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Melbourne D.I.Yer Rufaro Chakaingesu used all his experience from previous renos to transform an empty space into the laundry and powder room of his dreams – and it didn’t cost the earth, either.
Home owner: Rufaro Chakaingesu
Location: Melbourne’s northern suburbs
The project: Laundry renovation
The budget: $1800
Rufaro’s top tip for renovators: “Laundries don’t just have to be a functional space. Have a design feature, like a tile or a mirror, to turn the room into a nice space.”
Rufaro Chakaingesu’s previous laundry reno was nice but affordable. His budget laundry makeover, in the first home that he and wife Primrose owned, was focused on making a small space functional. Fast forward a few years though, and Rufaro’s second laundry reno looks anything but ‘budget’. “I thought I’d have a bit more fun with this one,” says Rufaro, who is known as diy_hausdesigns in the Bunnings Workshop Community.
When the family moved into the new house in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, they knew it needed work. “It was a shocker,” Rufaro says. “The first things we did were the flooring and the walls, and then the bathroom. We focused on everything else apart from the laundry – we wanted to have the time and energy to do it properly.”
Rufaro wanted to have consistent design features running throughout each room. “The house has VJ paneling so it was a deliberate choice to put VJ panelling behind the mirror here,” he says. Rufaro also continued the timber laminate flooring from the other rooms into the laundry, and the feature tiles can be found on the porch, too.
With this renovation, Rufaro set himself the challenge of making the space a laundry and a powder room. “This room has a separate toilet so we wanted to create a powder room effect so that guests don’t have to use the toilet and then find the bathroom with the sink,” he says.
Rufaro created the zones with a careful use of space. “It’s nearly two distinct areas. There’s a functional space with the cabinets above and the appliances below,” he says. “Then if you shimmy to the right, it’s essentially a nice little area with a giant mirror and a little sink.”
The statement mirror elevates the room but it wasn’t originally in the plans. “That was an off-the-cuff decision. Initially we wanted a simple mirror, but then we found this at Bunnings,” Rufaro says. “It has the curvature of the sink and the tap, and it was only $60. It really works – that whole area is a nice little spot.”
Rufaro used a sensor light, also from Bunnings, to create atmosphere. “I built a ledge underneath the mirror that’s about 50mm. That was just enough to prop that light underneath,” he says. “It’s a rechargeable light and it senses as soon as you walk into the room so it always has a nice ambience.”
Everything in the reno was considered to make sure the finished room looked spacious and premium. Rufaro hung the cabinets higher on the wall to create a sense of space in the area. He also built a timber shelf around the cabinets for even more storage. “I wrapped the shelf up the side of the cabinet so there’s continuity with the timber element,” he says. “We put little towels on the shelf for guests.” Brushed gold handles completed the look.
Rufaro thinks laundry designs have come a long way in the last decade. “Laundries don’t have to be bland,” he says. “I walk into our laundry and think it could be one of the nicer parts of this house.” Having said that though, he still didn’t spend a lot on the laundry renovation – in fact, coming in at just $1800, it could still be classified as a budget makeover. “That’s one of the more important learnings we had: you don't have to throw money at everything,” he says.
To see more of Rufaro’s (diy_hausdesigns) projects, visit the Bunnings Workshop community. You’ll find projects including a clever low-level composite deck over concrete, a timber pergola as well as a fantastic European laundry makeover for under $1000.
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.
