Welcome to our monthly column, Room Makeover. Have a tricky decor problem you just can’t solve? No challenge is too great. Submit a high resolution photo of one room only and a brief description of your “design dilemma” to Ktaylor@Whatsupmag.com and NMaril@Whatsupmag.com. Upon approval, we will submit your room to a local interior designer who will diagnose your problem and suggest solutions and products. WhatsUp? will publish the results in this column and/or on our web site.
From Junk Room to Laundry Room
By Kymberly Taylor
The Problem:
Publisher Veronica Tovey has a 342-square-foot cluttered basement laundry room that is no longer functional. She envisions a laundry room with a pleasant look and feel, good lighting, and lots of storage. She wants an area where she can repot her plants and nurture others under a grow light as well as store items she uses on a seasonal basis.
The Solution:
Mike Scarpignato, owner of Rendition Builders Custom Remodeling, suggests giving the illusion of more space by covering wires, pipes, and vents with a drywall ceiling. Cinder blocks can be dry walled over and then painted. Electrical boxes can be hidden along with the hot water heater by sliding paneled doors, mounted and framed so they appear recessed into the wall.
To deter a sense of clutter, he uses a minimal color palette composed simply of bright white for trim and cabinets and dove grey for walls. Granite “uba-tuba” counters with storage both above and below are ideal for working with plants and in the “potting area.” He advises installing a grow light over one of the counters and adding a sink. Twelve-inch earth-toned tiles over the concrete floor add an attractive finish to a room equipped with plenty of storage, counter space, and light.
The Designer:
Mike Scarpignato, Rendition Builders Custom Remodeling & Design Services in Davidsonville. 410-774-4609. RenditionBuilders.com/WhatsUp.
