing bottles against doors.
- Finish the details. Align handles, touch up screw heads and seal any appropriate junctions where the manufacturer permits. Keep silicone and paint systems compatible with the surfaces they meet.
Pitfalls to avoid in a compact, dark laundry
Leaving no clear folding area
Storage can consume the very bench that makes laundry manageable. Draw the usable bench rectangle after accounting for sink cut-outs, taps and wall clearances. If the remaining area cannot hold a folded load, reduce decorative items before reducing work surface.
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Ignoring door and appliance conflicts
A rail that looks convenient on a plan may block a cabinet door or collide with a dryer opened for unloading. Mark door arcs on the wall with tape and test them at full opening before drilling.
Using unprepared surfaces
Navy paint magnifies ridges, grease and patchiness. Skipping cleaning or primer often leads to peeling, flashing and visible roller texture, especially under strong task lighting.
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Choosing hardware for appearance alone
Gold hardware must tolerate wet hands, detergent and repeated cleaning. Check the care instructions and mountings, and choose a rail and hooks rated for the loads they will carry.
Assuming a published makeover has a published budget
This project gives a clear save-versus-splurge philosophy but no total spend. Use your own measured quantities and local quotes for cabinetry, stone fabrication, plumbing, electrical work, tiling and painting.
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Adapting the ideas to your own room
Not every laundry needs the same combination of features. Start by ranking the tasks that currently cause the most friction.
- If clutter is the problem: prioritise a wall cabinet or tall storage and assign each product a fixed shelf.
- If shirts accumulate: install a wall-mounted clothes hanging rail near the washer or dryer, with enough clearance for hangers.
- If ironing or folding is difficult: protect the longest uninterrupted bench possible before adding open shelving.
- If the room is visible from a living area: concentrate the colour scheme on cabinet fronts and repeat one metal finish so the open doorway reads as a designed zone.
- If the room is very dark: test navy swatches at morning, afternoon and artificial-light conditions. A colour that looks blue in a showroom may read nearly charcoal in a windowless room.
The Bishop renovation demonstrates a transferable order of operations: fit the work, storage and hanging functions into the measured room; choose durable surfaces where hands and water make contact; then use navy, gold and pattern to make the utility space feel intentional.
What is documented about this makeover
The renovation details come from Tahni Mesann’s Better Homes & Gardens Australia feature, published February 16, 2021, with photography credited to Jacqui Turk. The documented facts include the 2500mm by 1500mm room, the former brown-and-beige condition, the wall cabinet, hanging rail, three hooks, navy-and-gold palette, patterned floor, stone bench and splashback, and the homeowner’s account of the machine capacity and power bill. Appliance models, exact capacities, renovation totals and measured energy savings are not supplied, so they should not be inferred from the photographs or the colour scheme.
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