Fantastic! Like the color too!

What a fantastic idea and I do love changing something to make it work for you. Love to reinvent things.

Very decorative. All the wasted head room annoys me. I'd have to add a shelf.

Or, add a grid shelf so I had a place to lay sweaters flat to dry.

And of course, nobody's laundry supplies look that pretty and artistic.

And who needs a write-on-wipe-off board in the laundry, and wouldn't that easel be annoying to write on?

I'm intrigued by that ironing board--it is attached to the side of the shelves, so that it sticks out to the side, or does it stick out from the wall? And does it fold down? And if so, I wonder where they found the mechanism, bcs I want one.

I am a fan of the storage on the side of the bookcase, the way they have.

Glad you all like it. I loved the idea as soon as I saw it. There are some changes I'd make too. Everyone has different needs and slightly different entertainment centers to convert as we move to flat screen TVs.

For one I'd have left out the shelf in the largest area and had the dowel rod at the top for hanging clothes. Not even space for use were they did it. I'd also attach a dowel rod to extend from the side to hang slacks and dresses. Then I'd used the smaller area to the left by adding four or five dowel rods for storing empty hangers.

If I were making for a single person I would have have used the doors as small hampers by replacing the hinges with piano hinges across the bottom. Then add an angled "box" to each to pull out for tossing dirty clothes in. For us I probably would have left as they are for storing extra laundry supplies.

For Sue I would add shelves on the top that went clear to the ceiling with a library ladder attached. Does that sound good Sue?

I could go on and on with ideas, but hubby just called and took up some of my allotted break time and I want to check out other threads on this and other boards.

The thing w/ the rod is, this is NOT supposed to be permanent storage! it's a laundry center.

That small section w/ the hanging rod is just supposed to be where you hang up THIS LOAD'S WORTH of shirts that go directly onto hangers. Or, the clothes you are currently ironing. If they're long, like a dress, then they can just drape down in front of the bottom section for a few minutes.

All those clothes are then supposed to LEAVE THE ROOM and go to their closets. So you don't need lots of space, is probably what they were thinking.

The volume of hanging space you're suggesting implies that you're thinking of adapting it for clothes-storage space (out of season, or maybe just as a closet). Could work, but it's a different animal.

What *is* that double line across the former TV section? It almost looks like there's a hanging bar just under the shelf (see the little silver things at each end of whatever it is?)

I'm with you on the hampers at the bottom; I'm thinking that was what those baskets are trying to be, w/ the added advantage that you can lean over just a little to grab the whole basket and pull it out, instead of leaning over farther to get the clothes out.

I would never store laundry supplies that low to the ground--too much bending over, which annoys the heck out of me.

Also, FYI, my name is not Sue.

Get out the popcorn ladies the showdown is about to start! 8^P

Ummmm.... your knick name is talley_sue_nyc. I could have choosen talley or nyc, but picked sue because it was more likely your real name. Sorry, you are the one that chose it, not me.

I get called just, justgo, or the whole shabang of justgotabme. Not my real name, but I know who other members are talking to. It's all we have to go by here. If you'd like me to call you something else, please let me know.

Like I mentioned we all have different needs. My reason for needing extra space to hang clothes is NOT for permanent storage. I hang dry my hubby's wicking shirts. I also like to have plenty of hangers close by. Personal preference, as in *customized* for MY needs. With a fourteen foot long two sided walk in closet I don't NEED to leave anything in the laundry room. Heck if I'd have thought of it I'd have put the washer and dryer in there! It's a couple feet longer than our laundry room is. Gosh I love the midwest and it's wide open spaces!

Now to the laundry supplies stored so "low to the ground". I said they'd be extra, as is more than I need right now. I have a terrible habit ;) of buying supplies before I run out. I like having a place to store them close by, yet out of sight. The ones in use are stored in baskets on a special shelf that sits on top of the washer. The spiggeted detergent bottle is between the baskets. It's prefect for ME.

And yes, that is a rod under a shelf on the larger area of the entertainment center. Personally I don't like it there. Whoever made that one obviously does. If you haven't guessed by now, I do things according to what best works for MY family and MYself. I justgotabme. That's why I chose the knickname.

Ummmm.... your knick name is talley_sue_nyc. I could have choosen talley or nyc, but picked sue because it was more likely your real name. Sorry, you are the one that chose it, not me.

yes, but I did NOT choose "Sue." I chose "talley_sue_nyc."

Generally, if someone has not indicated their real name by signing below their post, one should use their full "handle."

(When faced w/ a "handle" that has an obvious geographical element, like liz_in_ga, or talley_sue_nyc, I feel free to drop the geographic part, but I never mess w/ the first part--for example, I never call Quiltglo "Quilt.")

I can understand people who want to shorten a handle, but it seems weird to me that you'd pick the middle section of the "handle" if you wanted something shorter. Nobody apparently calls you "gota."

I just wanted you to know, because I really dislike being called Sue. And how would you know, if I didn't tell you? Lots of other folks here have called me Talley Sue; I'd be glad if you'd follow their example.

That orange rod is in such a funny place--whoever did that has me really confused.
1) there's not enough space above it to get anything--not a hanger, and not even a T-shirt that needs to hang-dry--over it. So I wonder what they thought a body *would* use it for. Got any guesses?
2) the rod in the left compartment is silver; this one's painted; why didn't the stylist make them match? Do you suppose that's any hint to what the second rod's function would be?

I do like your idea of creating a place to hang the empty hangers. I need something like that in my actual clothes closet.

I'm thinking you might be unusual in having a need for so much linear footage to dry things on hangers (though maybe not--maybe many other folks hang lots of stuff to dry). The people whose laundry I've been privy to don't have that many things that need to hang on a hanger while they dry; they just have 10 shirts coming out of the dryer, or 6 things being ironed at once. So that smaller space is probably "enough room to use" for *most* people, and I'm guessing that's why the stylist set it up that way.

I would keep the doors on the bottom sections as justgotabeme suggested. I do like the idea of a dowel rod in the bigger section to the right, and I'd probably use it for hanger storage. Nix the dry erase board since I hate the things.

I love the way the designer hung a delicates laundry bag and lint rollers on the right side of the piece and installed a small ironing board. That board is perfect for doing up a few pieces of ironing at a time or for touch-ups.

At first, I was puzzled about why anyone would take the doors off the entertainment center and put those little baskets instead, but I get the idea that this is a representation of what one could do with an old EC.

I would undoubtedly end up with the upper shelf full of cleaning cloths in a small basket, with another basket full of kitchen towels beside it. I use kitchen towels in place of paper towels for everything except draining grease, so I go through quite a few on a daily basis.

love the way the designer hung a delicates laundry bag and lint rollers on the right side of the piece

Me, too.

I'm a big fan of using the sides of units like that to hold stuff. In my DD's closet, I cut down a plastic shoe-pocket organizer and staple-gunned it to the side of a set of shelves--one on the inside, one on the outside. Those little pockets are really useful, and that space would otherwise not actually be doing anything.

Another place I'd put that sort of stuff is on the back wall of the central space, above other stuff.

And I love drop-down ironing boards.

I haven't actually *used* one, though--maybe they'd annoy the heck out of me bcs things couldn't drape off the back end.

And I do like the bins in the bottom, w/o the doors. They wouldn't be big enough to hold real laundry, but I could see me putting hand-washables in them, so I could do a bunch at once. Or using one as a "sock basket" (though I keep my stray socks in the dresser drawer, so they can catch up to one another w/ less effort on my part).

I like the idea of having those open bins that you use *most* frequently to put stuff in (think, gravity), and only now and then take stuff out. I hate to squat.

This is a fun exercise--to see how people would use the space based on their own lives.

(for example, if I *had* a laundry room, it might not be the place where I keep cleaning supplies, and so I might not want my cleaning cloths in a unit like this).

I wouldn't like a drop-down ironing board...I have lots of linens, and lots of cotton and linen clothes, and I (yes, I do) iron my pillowcases...so I want the ironing board to be big, and in the middle of the room, so I can work either from the fat end or the pointy end. And because I actually like to iron, I always set it up in front of the TV, so I can be entertained while I work.

But that's me!

Should we take it a little easier on each other? I am sure we can trust everyone's intentions to be generous and kind??

Wow, that's really cute. Granted some things I wouldn't use, but the whole idea is so cool. And I love the color and polka dots!!!!

bronwynsmom: I agree w/ you about the Big Ironing Board With Lots of Room Around It. I don't think I'd ever want ONLY a drop-down ironing board. But I think it might be nice to have a drop-down ALSO.

I have always assumed that the inventors of the drop-down boards intended them *mostly* to be a secondary piece of equipment for quick touch-ups, and were figuring that people would also have the Big Board for big sessions, tablecloths, etc. (of course, there might be people who have so little space, they can only fit a drop-down)

I know that in my life, I have both types of ironing (add to that also "pressing when I'm sewing").

Yes, the pressing while sewing is a whole different deal, isn't it. And it would be really nice to be able to touch up things that don't really need ironing right when you take them out.
I invested in a tank steamer last year, and loved it until the on-off switch stopped working...have to get that fixed!
Item #4,358 on the list...

Talley Sue, I posted pics of my (messy) laundry room sometime back, and I do keep my cleaning supplies in there, but only because I have tons of them. Some of mine were actually inherited from my mom...I wonder if I should do a purge, but it seems so wasteful to throw away perfectly good, partially used cleaning products....

Anyway, I think that shoe organizers would work well in the converted entertainment center in that center section. I almost posted that very thing, but I realize I have a tendency to pack-ratted-ness, so I figured I'd leave that out. ;)

I have used a drop-down ironing board, and found it somewhat uncomfortable to use. I like the big board as well, especially as I iron as little as possible. When I do iron, I'm usually doing 30 items at a time and need lots of room. I prefer the "pull it out of the dryer fast" method of ironing.

Am I the only bad person here who actually presses on a towel on the table while sewing?

When I used to sew I made myself a little portable ironing board ! It was made from a cardboard that the fabric comes on and covered with flannel. That way you can set it on a table and iron without doing damage to the underlying surface.
I haven't sown in a long time, but took it out the other day to iron the trim on sheets and pillow cases and could use it right on the bed.
A neat thing to have!

What a great recycle. Thanks for posting. Always love to see new ideas.

What a great inspiration piece! When I saw it I thought wow, the idea seem so obvious, but I've never thought of something like this. This is great use for those old entertainment centers. Thanks for posting this tabme. :)

I do like to be able to slip the cloth under/around the ironing board.

So I find that I often use my tabletop ironing board, but I just set it on the bed.

(I took off the stupid, annoying chrome iron rack--I can't set my iron on it, bcs if the iron's mostly level, it keeps steaming, and it was ruining the table or making the bed damp, plus the stupid rack kept sliding in and out, and getting in the way. )

lissa, those shoe-box "cubbies" are an interesting idea. My experience w/ them is that when I get a *stack* of them, they're annoying, bcs I always want the one that's 2 or 3 down. And they always nest a little bit, so you have to lift of the top 5 to get the 6th one.

If I were going to put them in there, I'd also want to add shelves, so I didn't have to deal w/ that. Or I'd put the Sterilite drawers in there.

Posted by talley_sue_nyc: That orange rod is in such a funny place-whoever did that has me really confused.
There's not enough space above it to get anything-not a hanger, and not even a T-shirt that needs to hang dry over it. So I wonder what they thought a body *would* use it for. Got any guesses?

I thought it was a pull-out shelf - not a rod. A pull-out shelf would provide extra surface space when needed to set folded items after ironing (or whatever) and then be out of the way the rest of the time. I have a pull-out counter height shelf in my kitchen. I love it for extra real estate it provides when preparing food and then it is out of the way the rest of the time. It never becomes a landing place for "stuff" and it always ready to use. When it is pulled out I have an "L" work surface rather than just the long(ish) countertop over the cabinets. As you have guessed I have a really small kitchen, and this sort of thing makes things easier.

A pull-out shelf would explain the paint color. But it's so high to be a pull-out shelf. Yours sounds REALLY useful (I'm a bit envious; I too have a small kitchen), but part of that usefulness comes from the fact that it's at counter height.

If that's a shelf, it's at shoulder height.

But, actually, a pull-out shelf for folding WOULD be REALLY handy.

And, so would a pull-out *drying rack*--make a wooden frame, and put one of those wire shelves, or thewire grids from those cube shelf units, in the middle of the frame, and then attach drawer slides to the edges.....Then you can lay a sweater flat to dry.

(actually, a flip-up drying-rack-shelf on one end would be cool, too--though you'd have to have room beside the bookcase/unit.

speaking of drying racks--here's what was in my 'in' box this morning:

(some suggestions not to paint the dowels, as the moisture from the clothes would just ruin the paint)

Here is a link that might be useful: Martha Stewart's

Wow, why I was busy with my hubby this weekend this thread really went to town. I barely had time to get online before hubby finished his part of our projects and it was time for me to get to work again. It was nice having the help though.

I agree that such a small ironing board could be hand for somethings, but not for regular ironing. I prefer a full sized ironing board for sewing too. but then most of my projects are for the home and need all that space. We have a steamer for clothing that needs just a bit of touch up. It comes in handy.
I like the pull out drying rack. Great space saver.

talley_sue, What a great idea for a drying rack. I am trying to think of where I could put one like that. I used to have an extra rod in my bathtub to dry things on, but since we remodeled it I no longer do.

I do have a drying rack that is a stand alone and even that one I don't know where to put, other than temporarily in the bathtub. I am thinking maybe I could hang that one...but like I said, just where. Wall space is so limited in the laundry room and I don't think I would want it in the garage.

Just wondering how they keep the floor dry. I will have to check-out the link to see.

One thing I do keep forgetting is that I now have a towel warmer in my bathroom that I have also been using for clothes that are damp to help them dry quicker. That is a nice second use for the rack, besides having a nice toasty warm towel after my shower or bath! Love it!

I don't think they went into detail about the floor underneath.

probably Martha is so organized that she squeezes her hand-washing really dry inside a towel before hanging it, so there aren't any drips.

For me, I handwash very few things; most of the drip-dry stuff goes through the washing machine in a net bag, so it's spun pretty dry--dry enough not to really drip.

(my current drying rack is the wooden rocker in the living room--takes up no wall space at all, LOL!)

Talley_Sue, I don't think that the thing that I think is a pull-out shelf is at shoulder height. It is at the same height as the ironing board which would be about waist height for most people. It's hard to tell the size of that orange former entertainment center but some of them were made rather small and apartment sized for smaller TVs. We don't know the size of the easel or the baskets, but as a reference point using the low hanging, white shirts I think the unit is rather petite. Having a pull out shelf ensures that it won't have an unseen coffee mug, ring stain or something on it from being used for something else by another family member.

I love the idea of a pull down drying rack! My brain juices are churning now wondering what I could convert into one. Thanks for sharing the photo.

One thing that make a good space saving "drying rack" is those tiered pants hangers for closets. They are space saving and great for toddler socks and bras.

Sort of like the one below but the one I use is longer and has more tiers. It hangs on a hook on the wall by the W/D for drying and can be taken off and held in one hand for hanging or removing clothing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tiered Metal Pants Hanger

I put this one on the wall over my laundry room sink, and I loved it. You could easily mount one on the wall over your bathtub, as it is only an inch or two deep when folded, and it's all water-resistant materials. The two arms open out like a pair of doors, and the hanging bars are nested in the base, and slide forward along the inside of the arms, so you only need to pull out as much of it as you need (although the arms have to be fully open).

Here is a link that might be useful: Expanding drying rack

Hmm, maybe you're right about the heigt, dilly_dally--and a pull-out shelf would be smart.

Bronwynsmom--I have been wanting and wanting to get one of those sorts of racks to put in the laundry room, under the radiator and over the enclosed cat box.

You loved it? This was the very one you had? (there are other versions, is why I'm asking)

Yes, the very one. Leifheit...very well made, very smooth to operate, and very good-looking. Notice the slender steel bar underneath, which you can see in the photo of the closed unit...good to keep a towel on, or to hang a couple of little things to dry. I mounted mine over the counter my laundry sink was in, beside the washing machine, at about forehead height, which for me is about 63" off the floor. Easy to reach and pull out, and high enough over the sink to hang things like delicate underbits and stockings and silk shirts.
I bought it years ago from the Martha Stewart catalog, for about ten or fifteen dollars more than the quoted price on this link. (I don't know this vendor myself.)

and if your laundry center doesn't have a pullout shelf, you could mount THIS on the back wall, and use it to dry clothes. Less fussing than trying to turn a pullout shelf into a drying rack.

You know, by the time we're done analyzing and customizing this laundry center, we're going to need to make our own & sell it--so much for recycling!

Justgotabme, this is a really fun exercise--a great idea to start with, and fun to think about.

Now, if only I had a laundry room...sigh. One of the costs of apartment living.

Talley_Sue, I resonate! Just sold a house with a laundry room in the basement that I designed myself, and it had everything I wanted and needed, like racks and a sink and a folding table and and and...and nothing I didn't, and now I have a small over-and-under front loading pair (good ones, fortunately) behind a closet door in the narrow upstairs back hall with no room for anything except an inexpensive little cabinet from Crate and Barrel ibn the next room to hold the supplies...nowhere to put a basket, nowhere to fold, and only an over-the-door hook to hang things on before schelpping them back to the closets.
Whine, whine, whine.
I love the neighborhood, so it's entirely worth it, and I love having the laundry on the same floor as most of what I'm washing.

bronwynsmom...So glad this is the clothes hanging rack you have and like. I believe you have the large one. The large on is a little too big for my space so I ordered the one that is 28" to put over my new sink in my laundry room.
I ordered it from Bed Bath and Beyond. It was about 34.00 plus tax and shipping. Looks like it will be a good addition to my laundry room! Thank you for the suggestion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bed, Bath and Beyond

(I think this thread has had some of the most fun ideas we've had here in a long time!))

oh, oh, Leifheit make a shorter one? Bcs I need a shorter one, too. Thanks, brugloverz!

Oh, bronwynsmom, I feel for you about your new space. Especially hard when you had a wonderfully organized setup in the OLD space.

My mom has her little front-loaders in a long hall closet, and she has contemplated setting them side by side to put a counter above them. But it's one of those long closets, so she's got some room.

OK, Martha is on a roll; this is what today's Organizing Tip of the Day e-mail had in it:

Which got me to thinking about that cabinet from Crate and Barrel in bronwynsmom's new place, and whether she could somehow add to or expand that cabinet--make it taller, if it's short, for example.

Sort of a cross between this freestanding unit, the unit above that justgotabme brought us, and an armoire (either old or modern).

Add a pullout shelf, hooks or slim baskets on the insides of the doors, bins or dishpans to hold pretreating material, handwashing, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Laundry Wall

bronwynsmom, did you see the tension rod that goes across the closet, in Martha's wire-shelving pic?

You could add one of those, to hold clothes while you take them out of the closet.

Or there are longer hooks; sometimes they're called carriage hooks. I also saw a cool straight-out hook intended to hold coats in the reception area, at Simons Hardware, an upscale hardware store in NYC,but I can never find it online to show a picture to people. this one is sort of like it, but there was an even longer one--8 inches, I think--the idea being that it held several hangers behind the door.

And of course, there are heavy-duty-hanging-stuff-in-the-garage-type hooks

And bars to mount on the back fo the door. some of them have a shelf or two

And I never get over there to find it again.

OK, I'm officially obsessed.
Trying to find something a little longer for bronwynsmom to hang up the clothes that are coming out of the dryer.

You could use a bracket for holding a flowerbox on the outside of the house

a long, straight plant hook (this one is 9")

Of course, you'd need to position it so that it went into an empty space inside the closet when you shut the door.

This wouldn't really work, the Hinge-It butler, bcs it have to be installed on the hinge side, which in a closet will be on the outside.

Yes, talley_sue, it is a shorter one by the same co. This is called the 70 and the larger one the 100. I like to order on-line from BB&B as there goods are returnable to the store and I have one a couple of miles from home. I choose to order and get the shipping charge rather than go to the store where I will of course find other things I have to have also. Actually I thought I was saving the tax too, but no luck there. I guess they have to charge tax when there is a brick and mortar store in the state.

Talking about hooks...you could also find some in birdfeeder supplies at probably a reasonable cost.

Talley Sue, you are a terrier when you get into a challenge, aren't you?? Takes one to know one, my dear...;>)
I love all these ideas, but sadly the walls along the hall are old plaster, the closet is completely filled by the washer and dryer, the hall is only four feet wide, and the little cabinet, which is sufficient for the supplies, is actually sitting in the household office in a little space formed by the top railing of the back staircase. I do have several strong white plastic over the door hooks that I move around to where I need them, and one lives on the inside of the w/d closet door for things that should go on hangers right away. But there is a bathroom (with hardly any extra space as well) just along the hall from the washer/dryer closet, and I am thinking about ways to incorporate some of the things I need into it.
The advantage of this set-up is that I can't let laundry build up! And I can just scoop it out of the dryer and take it to the bedroom to fold. So I think I'll stop complaining now...

The advantage of this set-up is that I can't let laundry build up!

Do you find that bcs the machines are right where you "live" in your home, that it's easier to start a load, or to move it from one machine to the next?

That's the thing that messes me up; I have to go through a big production to DO laundry.

In answer to your question, Talley Sue, yes, it is much easier. The house is very long and narrow, and it is a schlepp from our bedroom and bath at the front of the house, which is where the laundry is until I do it, but that's the only inconvenience. Except that the noise of the machines can interfere if my husband is working at home, because he uses the back office at the end of the hall where they are. I can schedule around that pretty effortlessly.
The inconvenience is in the ironing...the television is downstairs, and that's where I iron. I need to figure out a place for the board...and maybe even buy a second one for upstairs...

I separate ironing so far, mentally, from the laundry, that I'd probably be OK w/ doing it far from the laundry room. Though I wouldn't like carrying the clothes up and down stairs.

Where *I* want to be able to launder is right next to the closet, when I take the clothes out to put them ON for the day. It's actually a deep enough yearning that I probably ought to figure out how to do it more easily--run a power strip so I can plug in the iron without contorting myself; maybe store the little ironing board near the bed (even walking to the other side of the room feels too hard, LOL!). I'd love to find an ironing board that's small like that but has its own legs. (maybe I can find a folding stand that mine will fit on)

OOOOhhhh Laundry, I have 2 boys (3 if I count dh - and yes, I'd better), and it seems I have to do 1 - 2 loads per day, if I skip a day then the load quantity seems to compound itself! I miss our old tiny rental, the laundry was in it's own room off the kitchen and it was so much easier to keep up. Now we are in our new (dream) home and the way the layout has turned out, laundry is in the basement (along with the 2 kids's rooms) or I could have hidden it upstairs (where the big people live). Half of one or half of the other.

I used to know a girl who is mom to four boys, and she said if they ever could afford a bigger home, she wanted a laundry room that could also house all the boys' clothing (in closets and dressers). They go in to dress, dump the dirty laundry, and it would be quick and easy to launder and put away since it's all in the same room. Makes sense to me, instead of carrying from bedrooms to laundry room, then back again.

It will be a while before our home is completely finished, and I get shelves and drying bars in my laundry room, but I am appreciating all these new and modern ideas/accessories that I did not know were about, to aid in that chore. Thanks so much for the ideas and links.

kioni, there's a family, the Duggar's, that have a laundry room with a family closet. I wish I would have thought of that. I've linked below to their website. It's in with the photos of their home, but it's in a slide show.

I'm thinking this husband and wife team would make a great president and VP. When it comes to handling finances they'd have this country in shape in no time. Not to mention resolving conflict among each other. They all pitch in with every chore depending on their age. They are amazing!
~Becky

Here is a link that might be useful: The Duggar Family

JGBM...What a wonderful story...thank you so much for the link!

talley_sue...my drying rack arrived. It looked so much longer than I expected, but seems like it is the right lenght. I am anxious to get it installed, which btw will be very simple with 2 screws or nails put into the wall. I will let you know more as I use it!

brugloverz, if you think of it, can you let me know how far apart the *screw holes* are? Not the exterior measurement, but how far apart the holes are you will have to drill?

I think sometimes of putting it up where an old towel bar was in the bathroom, and using almost the same holes in the tile. But if it doesn't fit well, then I'll put a new towel bar there.

I guess I could see if they have it in-house at BB&B, and if I can't make it work, they'll take it back, right?

talley_sue...the center of the holes for installation are exactly 24 1/2 inches apart.

I am not sure if they have it in house, but I know that the one that I sent for is returnable to the store if it doesn't work out. Of course then you have to pay shipping to get it and are not able to take advantage of the 20% off coupons. For me...saving gas and time makes the shipping charge worth it.

Any more questions about it, please feel free to ask and I will tell you or even send photos!

brugloverz9, you are very welcome. They are such an awesome family.

brugloverz, thanks! I'll check and see where the "scars" are in the tile.