Project list
Sign in to your account
With project lists you can...
Please sign in or create an account to use Project Lists
While the space might have qualified as a small laundry renovation, the scope of this transformation was anything but, with Bunnings Workshop member Rachel Richmond doing a total laundry makeover.
Homeowners: Rachel and David Richmond
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
The project: laundry renovation
The budget: $10,000
Rachel’s top tip for renovators: 'When undertaking a project like this, always break down its different stages to the smallest parts. This means that everything is done in the correct order and reduces the likelihood of costly errors.’
‘It really wasn't achieving its potential,’ she says. ‘It was just horrid – it was a pinky apricot colour, the floor was covered in vinyl sheeting and the laundry tubs were that plasticky horrible material. And it just wasn’t functional either.’
There was one element though that troubled Rachel more than any other. ‘I hated the laundry so much that I could barely bring myself to enter the room but my particular disgust was reserved for the revolting exposed pipes,’ she says.
Rachel spent a lot of time on the Bunnings Workshop Community, looking at laundry renovation ideas and refining what she wanted. It was only when she came across fellow Workshop member housetohome's Farmhouse laundry renovation though, that she had a revelation – what if she raised her appliances to waist height?
‘I’d already planned my laundry but I saw that and thought it would be a game changer,’ says Rachel, who is known as RenoRach1 in the community. ‘The fact that you don’ have to bend down to search for things in the front loaders is fantastic. Having everything at eye level is just so good.’ Below the appliances, Rachel installed deep Kaboodle drawers that her family uses to sort dirty washing into whites and colours.
Another resource Rachel found invaluable was Kaboodle’s 3D kitchen planner. ‘I love looking at plans and playing around with things,’ she says. ‘I could pretty much do all of the work and measuring and re-measuring, just going over and over it in the planner.’
When she was finally happy with her design, Rachel booked an appointment with the kitchen planners at Bunnings Newstead, who could help her bring her dream laundry to life.
‘They went through and checked everything,’ Rachel says. ‘They advised me on a couple of things like hinges and extra accessories, too, but to be able to see what it would look like from different angles in the planner was amazing.’
Given that Rachel hated pretty much every aspect of the space, this project turned into one of the more extensive laundry renovations you’ll see. She completely gutted the room before waterproofing and starting from the ground up.
She installed cabinetry, built the elevated appliance spaces, enclosed the dreaded pipes, added a mosaic tiled splashback, patched holes in the walls, laid a laminate floor, updated the lighting and painted.
One of her favourite elements was the Belfast sink, which came at a higher price tag and added complexities to the reno but was a non-negotiable for Rachel. ‘I had to work out how I was going to build the space because it is very, very heavy and I had to have supports and make sure there was enough room for the plumbing,’ Rachel says.
While Rachel did spend more on some elements like the sink and taps, she was happy to keep the reno to four figures. ‘I kept a meticulous spreadsheet, I even put in caulking guns that I had to buy,’ she says. ‘It was around $9800, with absolutely everything including the plumber and electrician.’
As well as being thrilled with her new laundry, Rachel is also now an expert at Bunnings after spending so much time there, working on this project. ‘A lot of Friday nights, I'd be heading into Bunnings,’ she laughs. ‘This is a different time of my life – I used to go out to bars and nightclubs; now I go to Bunnings.’
Check out more of Rachel’s tips and see before and after pics on her laundry renovation page.
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
