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Our New Washer & Dryer & Laundry Room Goals

by | Mar 9, 2016 | Decorating Inspiration, My Laundry Room, My Seattle House

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Our New Washer & Dryer & Laundry Room Goals

A few months ago I shared our initial inspiration and ideas for our already pretty great basement laundry/craft room space. So far, though, our laundry room is in the same state it was before, except for the fact that WE GOT A NEW WASHER AND DRYER! Why all caps? Because I’m excited about doing laundry.

You might remember that right around the time I was sharing about my laundry room, my dryer machine died and I was without one for the first few months we lived in our house. Let me tell you, moving in to a house and right away not having your dryer functioning was NOT a fun experience. We felt SO behind. Trying to get settled into new routines and organized in our new home without our drying just felt overwhelming. First world problems, I know, but we lived with clothes and blankets draped over all the furniture (so unsettling) and in piles on the floor, and we made do with semi-crunchy towels and clothes (ew) for several months.

Finally just before Christmas we received the best gift ever. Samsung sent me a new washer and dryer, the brand new redesigned platinum ActiveWash (model WA50k86ooAV-A2) as an unexpected but welcome part of our partnership!

Our New Washer & Dryer & Laundry Room Goals

Honestly, we have never been so happy to wash clothes in our entire lives, we definitely won’t take a dryer for granted ever again. Being able to wash and dry clothes in our home is not just a chore, it is an every day experience we are quite grateful for. Two months later, we feel back on top of our laundry game! The machines have been wonderful.

Now that our laundry pile is finally under control, we are back to getting excited about designing this room. The room has so much going for it already, we can’t wait to make design decisions on ways to pull it all together (see my initial post on the laundry room inspiration, here).

Our New Washer & Dryer & Laundry Room Goals
This laundry room (from Roly Poly Farms) I found the other day offers great inspiration for how one could start with a basic room and add molding, trim, tile and fabric to make the space like this a dream to work in! I really love that she added a hutch to the wall to bring a lot of charm and character to the space, too.

Someday we plan to add a laundry sink like hers (isn’t it adorable?), but for now we were really excited to find that our new washer has a built-in sink feature for hand washables and stain treatments. Check out how it works in our video below! It’s pretty cool and definitely comes in handy.

 

Our New Washer & Dryer & Laundry Room Goals
In our last two houses we had front loaders. While I liked the Samsung washer and dryer we had previously as well, we are really enjoying the larger capacity of these new machines. We are able to wash and dry comforters with ease! I also love that the newly redesigned LED controls are easy to access and lay flat on top of the machine (it looks extra sleek, too).

We still intend to use this room for more than just laundry (see our initial inspiration for craft / laundry room combination post here). If we proceed with a new laundry / mudroom upstairs (click here to see that idea) like we are currently dreaming about, this room would make a wonderful second kitchen someday as well as additional laundry facilities for our lower level (whether we rent out the lower level or just have room for friends and guests to come and stay and explore Seattle!).

We are so happy to have a large and wonderful room to do laundry, it’s the biggest laundry room we’ve ever had. Most of our previous laundry rooms have been located down in dark basements (with the rodents and leaky pipes). Those rooms didn’t look anything like a laundry ROOM, if you know what I mean. So needless to say, this room was a selling point. It will be a fun space to improve!

Tell me about your own laundry room, past or present, and what you’ve done (or plan to do) to make it a more inspiring place to spend your every waking moment  keep up with laundry.  :)

I am a Brand Ambassador for Samsung and received this washer & dryer as a part of our partnership. All my words, opinions and experiences are my own.

38 Comments

  1. Kelly

    I will love hearing your reviews of this washer in the future. It is on my list for my next washing machine purchase because I only have a laundry closet and don’t have room for a laundry sink. Otherwise, my laundry area is pretty efficient. I’ve put up shelving over the washer and a hanging bar over the dryer. My biggest problem with the area is those bi-fold doors!

  2. Peggy

    Wow, a new washer on your door step–that’s a day you will never forget:) One time my best friend saved up and got a new sewing machine. The day she got it, she put it on the dining room table and they ate dinner around it. She said, “who said money can’t buy happiness!” So funny! Anyway, one time I had a laundry room on the second floor down the hall from the bedrooms–that was super convenient. Now my laundry room is in a basement that needs a redo–looks like that 70’s show! However, the set up is great..washer and dryer and a rod to hang things. Thank you for reminding us all, that if we have a working washer and dryer, we are lucky indeed:)

  3. Kathryn

    I was looking at that washer, but it’s sooo deep. Do you have any trouble getting clothes from the bottom?

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      It actually isn’t too bad most of the time, but I’m only 5’2 so sometimes if a lone sock is at the bottom I’ll get on my little step stool to retrieve it :).

      • liz

        I also 5’2″ and have a spare kitchen tongs in my laundry room to get the items I can’t reach Be careful about just reaching in. My mom hurt her ribs reaching into a freezer at the grocery store – it was a long time ago and most stores no longer have those type of freezers

  4. Katie

    After living in Romania – without a dryer – for the last two years, one of the biggest reasons I’m excited to move back to the States this summer is that we will have both a washer and a dryer! I chuckled at your description of what life is like without a dryer. Yep, that’s been Operation Normal around here! The best day of the year is the day it’s warm enough outside to hang the clothes and sheets outside on our balcony (and not have to be tripping over drying racks whenever I’d like to walk from one room to the next!).

  5. CynthiaJo

    My husband and I think that Samsung washer is just so cool. Samsung is so innovative that it’s just insane what they think of! Love your ideas for you laundry room. I really wish we had a decent laundry room. Unfortunately when the previous owners built our house they situated the house so the mud room/ laundry room is the only room people use as an entrance. The front door is almost completely inaccessible. And the room is small. I do have my grandfather’s vintage school lockers in there for coats and stuff like that, but the washer and dryer are out in the open as well as the cat’s litter box. My dream would be a separate laundry room with it’s own door, so I can use our clothes line, and a mudroom/entrance on the other side of the house. One day. Maybe. Till then it’s good motivation to keep it uncluttered and clean!

  6. Becky

    I have wondered about these newer top loaders and if they are as good as front loaders. I love a front loader’s lack of an agitator that seems to harm the clothes, let alone the inability to wash comforters. But I don’t like the fact that they are very hard to clean and harbor ‘muddy’ residue around and behind the large rubber gasket.
    This area is very difficult to clean.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      These don’t have agitators either and unlike some front loaders, it is really easy to clean! I had front loaders the last two times and while I liked them too for other readers, I know what you mean. I’m very very pleased with this machine so far (after two months of use!) and love how roomy it is!

  7. Jo Jo

    How wonderful to receive brand new Samsung washer & dryer! I love Samsung! I think it’s ideal to have an actual room for doing laundry, etc. because you can spread out and store more items, but the home were building right now ( We’re in the home stretch…moving in about 3 weeks! ???) we designed a laundry closet ( walk- in) right off the kitchen. Because we are now empty nesters, we felt working out of this closet will suit us just fine. It’s wonderfully organized. There is a sink, washer and dryer and shelving ( washer/ dryer will be stacked but can also be placed side by side if we choose) and plenty of hanging room for the items we don’t put in the dryer. It packs a wallop for a closet laundry and am very excited to have it near our kitchen. ?

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      So exciting! What a treat to be building a new house! Getting to build something from scratch is such a dream, no wasted space or redoing things that aren’t to your liking! I hope you’ll show it off, I would love to see it! :)

    • Laura C

      I bought my new home with the requirement that the laundry room NOT be the pass thru from the garage to the house. I was about to settle for less when the last house we viewed had my dream laundry room off the kitchen! It is such a nice little space with a utility sink and cabinets and a small counter for folding. I love it.

  8. Patricia

    I redid our laundry area two years ago. We had the typical older house dark dingy dungeon laundry room with kitty litter box and stuff piled everywhere. Add in the old coal cellar taking up valuable space and you’ve got it. I finally figured out a reasonable floor plan and had my handy man rip out the flimsy boards (from the coal cellar) and re-do all the walls with white pegboard. I repainted my old kitchen cabinets (saved from a kitchen re-do decades earlier) holland blue, installed new knobs and a new pre-formed formica countertop. We hung shelves and installed a gift wrap station and a craft corner with desk and tons of usable storage. Added additional lighting and I’m a very happy woman.
    I figure the whole project cost me less than $1000 and I’m pretty confident this room alone will sell our house quickly when we’re ready to leave.

  9. Lisa D

    We moved 18 months ago and the old laundry was in the kitchen pantry in our new house. The dryer didn’t vent well and there was ancient lint everywhere. One of our first priorities when we redid our master bathroom was to move the laundry in there. We had a huge space so the laundry fit in nicely. I got a pretty W/D set an it has been FABULOUS! We have counter space for folding, a nice wall mounted folding drying rack and cupboards to hide all the ugly detergent bottles away! And the W/D are fast and super efficient. Our water use dropped significantly. I now look for excuses to do laundry!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ha! I’d say that was worth it then, it sure is nice when you ENJOY doing the laundry :)!

  10. JoAZ

    I love my Samsung washer I’ve had it 3 yrs and it’s a dream I bought the largest capacity so that washing king size bedding wouldn’t be a problem.. I’m 5’2″ so sometimes I have to stand on tip toe to get something small out. It really isn’t a problem very often. I wash rugs, pillows you name it and it does a wonderful job. As a side note it plays a tune when it’s done not a buzzer it’s kind of cool. I did not buy the dryer my old one was fine, though it may be time soon

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh, yes! I LOVE a little tune, too! So much less alarming than a BUZZZZ! I’m 5’2 as well and have the same experience, any time I can’t reach a lone sock I just step on my short footstool and grab it!

  11. Sylvia Heacock

    True confessions…..my mismatched washer and dryer are in our dusty, dog haired garage. I think one of my spring goals will be to give it a good vacuuming and then clean up the painted wooden cabinet that hangs over the washer/dryer. After seeing these inspirational photos, I must remember to take a before and after shot!

  12. Debbie from MountainMamaOnline

    Wow, your laundry room looks pretty great already! I do love your inspiration photo, though…can’t wait to see what you do!

  13. susan maclean

    What’s a utility room? Hahahaha! Over the pond here in my little two bed two hundred year old cottage, the washing machine is in the kitchen under the work top. So is my half sized dishwasher. But my dryer? That is in the shed outside! It too is a half size (by US standards probably a quarter of what you just had delivered Melissa) and has the vent out through the door ….. so you open the door of the shed, throw in the damp washing, and set it going. Can’t wait for sunny and dry weather, as we live at the top of a hill and get a good “blow” up here. Got to go now – and get my dry knickers back in the house!!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ha! I love that, Susan! So fun to hear your point of view from across the pond :)…I would love to visit, it sounds absolutely charming!

  14. Susan

    We moved into a cute brick house 2 1/2 years ago & there was a small room off the kitchen (I suppose we could have a put a small kitchen table there but we decided it would be the laundry room.) We put washer, dryer & a laundry sink in between them. The opposite wall we put up “ikea” shelving & basket storage. It looks & works well and then I don’t have to do laundry in my basement!!!

  15. Kristin @ Postbox Designs

    I can’t wait to see what you do with your room! While mine is still an unfinished space, I have a soft spot for laundry rooms-we end up spending so much time in them, they should be just as beautiful as a kitchen or bathroom!

  16. Roxanne

    I look forward to see what you end up doing with your laundry space. My laundry room is in the before stages, so I’m looking for all the inspiration I can find!

  17. Joanna

    I have a front loader but I’m not totally happy with it. If there is not a full loader or heavy wet towels, it moves & shakes. The technician said to take it off the stands. Those were expensive and I like the extra height as I’m tall. I have been thinking of getting a top loader. Will you give us a review once you’ve had the chance to try the different settings. And, can you wash a duvet in it?

  18. Jennifer

    Lucky girl! I have a Samsung front loader and the matching dryer. We have had problems with the washer from the start and even had our barrel break off in the machine. Thank goodness it was under warranty. Come to find out from the repairman that this is a common problem and will probably happen again. If it does, we will have to move on to a new set as the cost to fix our washer was over $750. Thank goodness once again that it was under warranty. I had a long conversation with the repairman and he did reinforce my feelings for Samsung W&Ds and I told him my next set would be like the set you received. He did however say that there are 2 things not to do… put them on those crazy pedestals that are useless as you can’t fit any of your laundry products in there, and don’t put them on the second floor. He informed me that they need to be on the first floor (or basement if you have one) because of how the foundation is built. The second floor is not as secure to support the work of the appliances. He also said to not use Clorox or fabric softener or any of the pods. He did say Clorox 2 was okay and recommended a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of Tide and Borax for washing. As a Brand ambassador, I was curious if you had heard any or this. And I also wanted to share about the second floor if you did indeed want to move your laundry room to the 2nd floor. I told him I wished mine were on the second floor and his recommendation was that the floor and subfloor be removed and reinforcement floor joists be installed or your best bet is if you are building and want the laundry on the second floor, built out the floor of the laundry room stronger with extra joists.
    By the way, your set is the one I am looking at to replace ours (even though we have only had it a year and a half) and I LOVE your inspiration pic!

    Best wishes,
    Jennifer

    (PS My dear friend, Lauren of SimplyLKJ, gave me 2 of your books for Christmas and I love them!)

  19. Jen K.

    I would love a Samsung! Their products are consistently reliable. We have a front loading combined machine. For two people, it sort of does the job. We keep it in an upstairs closet. The closet is split in half on with a heavy duty plank above the machine. One side has a rack of freestanding ALGOT drawers storing white goods like towels and sheets. Next to it stands a stack of 37 liter Sortera bins from IKEA (not sure if the American IKEA has them). Those serve as sorting for dirty laundry. I was so happy when I finally came up with a suitable organization plan for such a small space. I am still learning the ins and outs of organizing my first house.

    I am lucky to enough to have any sort of dedicated laundry space here. Most Dutch houses choose not to accomodate laundry spaces. Often they stick the machine under the kitchen counter or in a cramped bathroom. If we have the budget, I would like to make a small mud room in the back of our house. I would also move the laundry machine into that area. Space is at a premium in a row house, and organizing the littlest things has big impact.

  20. Barb

    I think Jack looks sad because now all those clothes and blankets won’t be draped around the house for him to play with!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ha! He probably is a little sad. Lily actually is the one who will lay on ANYTHING we leave on the floor so I’m sure she isn’t happy with the new machine :)

  21. Kari

    After years of apartment living, I just love having a washer and dryer in my house. It never gets old being able to just throw things in whenever I want to!

  22. Patti

    Our new Samsung top loader washing machine was delivered last week. I like it so much more than the front loader I had before (a different brand). I just washed my two king sized blankets with ease.

    • Jerrica

      This makes me so happy to hear. I have LG front loaders and I’m selling them because I went and bought myself this set. We live in Military housing with a hole as a laundry room, so the door on the front loader hangs out into our kitchen and we can’t maneuver through there without having to fight the fridge door or the door to the hole or the washing machines door.

  23. Sheila

    I am ever so grateful to have my own clothes washer and dryer but they are out in the garage and I need to walk through the carport to get there. It is not an “Inspired Room!” ;)

 

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