I think it’s appropriate to take a “clean, fresh” look at our new laundry room, just like the start of the new year feels to me.

Back in October, Pete and I laid the Marmoleum tile, an all-natural linoleum flooring, and our washer and dryer arrived soon afterward.

We opted for the pedestals, both for additional storage space and to make it easier to access the clothes without a lot of stooping.

According to my research, the Bosch Vision 500 Series Washer fit our needs best.

It appeared to be the most energy-efficient, quietest washer on the market. Because this was going on the second floor, a washer with the least amount of vibration was also a big advantage. The added security of their Aqua-Stop feature, which shuts the water off immediately if it detects a leak, also sold us on Bosch.

The companion gas dryer has a steam option, which is good for people like us who rarely iron.

Now that we’ve used them for a few months, in general I’m very happy with them. I can definitely feel the vibration when the washer is on the maximum spin cycle, but considering the speed, it’s very minimal. It hasn’t walked its way across the room, so that’s a good thing. For smaller loads, we found it best to reduce the spin cycle, which you can change with a touch of the button.

There are a couple minor quirks, like the beeping when the load is done on both the washer and dryer. It seems to continue indefinitely and I haven’t checked to see if that can be turned down or minimized.

The dryer has a sensor to detect when clothes are dry, so the dryer tends to shut down at various times — some clothes are dry while others are still damp. I guess it’s a good thing so that quicker-drying clothes don’t get “over-dried” (if there is such a thing!), but it means more trips to the laundry room. That’s not a big issue since it’s in our living space now, but several trips down to the basement would get old really fast. There’s probably a better way to handle that, but I haven’t checked the manual to see if it can be adjusted.

Since we went with a red, gray and white color scheme here, the old red IKEA computer desk from the basement fit in perfectly here and should be a nice little sewing station (I really must break in that sewing machine!).

And, what laundry room wouldn’t benefit from a little organization? With The Container Store’s Annual 30% off ELFA Sale in full swing now until mid-February, our New Year’s break was the perfect time to purchase and install shelving.

Another transplant from the basement was our under-counter refrigerator, which came from the laundry room in our previous house. Although we used it when we hung out in the basement with guests, we didn’t have an “under-counter” spot for it in this house, so it was wedged next to the bar. Since the additional attic space is turning into a lounge/exercise/yoga/gaming spot, we thought we’d get more use out of it upstairs.

The small coffeemaker, a thoughtful Christmas gift from Pete, allows me to get my coffee fix without having to crawl downstairs to the kitchen. He knows me so well!

This shelving unit is located directly across from the red desk, and that’s about all the room that’s left here. It’s a very small room, around 7-ft by 7-ft, which seemed like plenty of space until the washer and dryer arrived. The original plans called for the furnace in this room, and I’m so glad we moved it to another area or there would be absolutely no room to move.

I’d like to get a little artwork or something on the walls in here, and we have an idea for mounting a wire shelf above the washer/dryer to use as a drying rack. Yeah, yeah, it still needs trim and a door (and I have a great idea for repurposing a basement door, which will have to wait at least until spring because it involves paint stripping) — minor details, right? — but for all intents and purposes, this room is done!

Tags: attic renovation, eco-conscious, ELFA, Energy Star, green products, green remodeling, laundry room, organization, Resources, shelving