Bathroom with Laundry - a conscious coupling

This hard-working little bath has so many responsibilities - laundry for a family of 7, bathing and washing 5 kids, hair and make-up for 2 teens, hair for 1 almost-teen, 3rd grade science experiments, and whatever a 5 year old boy can think up to do in there!  Plus, must have storage for all those things, AND be durable, AND easy to maintain.  

While it might not be everyone's first choice to have the laundry room combined with bathroom, the owners purchased the house this way and it's on the second floor of the home with all the bedrooms making it a very convenient place to do laundry.  

Take a look at how our designers incorporated more storage and gave this little room a brighter, updated visage with a few cosmetic updates.  

Problem number one - lack of storage.  The only cabinet was under the sink and the wire shelves above the washer and dryer were not sturdy enough to hold all the supplies for all of the people who use the room!  There was a large empty space behind the door that was underutilized.  

Before - dark paint and wire shelves

After - room is brighter with paint color change and storage in enclosed in cabinets. 

We didn't need to change the floor plan to fit in a few cabinets above the washer and dryer, plus place a ceiling-height linen closet in the corner behind the door.  In a busy room, enclosed storage is a great way to keep the look clean, plus provide space to hide all that dirty laundry!  

Before - underused space behind bathroom door 

After - beautiful tall linen cabinet

Now, all the dirty laundry stays hidden - plus there is much more storage space for extra towels, laundry supplies, and health and beauty aids. 

The bottom shelf slides out to make access even easier 

Problem number 2 - outdated and damaged flooring.  In a busy room, durability is a must.  The original floor was vinyl and since there have been many improvements in quality and style for vinyl flooring, we stuck with it and chose an updated pattern from Tarkett in Rich Onyx.  This was also a great choice for a busy family - the install time is much faster than a tile floor.  

Not to be missed - the adorable little Cimarron toilet from Kohler and the prism-shaped Juliet knobs from Top Knobs for a touch of glam. 

Other cosmetic choices:  instead of replacing the whole vanity cabinet which was in good shape, we simply changed the doors and drawer fronts to match the new cabinets.  The counter top stayed the same, but we updated the faucet and added a handheld fixture in the shower for those quick kid and pet rinses.  And of course, the paint color!  Going with a lighter color in a small room can make it feel brighter and bigger which is definitely true in this bathroom and laundry room.  

All in all, these cosmetic changes solved all the storage problems and turned the cuteness factor WAY up!