Creating Mandy Moore's Laundry Room with Style and Function by Electrolux
Interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel shares how adding style and function to Mandy Moore's laundry room started with Electrolux appliances.
When people think about remodeling their home, the laundry room isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind. But designer and blogger Sarah Sherman Samuel knows it’s a space where you get a lot of work done and probably spend quite some time. That’s why when she worked on Mandy Moore’s home renovation, the laundry room was anything but an afterthought. “Mandy and I share some mutual friends, and one of her best friends suggested working with me, so we met at the house just after they purchased it and hit the ground running,” Sherman Samuel explains. “[Regarding the laundry room], we knew we wanted to reconfigure the space to create a better flow by swapping the sink and laundry machines’ locations. We also wanted to make it a little larger, so we worked with the architect, Emily, to move one wall out about a foot.”
BEFORE
AFTER
The Right Appliances
The washer and dryer are the centerpieces of any laundry room, and Moore’s features an Electrolux white combo. “Since there are no windows in the space and we wanted to use a palette of black and white, white was the obvious choice for the machines and the cabinets to keep the space bright,” Sherman Samuel says. But appliances are not just about looking good — they need to get the work done. “The thing I love most about the Electrolux washer that other brands don’t have is its ability to mix the detergent and water together before it ever reaches the clothes,” Sherman Samuel says. “I recommended Electrolux to Mandy after having used their machines in our Palm Springs house, and it turned out that she also had Electrolux in her previous home.”
Design and Functionality
When working on your own laundry room, there are a few things to keep in mind. “Functionality is always the first thing to consider when tackling a laundry room design. You want the room to follow the flow of the work being done in the space,” Sherman Samuel says. “The laundry room is a space where functionality and aesthetics can really come together, which is the essence of design. It creates an opportunity for design to shine.”
There are also a few must-haves, according to Sherman Samuel: “Counter space for folding, room for hanging items, closed storage, a sink is handy, and of course great machines.” Sherman Samuel knows Moore actually enjoys doing laundry and spending time in her laundry room, so it needed to feel like part of the house, not just an addendum. “The flooring is poured terrazzo, which we used throughout the house and brought into the laundry room for continuity. The wallpaper is a little whimsical while still being elegant and modern, and I think wallpaper in general works so well in a laundry space. It is such a good chance to make a statement and bring some personality to a utilitarian room. The rest of the house has a softer color palette, but I wanted this space to be bold and graphic, and there is no better way to go graphic than with black and white. I’ve wanted to use this wallpaper for as long as I can remember seeing it, and this seemed like the perfect spot for it.” Asked if she has any tips to achieve all this on a budget, Sherman Samuel adds, “If wallpaper isn’t in your budget, you can still create a statement wall with paint. And clearing the clutter is always my No. 1 tip for a quick makeover. Use baskets to organize cleaning products if you don’t have closed storage.”
As for if Sherman Samuel is a “This Is Us” fan? “I am! We started the project during the middle of the first season, so of course I had to start watching it as I heard such great things, and what better way to support a client than to be able to see her work? First episode in I was hooked.”
