AIR IT OUT

Laundry trends you'll love, plus washing hacks for all sorts of spaces

- Caroline Moratti

The laundry has overgone a radical transformation over the past few years. Once a forgotten, hidden room, it's now celebrated as a space of design and utility. Whatever your needs are, whether it's small space living, or having to hose down a dog and three kids after football in the garden, we've got the updates and ideas you need to know about.

NERVES OF STEEL

Will McCallum, co-founder of George & Willy says he loves thick stainless-steel benchtops in laundries, which remind him of a commercial kitchen and promote functional, heavy-duty design. "I think it's always better to choose timeless materials that you have always loved rather than ones that may be having a moment, which you may regret," he says.

Stainless steel is known for its durability, resistance to heat and rust, and ease of cleaning. "Treat your laundry like a little workshop/Formula One pitstop," Will advises.

Stainless steel is also non-porous, so the benchtop doesn't absorb odours or bacteria; perfect for washing gym shoes or those suspicious kitchen cloths. Plus, its metallic qualities help to add light and spaciousness to a small room. If you're not a fan of the commercial kitchen look, stainless steel comes in a wide variety of colours that range from brushed copper and brass to matte black.

OFF THE GROUND

Interior designer Suzanne Allen from Suzanne Allen Design is all about off-the ground, out-of-the-box thinking. "One thing I like doing at the moment is raising the appliances off the ground and sometimes adding a pull-out shelf beneath the appliances for putting the washing basket on when unloading/loading," she says. This also saves any potential back strain when it comes to loading and unloading, and the shelf can tuck away easily. Blum does a great pull-out shelf with this purpose in mind.

HANG IT UP