1. Full bathroom for the basement level.
Not only was it awesome that the basement was finished in this house, but it also had a full bathroom in the basement! The shower was an added perk that neither of us expected. We agree it will come in handy when we have guests or added members to our household. The bedroom in the basement also has door access to this bathroom.
2. Finished laundry space, including units.
This house included the washer and dryer {most other homes we looked at did not}. Another perk, they were fairly new and in great shape. It was nice that this room was a shared space with the bathroom so you have the added sink and shower in case laundry gets real out of hand. The ability to close off the doors too when you have piled up laundry also spoke to me. Out of site, out of mind...am I right?
3. Laundry shoot. Let me repeat, laundry shoot.
This amenity was standard in my childhood, as I grew up with one of these on the main floor of my parents' home. Later, my dad and I also installed one in the bedroom I designed with him in the basement they finished. It conveniently connected to the hamper where the duct from the main floor shot out. In a home I moved into after my relocation back to the mitten state, it also featured a laundry shoot system on both the second story and the main floor straight to the basement. If you have never experienced the magic of this simple network, prepare to be amazed.
Brett was struck with wonder at the discovery of the laundry shoot that came from the main floor bathroom. It was lined up to basically direct the dirty clothes straight into the washing machine if you were to extend the duct. This was clearly the selling point for him.
As is, the laundry shoot would drop the clothes into the space between the washer and the dryer. We decided to put this feature to good use by building a shelf that perfectly nested a laundry basket under where the duct work emptied the contaminants. There was also enough room to house some laundry room essentials, like the detergent and the iron.
Let me explain how this magic works; husband comes home from the woods covered in burrs and mud from head to toe. Said husband makes a beeline to the bathroom for a shower and before the clothes hit the floor, they are already deposited in the laundry basket next to the washer to be conveniently soaked and de-burred via the shoot. No more solo socks or burrs getting on the couch - they all go straight into the wash room!
While this isn't a space that we can decorate too much, we kept it congruent with the style of the house and our personal taste too. The board for the shelf was pine purchased because of the grain; it was stained and then antiqued on the edges with some simple sanding. Shelf supports were painted white to give some contrast to the stain, and were a little larger to support the weight of a full basket of laundry. Dry wall screws and inserts were used to secure the supports, but we also had to be wary of what was on the other side of the wall {the utility room is there with lots of pipes}.
How else can we customize this space? Any additional design ideas? Would a laundry shoot be enough to sell you on a house?
No comments:
Post a Comment
{jot us a note}