Small Laundry Room

Studio Celeste converted a mudroom 7.5ft x 9.5ft into a small laundry and cat gym. The walkway from kitchen to the back yard is a high traffic area, so nothing clutters this path.

We left the wizened surface of the floor. The owner wanted to keep its rugged demeanor because it is the only original floor in the house (1892). We like the addition of texture to the room. For a focal point, we added the glass back door with Victorian Gingerbread and antique hardware. This door and another glass door together provide a thermal barrier against the cold. The cats love to sit and look out of these full-length doors. The squirrels and birds are right at nose level. We wanted to create a series of stepped levels for jumping up to the top of the 7ft high washer/ dryer. To begin we covered all fixtures behind the appliances with a custom fitted box, which makes it impossible for a cat to get behind the machines. Both cats enjoy going up and down the steps. One of the cats enjoys bumbling a stuffed toy from the bed on top down each level to the floor.







Levels below the washer/dryer are a broom closet and a cabinet for pet food storage. The top of the food storage cabinet is the right height for the owner to use as a cat grooming station.



Windows that face the yard flood the room with sunshine. The small cabinet under the windows has antique Eastlake hinges and Eastlake knobs. These are a nice contrast to the light color of the wood. The cats lounge on this cabinet. One cat, who likes to hold on with his tail, grasps a knob while lounging. The cabinet is under a trumpet vine, which is on the other side of the windows. Both cats chatter and sing when they are on the cabinet. They must feel like tree top tigers. One of the cats likes to jump laterally, so a leap from the window cabinet to the food storage cabinet is good fun.



Around three sides of the laundry is a shallow 3” ledge. The cats stalk on this ledge. They can jump up the “Chaco-Canyon” steps to the top of the dryer then drop down to the narrow ledge and walk around to the cabinet with a view.

The tops of the cabinets are a bright tan. Together with the door, they contrast with the gray room. The owners treat the bright wood, with teak oil, once a month. The three colors- saturated red, bright tan, and grey - create a design of light and dark hues for cat calisthenics.