Laundry Renovations

A laundry that works as hard as you do

The laundry is one of the hardest-working rooms in a country home. In Warragul it is often far more than a place to wash clothes. It is the mudroom where boots come off after a wet walk, the place the dog is washed, where muddy sports uniforms are soaked and where the overflow from the kitchen lands. Yet laundries are frequently the least considered room in a house: a single trough, a cupboard or two, a bare floor and nowhere to fold or hang anything.

A well-planned laundry renovation changes the rhythm of a household. It gives every task a place, keeps mess out of the living areas and makes a daily chore far less of a burden. We design and build laundries with the same care as bathrooms, using licensed and insured trades and waterproofing appropriate to the wet area.

Understanding how you use the room

Every laundry brief starts with questions about your household:

• How many loads do you wash each week, and does anyone in the house have special laundry needs, such as work uniforms or sports gear?
• Do you dry clothes outside, on racks inside or in a dryer?
• Does the laundry act as a back entry or mudroom?
• Do you need room for pets, such as a place to wash or feed a dog?
• What else does the laundry store: cleaning products, brooms, the vacuum, pantry overflow?
• Would a second fridge or freezer live here?

From these answers we plan the layout, storage and finishes.

Layouts for different spaces

The galley laundry

A run of cabinetry and appliances along one wall, with storage above. Suits narrow rooms and back-of-house corridors. Front-loading appliances under a continuous bench provide a long folding surface.

The L-shaped laundry

Appliances and trough on one wall, tall storage and hanging space on the return. Provides room to fold, sort and hang without crossing the walkway.

The mudroom laundry

A laundry that doubles as the back entry, with bench seating, boot storage, hooks for coats and a durable, slip-resistant floor that can handle mud and water. Popular on rural properties and family homes.

The European or concealed laundry

In smaller homes and units, a laundry can sit behind bi-fold or sliding doors in a hallway or kitchen. With careful ventilation and drainage, this keeps the function without giving up a full room.

Storage that makes a difference

Good laundry storage is designed around specific items. Tall cupboards hold brooms, mops and the vacuum. Pull-out baskets sort darks and lights. Overhead cupboards keep cleaning products out of reach of children. A hanging rail above the bench lets shirts dry on hangers. Open shelving keeps towels or baskets at hand. A slide-out ironing board saves floor space. We plan each element so nothing ends up piled on the floor.

Surfaces that last

Laundries take a beating. Benchtops need to resist water, heat from the iron and the occasional spilled detergent. Laminate offers practicality, while engineered stone and compact surfaces offer greater durability. Splashbacks behind the trough and around the appliances protect walls from water and should be easy to wipe. Floors should be durable, comfortable to stand on and slip resistant when wet. Porcelain tiles are a popular choice, especially in mudroom laundries.

Troughs, tapware and drainage

A deep, generous trough is one of the most valued features in any laundry. Stainless steel troughs are hard-wearing and practical, while ceramic and composite troughs offer a softer look. Under-mount troughs set into a stone bench are easy to clean. We pair them with tapware that suits the task, such as a pull-out spray that makes soaking and rinsing easier.

Drainage matters too. A floor waste in the laundry gives water somewhere to go if a machine leaks or a hose fails. Where the laundry includes a dog-wash or a shower for muddy children, the floor needs proper falls and waterproofing.

Waterproofing in laundries

Laundries are wet areas, and the Australian Standard AS 3740 sets out how they must be waterproofed. The required treatment depends on the layout, such as where the trough sits and whether there is a floor waste, a shower or a dog-wash area. We install waterproofing to suit the design and document the work. Where a laundry includes a shower, it is treated with the same care as any bathroom shower.

Ventilation and drying

Laundries generate a lot of moisture, particularly where a dryer is used or clothes are dried indoors in winter. In the damp Gippsland climate, poor ventilation quickly leads to mould and musty smells. We fit exhaust fans sized for the room and ducted outside, and vent dryers correctly. Where clothes are dried inside, a heated drying cabinet or a ceiling-mounted airer can help, and we can plan power and ventilation for these.

Appliances planned in, not squeezed in

Appliances are the heart of a laundry, and planning around them from the start avoids problems later. Front-loading washers and dryers sit neatly under a continuous benchtop, creating a folding surface above. Stacking them in a tall cabinet saves width in a narrow room, but needs a sturdy stacking kit and access for servicing. We confirm the exact dimensions of your current or planned appliances before cabinetry is designed, allowing space at the back for hoses, power and venting, and a gap at the sides so doors open fully. Taps for the washing machine are placed where they can be reached and turned off easily. Where a heat-pump or condenser dryer is chosen, we plan its drainage. A washing machine tray with a drain beneath the machine adds protection against slow leaks, particularly in upstairs or timber-floored laundries.

Mudrooms for country living

On rural and semi-rural properties around Warragul, the back door often sees more traffic than the front door. Work boots, wet raincoats, muddy children and dogs all come through the laundry. A mudroom-style laundry is designed for this reality. A built-in bench with boot storage underneath gives somewhere to sit and change. Hooks and a tall cupboard hold coats and hats. Durable, textured porcelain floor tiles handle grit and water, and a floor waste allows the floor to be hosed or mopped thoroughly. A deep trough with a spray tap cleans boots, buckets and garden tools. A small shower or dog-wash area, properly waterproofed, keeps the worst of the mud out of the house. These rooms quickly become one of the most appreciated parts of a country home.

Colour and character

Laundries no longer need to be purely utilitarian. Because they are small and self-contained, they are a good place to try a colour or tile you might hesitate to use elsewhere: a soft green cabinet, a patterned floor, a handmade-look splashback. A well-designed laundry is a pleasant place to spend time, which makes the chores done there feel lighter.

Laundries in older Warragul homes

In many older homes, the laundry sits at the back of the house in a former verandah or lean-to. These rooms often have uneven floors, poor insulation, single-skin walls and plumbing that has been altered repeatedly. During a renovation we assess the floor structure, the condition of the pipework and drainage, and the walls’ suitability for new cabinetry and tiling. We repair what is needed so the new laundry sits on a sound base.

Combining a laundry with a bathroom or powder room

In some homes, combining the laundry with a second toilet or a small shower room makes good sense. This is especially useful on rural properties where people come in from outside and want to clean up before entering the house. We look at plumbing, ventilation, waterproofing and privacy to make a combined room work well.

What a laundry renovation includes

• Design consultation, measure and layout options.
• A written scope covering cabinetry, appliances, trough and finishes.
• Strip-out of the existing laundry and removal of waste.
• Floor and wall repairs where needed.
• Plumbing and electrical work by licensed practitioners, including new power for appliances.
• Waterproofing appropriate to the layout, installed to AS 3740.
• Wall and floor tiling, including splashbacks.
• Cabinetry and benchtop installation.
• Trough, tapware and accessory fit-off.
• Exhaust fan installation and dryer venting.
• Final clean and handover.

Timelines

A laundry renovation usually takes one to three weeks on site, depending on the extent of structural work, the cabinetry lead time and any waterproofing curing times. Custom cabinetry and stone benchtops are typically measured after the walls and floors are prepared. We provide a realistic schedule before starting.

Thoughtful details

Small details make a laundry far more pleasant. Power points above the bench for an iron or steamer. A pull-out bin for lint and rubbish. A shelf at the right height for laundry baskets. Good task lighting over the bench. A window for natural light and fresh air. Hooks behind the door. Soft-close drawers that do not slam. We help you think through these so the finished room works smoothly.

Common questions

Can a laundry fit in a cupboard?

Often yes. A concealed laundry needs good ventilation, appropriate drainage and space for appliances, but it can work well in smaller homes.

Do laundries need waterproofing?

Yes. Laundries are wet areas and must be waterproofed to suit their layout under AS 3740.

Can you add a dog-wash?

Yes. A raised dog-wash or a floor-level shower area can be built into a laundry, with appropriate falls, drainage and waterproofing.

Can you match the laundry to my kitchen?

We can coordinate cabinetry colours and benchtop materials with your kitchen for a consistent look through the house.

Book a design consultation

If your laundry is cramped, cluttered or worn out, book a design consultation. We will look at how your household uses the room and design a laundry that makes everyday tasks easier.

Areas we service

• Bathroom Renovations Brandy Creek
• Bathroom Renovations Buln Buln
• Bathroom Renovations Bunyip
• Bathroom Renovations Darnum
• Bathroom Renovations Drouin South
• Bathroom Renovations Drouin
• Bathroom Renovations Jindivick
• Bathroom Renovations Labertouche
• Bathroom Renovations Longwarry
• Bathroom Renovations Neerim South
• Bathroom Renovations Nilma
• Bathroom Renovations Trafalgar
• Bathroom Renovations Warragul
• Bathroom Renovations Yarragon