Greetings!

February is the month of L-O-V-E...And we love every room in the house! It is also time to think about those spring projects, because before you know it will be summer... Crazy we know. But don't worry, we are here to help you with that small remodel, large addition or complete new home building project. We have the cabinets right for each area of your home.

This month's newsletter is going to focus on ideas so you LOVE your laundry room, but check out some of our past newsletters for exciting tips for other rooms in your home. Our talented designers have years of experience and are just waiting to share with you their expertise.

Also don't forget to Like Us on Facebook and Instagram for more information on current trends, cool new products, before and after photos of our jobs and more!
Create a High-Functioning Laundry Room With These Must Have Features
Laundry is a chore that we all have to endure. If it sometimes feels like drudgery, it might be your laundry room. It's funny because we spend so much time in them, yet architects, builders, and even homeowners treat the laundry room as almost an afterthought, typically leaving this room plain and minimally functional. In older homes, laundry rooms are often space in the basement with lousy lighting, bare concrete floors, and no place to fold and hang clothes, or even store essentials. 

Creating a more functional laundry room is much less painful and less expensive than remodeling other areas of your home. Often the washer and dryer are already installed, meaning that the water supply and drainage lines are already in place. When it comes to materials, they can be low-cost and basic, or you can upgrade and make a statement; it all depends on your budget and aesthetic needs. And, because the laundry room isn't as essential as the kitchen or bathroom, remodeling it won't significantly impact your lifestyle.

Let's look at some must-have features that will take your laundry room from being a featureless, barely functional space to a place that will make you look forward to doing the laundry!
Think About Form and Function 
You want to begin the process by answering a few questions that will affect your decisions and budget. The first question to ask is, are you merely looking for more functionality, or are you hoping to make the space fit into your home's design aesthetic? Next, consider the mechanics. Do you plan on working with space you already have, or are you considering relocating your laundry room to another area of the house? Buying some new appliances and adding a little paint or wallpaper is one thing; taking down walls, rerouting plumbing, and building an entirely new space is another.  

Another good question to ask yourself is, "why now?" It's a good idea to think about why it might be the right time to remodel or redecorate the laundry room. If you're planning a larger project, such as a kitchen or bathroom remodel, it might be more cost-effective to do everything at once. 

Remember, your laundry room isn't always about simply washing and drying clothes. Think about how you'll use the space. Will you want to use the room for other functions besides just laundry, and make sure you incorporate the features needed to accomplish those tasks. For example, do you need storage space for those 50-pound bags of dog food? Many homeowners make their laundry room function as mudrooms, storage space for brooms, vacuums, and cleaning supplies, a drop off for the kid's sports gear, a butler's pantry, a home office, craft room, pet room, and more! Ultimately your remodel will depend on how you'll use the space. 
Must-Have Features
Once you've answered these questions and have determined how you'll use the space, the time comes to consider functionality, aesthetics, and the features you'd love to have. Today, there are many options in terms of appliances, materials, décor, and design. Here are some must-have features that can take laundry day from a chore to something you look forward to! 

• Comfortable Flooring
Unfinished bare floor, whether it's concrete or uncovered subfloor, is not fun to walk on and can be uncomfortable to spend any amount of time standing on. Unfinished flooring is a pretty good indicator that your laundry room was an afterthought. 
If your home's flooring doesn't include the laundry room, consider covering the floor with a good, waterproof floor covering. Options include luxury vinyl plank or tile flooring, ceramic, or porcelain tile. All will stand up well to water, even small amounts of pooled water. If you have a smaller laundry room, it's a great space to experiment with that attractive tile you love that might not work elsewhere in your house.

• Create Work Zones
Get your laundry folded before you leave the laundry room. For the ultimate convenience, consider creating multiple work zones. If you have front-loading machines, adding a countertop can give you the perfect place to fold your laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. If you have a larger space, you can designate an area for ironing. If not, consider an ironing board that folds down from the wall. Make sure to include a hanging rack for freshly ironed clothing. 

• Built-in Laundry Storage and Organizers
Most homeowners with dedicated laundry rooms report that one of the first changes they would make is to add storage and organizing capabilities to the space. Having adequate storage can make a big difference in the functionality and aesthetics of your room. Possibilities include: Wall cabinets, floating shelves for lightweight items, wheeled laundry baskets that can be used to sort laundry (store them under a countertop to conserve space), and open wall cabinets for easy access to detergents, spray starch, and stain sticks
Special Features You'll Love
If you have the room and the budget, here are a couple unique features you can include in your laundry room that will boost its functionality and up the cool factor!

• Add A Utility Sink
You might not think you need a utility sink in the laundry room, but you'll wonder how you could have lived without one for so long as soon as you have one. A utility sink has several uses in the laundry room. You can use it to wash out the kid's muddy football uniform before throwing it in the wash. You can use it to pre-treat or soak items, and of course, there's a range of non-laundry uses from washing out paintbrushes to potting plants.

• Upgraded Lighting
If your laundry room has nothing but a hanging bulb or fluorescent fixture, you need an upgrade! Bad lighting makes doing laundry difficult. Why not convert that hanging light into a series of well placed recessed lighting, or lose the fluorescent fixture and replace it with an attractive flush-mount ceiling light. If you have wall cabinets, under cabinet lighting can create the perfect workspace. 

• LG Styler Clothing Steamer
The LG Styler is a smart wi-fi enabled steam clothing care system that will keep you looking your best. If you spend a lot on dry cleaning, the Styler can lower your dry cleaning bills and keep your clothes looking fresh. It's an asthma and allergy-friendly certified sanitizer that can reduce odor and help to reduce allergens up to 99% from clothes, pillows, blankets, and more, creating a healthier home for you and your family. The Styler will also quickly dry delicates, like lingerie and sweaters, without shrinking or damage. Just plug it into any standard outlet, fill the water container, and you're ready to go!

Your laundry room can be so much more than just a functional space. With a little planning, you can turn your laundry room into a workspace that can add functionality to your home while improving your lifestyle and providing you with even more comfort. It's a relatively inexpensive upgrade that can turn laundry into something you actually enjoy doing!

If you live in the Midlands area, and you're planning a remodeling project, why not contact the design experts at CHW Cabinetry a call at (803) 520-6837 or contact us through our website. We're always happy to answer any questions you might have and can help you to design the perfect laundry room to meet your unique aesthetic and functional needs! Call us today and arrange a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your project.
Display Spotlight!
Our Challenger Designs display is sure to attract your Valentine if that person loves ceramic grill cooking. This display features a Classic Kamado Joe grill in their signature red color... perfect for a Valentine's Day gift! The cabinetry is our all metal Challenger brand in their Classic White Shaker door. Challenger cabinetry is not only an all weather cabinet, but also comes with the hardware and countertops if you like. With so many colors to choose from, you are sure to find the combo that works for your backyard oasis!

If you would like an estimate on your outdoor oasis, contact us today. And to see more details of this display or our other displays and projects that CHW has done, Follow us on Instagram and Like us on Facebook.
This Month's Feature Recipe
Red Velvet Popcorn
Before we get into the details of how to make this lovely confection, we need to warn you. It’s unbelievably delicious. Now, we know we say that about a lot of things, but this stuff is super duper tasty. Anyway, to make this you will need to bake a red velvet cake. We just used the box variety. If you follow the recipe below, you’re only going to need about 1/3 of the cake, which is kind of an ideal situation. You can get some store bought cream cheese frosting and send the rest of the cake to a loved one. It make a great valentine's gift! You could also make a bigger batch of the popcorn and use more of the cake. Either way, it’s clearly a win-win situation.

Ingredients
  • 8 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels) OR you could do two standard-size bags of popcorn in the microwave
  • 3 cups red velvet cake crumbs (about 1/3 of a 9 x 13 cake)
  • 22 oz. (2 bags) white chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon of Crisco

Instructions
  1. Let's get poppin'! First pop your popcorn using an air popper or the stove. Again, you can cheat and just use the microwave variety (plain fat-free popcorn works best)
  2. Next, melt your white chocolate chips along with the Crisco in a double broiler on the stove.
  3. Transfer your popcorn to a large bowl, making sure to remove any unpopped kernels. Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn and stir to coat completely.
  4. Pour the popcorn onto a waxed paper lined tray and sprinkle with your red velvet crumbs. To get a heavy crumb coating turn the popcorn over with a spoon and sprinkle again with the red velvet crumbs. Repeat this step until you're happy with the coverage.

Let the chocolate set before eating or packaging.
Miss a past newsletter?
We have them archived on our website so you can go back and see what you missed.
Or maybe you wished you had saved a recipe we shared...
No worries! They are all right HERE!

CHW Cabinetry, LLC
1819 Two Notch Rd
Lexington, SC 29073
Ph: 803-520-6837