Think small

Although many homeowners want small rooms knocked into one big room, occasionally the best use of space is to divide a large area to create smaller room with specific functions. In this instance it brought order to an otherwise chaotic space for a busy family of five.

Bathroom designer Debra DeLorenzo carved an impractical laundry with its own shower into two rooms: a galley-style laundry and a bathroom of similar size to the existing bathroom next door.

"The old laundry contained a secondary shower, washing facilities and the back door. These shared facilities often made it awkward to use the shower or access the door," she says.

Moving a wall during the renovation placed the laundry in between the existing bathroom and the newly created second bathroom, with the back door now taking up the exterior wall of the new laundry. Four glass panels were inserted in the top half of the door to make use of natural light in the small space.

All the storage and appliances are lined up against one wall, with plenty of cupboards and drawers to ensure the room remains neat.

A door conceals the stacked washing machine and dryer. DeLorenzo says that besides tucking the appliances out of the way, this encourages the homeowners' teenage children to place their soiled clothes in the hamper, rather than letting them pile up.

In keeping with both renovated bathrooms, the laundry floor is covered with Winckelman tiles in shades of white and blue.

The traditional style is echoed in the scallop shell drawer pulls and classic door handles. White tiles in a brick pattern and a classic Pennine butler's sink enhance the theme. A Kashmir White granite benchtop helps brighten the small space as well as providing an easy-to-clean surface.

Story by: Lori Nims