I have an addiction; it’s a website I visit in the wee hours of the morning and late at night. Looking at its pages causes my heart to race and keeps me riveted searching image after image, I can’t seem to stop! Look in my web browser history and you will find the website www.mls.ca come up over and over again.

Real estate is a passion, I truly love looking at homes and the MLS realtor site allows me to legally do this without peeking in windows and possibly being arrested for trespassing. It allows me to see how people in Central Alberta design their homes and I have found some breathtaking interiors in the process. Here is what I have also found….the majority of task spaces (specifically laundry rooms) in homes are dreary and not at all fun.

My home is no exception; I was recently trying to motivate myself to do chores which included laundry and cleaning the kitchen. The kitchen won and it seems to win every time – please don’t misunderstand I do laundry, I just don’t enjoy it. My conclusion is that my laundry task space is dull, undecorated, small and not fun to spend time in. My kitchen on the other hand is lovely and glows like a jewel when it is clean. Where would you rather spend your task time?

Many homes I see have a neglected laundry room somewhere in a dark corner of a basement which would inspire no one to launder clothes. I remember living in a heritage home with a horror movie inspired basement complete with aggressive black spiders.

I don’t think I did laundry the whole time we lived there. If you find this task daunting and unrewarding it may be because your space is uninspired – it may also be that you really dislike laundry.

There should be some priority given to this space even if it is minute in size. It should be completed with flooring that is warm and comfortable to stand on. The cold basement concrete encourages you to get in and get out as quickly as possible and makes the task of laundry less enjoyable. Is your laundry room a reasonable size? Consider a good reading lamp, a cozy chair and an area rug in one corner that will encourage you to hang out for half an hour while that washer load finishes. It may be the perfect mini retreat you need in your day.

If your laundry room is brightly coloured and a comfortable temperature you will be inclined to linger in that space as you perform a much-needed task. A folding table is an excellent addition to your room as it keeps the clothes in one neatly organized spot instead of in random, wrinkly piles. This is a fantastic room for bright paint, nature mural, entertaining and fanciful posters to brighten and inspire your chores. This is a room that you MUST spend time in on a weekly basis; it makes sense to create an enchanting space to work within.

Go and stand in your laundry room, feel the temperature on your feet. Consider the source of lighting and the overall mood and vibe of the room then ask, ‘Do I want to spend time in here’? Perhaps a fun vibrant wall colour or a sexy, shiny washer and dryer are just what you need for this makeover!

Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.