Rehab Diary: Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen Air Their Dirty Laundry - Remodelista
What to do when you have four sons and an eternal mountain of clothes in need of washing? While the two were remodeling the family’s untouched 1940s house in Studio City, Los Angeles, Amanda claimed the maid’s room off the kitchen as the setting for her updated Downton Abbey laundry. Photographs by Matthew Williams for Remodelista; styling by Alexa Hotz. A Sheila Maid, an ingenious British drying rack on a pulley, hangs in the center of the room surrounded by a wall of custom cabinets and shelving. “I love using outdoor materials inside,” says Amanda of her Pennsylvania blue flagstone floor–a good choice for the family’s whippet, Digby, who often sleeps in the room on a dog bed. Amanda and Corbin are Rosebowl Flea Market regulars and much prefer to buy vintage than brand new: as Amanda says... ...“While I’m not opposed to store-bought, I try in my version of green living to restore and reuse whenever possible.” Their old wall-mounted sink is a refinished model from Square Deal Plumbing Supplies near Downtown LA. The wooden countertop is used as a folding station. Amanda buys appliances at Sears, where she strikes “crazy deals” by acquiring pieces for several rooms (and sometimes several clients) at once. The room doubles as a storage and supply closet–the wall-mounted shelves are built from old scaffolding planks that the couple purchased from their contractor, and are one of Amanda’s signatures. The beauty of the Sheila Maid is that it can be raised sky high, enabling wet clothes to dry in the warm air, and then lowered for accessibility. The Sheila Maid cord is held in place by an iron cleat on the wall. Toilet paper and mineral water are artfully stacked on the open shelves. Corbin inserted a wooden utensil divider into one of the laundry drawers to create a beautifully organized stash of extra batteries and bulbs. From Labour & Wait in London, an oak Roller Towel Holder (£28) and Roller Towel (£28 for two) hang above the sink. In addition to the Sheila Maid, a clothesline hangs in the yard. Digby’s dog door is situated next to the back door, alongside a claw-footed flea market stool.