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The perfect home laundry

Colin and Justin reveal the overhaul of their laundry room to help you plan yours

COLIN & JUSTIN newsroom@herald.ca @colinjustin

Canadians are spending on their homes — fact. A recent IPSOS poll noted 45 per cent of improvers have purchased — or are considering purchasing —furniture or appliances to accommodate the “new normal,” with nearly 37 per cent having conducted recent, significant renos and 17 per cent planning some type of update in the near future.

Whilst never keen to be treated as statistics, we’re certainly amongst the percentile motivated to make changes across the domestic landscape. Which leads us neatly to our recent cottage laundry rejig.

Previously, in our Haliburton hideout, two whirling, ancient top loaders did, we suppose, an “adequate” job, but their sheer, noisy bulk was hugely obtrusive in a closet space we’re currently commandeered as part of an ambitious staircase reconfiguration.

And so it came to pass we elected to retool a spacious mudroom, one that already boasted plumbing and all requisite services. With a tall, fully vented compartment that housed a long since decommissioned toilet — and an adjacent sink and counter — it was a super easy conversion.

Appraising the tall “cupboard,” it made sense using it to house a washer and dryer: doing this would keep the counter elevation clear. After shopping around, we came across the ideal appliance: the LG Washtower (find out more at (www.lg.ca), a sleek single unit that’s nearly 3.4 inches shorter than typical stacked units. Consequently, it leaves useful space at the top — handy, in our case, for storage and baskets.

Unlike conventional “twin” machines, controls are positioned in the middle of the stacked set to display washer and dryer functions at the perfect height, so no more stretching to program the dryer. As our cottage hosts frequent guests, full-size laundry equipment was an important consideration.

Add to this that friends and family may be using the appliance (and electricity) in our absence, we were attracted by its special “Artificial Intelligence Direct Drive” tech and sensors which appraise fabric softness and load size to optimize wash motions and cycle time.

It’s also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa when using the Thinq mobile app, which allows remote start/stop (with cycle completion updates sent to our iphone) to monitor energy consumption. Hey, presto: smart tech and power savings. What’s not to like? Our Scottish sporrans can rest easy.

Machinery attended to, we turned our attention to the previously “orange” pine closet doors which, truth be known, gave us goosebumps big enough to ladder our jeans. First we sanded, then lavished them with white primer, which covered in two easy coats.

The “mattest” product available, we find primer sinks in to — and consequently grips — wood grain better than other paint variants. To seal, we wiped all surfaces with furniture wax which, as a side benefit, dulled the white paint, resulting in a creamy, bone finish.

Having removed the dated, brass pulls that operated the doors, we added slick, extra long “Borghamn” handles from Ikea to serve as a slick, finishing touch. It’s amazing how such a simple change can make such a significant difference, huh?

To reidentify the sink area, we installed a black basin and tap before painting the formerly faux terracotta tile with “Countertop Transformations,” a specialist kit by Rustoleum (www.rustoleum. ca) which delivered an excellent — and thus far hardwearing — finish.

A trip to Homesense (prelockdown) harvested washing powder cans and comfy cushions, whilst an Ikea dash produced the fun chevron floor rug. In our world, you see, every room should be as practical as it is beautiful, the seating bench (which accommodates useful storage voids below for quilts and overflow linens) providing an escapist corner to enjoy coffee and a flick through our favourite magazines as our clothes spin quietly!

Join us next week for more home guidance, further sage décor advice and heaps of DIY inspiration.

HOMES

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/282364042552203

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