May 29, 20026

I have often heard May referred to as May-hem, especially from my clients and friends with kids. It has a similar rhythm to December I feel with many competing events and deadlines and the arrival of family members home for the (summer) holidays.

May is when the city as a whole transitions to summer mode, even though its still spring. This year it really did feel like a switch was flipped at the start of the Victoria Day long weekend, temps that had been seasonally low, soared to become seasonally high and the annual search in our closets for lighter weight clothing appeared overnight. 

Summer cottages are generally reopened in May and the sometimes weekly drive to and from begins and the city becomes to feel a little more spacious at the weekends with so many people away.

Life tends to accelerate at this time of year, we all begin to emerge from our cocoons, we want to tend our gardens, go for walks, eat on patios and plan vacations and nights away. It can feel if we don’t jump right to it, we might miss the opportunity to feel the sun on our faces and sit and exhale with loved ones. 

I feel our homes have to work extra hard during these seasonal shifts. The weight and heft of winter is lifted and packed away and our doors and windows are at long last open to welcome in a soft breeze. 

At this time I often think about the spaces in our homes that work the hardest, often behind the scenes – the ones that we need to support us. 

The Laundry Room Deep Dive

Laundry rooms have really evolved from the dark and musty smelling corner in the basement to an increasingly multi-functional space. They play a key supporting role in a household and are no longer an afterthought. 

In our designs we often find a larger laundry room on the main or lower level with a more compact space for stacked machines on the second floor. 

These functional spaces affect well-being just as much as beautiful living spaces – having a zone to launder that includes a space to dry your clothing is so important. 

We always want to know how clothes are dried in our clients homes. Does everything go into the dryer or does the majority need space to hang to dry. Planning for this is critical in making the space a success as no one wants to have damp clothes overflowing into other spaces to dry. 

Laundry Rooms are especially important in busy family homes and cottages and are often combined with the mudroom and pet washing station. 

We like to use porcelain floor tiles for their durability and resistance to stains and we love to have fun with colour as there is no reason why a space that is functional can’t be good looking!!! 

What Makes a Great a Great Laundry Room

Let’s look at this laundry which is an extreme example of a makeover! 

The original laundry room was a closet with a stacked washer and dryer and minimal storage. The original layout did not take into account the door swing on the appliances (the washer on the bottom was hinged on the left) and it was really hard to get things in and out plus there was no space to dry anything. 

We needed to carve out some additional space and to do this we extended into what was the powder room. 

My client also had a guest bathroom that was located opposite the powder room and felt that it was unnecessary to have both and we agreed. So the powder room was removed and the new space was formed. 

The door opening is in the same location but the space from the sink cabinet and beyond to the appliances was taken from the powder room. We added a reeded glass door to allow light to filter in from the hallway. 

A hanging rod allows for ample space for clothes to air dry and there is a pull out wall mounted drying rack out of site of this image. 

What we delivered for our client – 

Improved Flow – this space supports our client

Concealed Storage – good function comes from things having a known place

Durable but Tactile Materials – the floor is planked porcelain

Ease of Maintenance – laminate cabinets on the lowers are super durable

Great Task Lighting – means no dark corners

We also introduced our client to detergent sheets for washing which take up little to no space and mean you don’t have to store huge bottles of detergent. 

Good design comes from good planning and I find that hidden function creates calm and beauty changes behaviour.

Taking Control

Preparing our homes for the warmer months ahead can feel overwhelming but if broken down into zones it can make all more achievable. 

I always start with the mudroom / hall closet / entry – clear away boots and coats that you won’t need or want to see until the fall. 

Then I move into my own closet and edit what is in there and add back in what was removed last fall. 

From there I always feel a need to update what is in the bathroom – skincare, sunscreen – I take a good look at all and edit. 

Then it comes to bed and bath linens – lighter weight, linen and cotton is my perfect combination.

In the main living spaces I’ll edit my throws and cushion cases and I do enjoy moving around my accessories and books. It gives the place a whole new look. 

Window screens are cleaned and put back in place – I always remove mine over the winter. 

Finally its the kitchen – now this is the last place for me as its not really my domain, but even I know that there are small appliances, utensils, linens and other stuff that we use seasonally. So this too is reshuffled. 

This may all sound like a lot but if you get into a quarterly routine of editing and shifting things its not a massive chore and believe me all feels so much lighter at the end and there is joy to be found in being to find things with ease! 

In Print

For two months in a row we are in print – the latest edition of House & Home features our Lawrence Park project! 

Grab a copy now and delve into this colourful, joyful home. 

What’s Next

Thank you for reading this month’s journal!

In June I am very excited to be heading to Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design, which will also allow for a holiday in Stockholm and Edinburgh and then a sourcing trip to London which will coincide with Wow House at Chelsea Harbour. I shall post some of my finds on my Instagram stories, but most of the time I plan to stay simply immersed and present in the here and now. 

Wishing you a wonderful June,  

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1-3, 6 & 13from our Lawrence  Park Family Home project. Image 4 & 7 Entrance Foyer and Mudroom from our Net Zero Ready Home, Image 5 from our Midtown home  Our before and after laundry room was part of an entire Old Mill Condo renovation.

Photography in images 4 & 7 by Younes Bounhar from DoubleSpace Photography All other photos by Virginia Macdonald 

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