My Laundry Room at Skylands
As we reach the end of 2011, I thought I'd share some of my most popular blog posts. Please enjoy as we revisit some of these favorites:
My passion for exquisite linens began many years ago when my mother passed along to me a few beautifully embroidered hand towels and some pillowslips, which had been part of her mother’s dowry and were never used. My collection grew as I grew, got married, and created a home with my family. After moving to my home on Turkey Hill in Westport, Connecticut, I frequented many fabulous tag sales at old estates, which were being broken up. I found many wonderful embroidered bed linens and table linens made from Irish linen, Eastern European damasks, and fine Italian needlework. Of course, using these extraordinary castoffs meant learning how to wash them properly, iron them correctly, and store them archivally.
When I bought Skylands, my home in Maine, my collection grew exponentially because the two former owners left, intact, an incredible assortment of extraordinary linens – hundreds of sets of napkins, dozens of one-of-a-kind tablecloths, and dozens of sheet sets for the fifteen or so guest bedrooms. Of course, having such a collection meant having an extraordinary laundry room where an experienced staff could care for it properly. When I first toured Skylands, I was thrilled to discover that there was just such a place. Enjoy this little tour.
1 Even though the laundry room is in the basement, it has lots of windows letting in natural light. It's really quite a pleasant and sunny room.
2 Looking out into the pristine woodlands of Skylands, ironing, which many consider a chore, is actually a pleasant pastime.
3 The three well-padded ironing boards sit upon heavy iron bases.
4 Fortunately, with today's efficient electric steam irons, we no longer need to use these heavy iron flat irons, which were heated by a fire or on a stove.
5 For an effective system, at least two irons were needed: one in use, and one re-heating. The hot, metal handles had to be gripped with a thick rag.
6 Ironing with these tools was a hot and arduous job. These heavy irons had to be kept immaculately soot-free and regularly sand-papered and polished.
7 The iron on the right has a wooden handle and it was designed to hold glowing coals, which kept it hot a bit longer.
8 This contraption is a kerosene flat iron heater - I suppose the base of the iron needed constant cleaning from the kerosene soot.
9 This is a spirit iron, which has a long bar inside which was set aflame using a flamable liquid. I can't imagine those fumes were too good to breathe.
10 The introduction of the electric iron turned many flat irons into door stops.
11 It's always fun finding vintage laundry items, like this fabric dye.
12 A collection of one-piece wooden clothespins
13 And a basket of spring-loaded pins
14 These thick and fluffy Turkish towels are used in bathrooms throughout the house.
15 The laundry room has a total of four large, deep splash sinks.
16 This machine is a Monex extractor manufactured by The American Laundry Machinery Co. It does an excellent job of extracting water from hand-washed fabric.
17 A wooden folding drying rack
18 There is also a large drying cabinet, which is great for sets of napkins and bigger linens.
19 The racks roll out from the drying cabinet for hanging the laundry.
20 This is a great device because there is so much space to hang from.
21 The drying cabinet was manufactured many years ago by a company called Domestic Laundry Equipment Corporation.
22 For ironing large-sized linens, there is a padded ironing table top. I also have one like this in my laundry room in Bedford.
23 There are also two ironing mangles, which are wonderful for napkins, pillow cases, and table runners.
24 Because I am passionate about finely ironed linens, I also have this machine called a flatwork finisher, which was installed in the adjacent sewing room. It's excellent for bed linens and large tablecloths.
25 Clean, damp linen is fed into the conveyor, which guides the fabric over a highly polished, heated finishing roll, drying and ironing it immaculately.
26 Steam from the drying process exits to the outside through dryer vents.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Oh my gosh what a room I dislike ironing but with that room I think it would be so much fun I would play for hours!
Posted by: Elaine | January 7th, 2011 at 12:24 am
Oh just gorgeous. My mother instilled the love of old linens to me. They just don't make them like they used to anymore!
Posted by: Sarah @ OneStarryNight | January 7th, 2011 at 12:30 am
Incredible! What a space.. laundry is the one thing that I have always hated doing.. but seeing your laundry room..may have changed my mind! http://www.themalemartha.com I wonder how hard it is to get replacement parts for the older items? The drying closet is spectacular!
Thanks again for sharing!! Excellent!!
Dan Viger
Hollis Center, Maine.
Posted by: dan VIger | January 7th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Martha, at first, I thought we were going to see some of your beautiful linens, but the laundry room is magnificent. I just love it. It is bigger than the shack I live in, but I love it.
I've used the flat irons, washed clothes in a wash pot with a fire under it, washed clothes on the shoals of the creek when the wells were low. A neighbor, and her children, and our family would take all our clothes down to the creek, and wash them on the soals, and we had "running" water.
Then, when we finished, we'd play in the water, then...take the clothes back to our houses and hang them on the lines. If we ran out of clothes line, we used the barbed wire fence.
Thanks for the tour of your fantastic laundry room.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | January 7th, 2011 at 12:37 am
i'm in awe, to have a laundry room like that! i have a mangle at the house, it really saves time on sheets and other linens. sometimes i take out the iron and iron the sheets just because i like ironing...
Posted by: liisamarja | January 7th, 2011 at 2:22 am
It's very interesting to see a laundry room for a big estate and I like the old and the new together. What hard work it must have been in former times! I can see why owners have invested in labour-saving machinery over the years and it is nice that this continues to this day. I do like those big drying cupboards! Wish I had a way to dry and air more easily as the great outdoors is so often not available when it's dark and wet and cold!
Posted by: Christian / @vfbr2001 | January 7th, 2011 at 2:22 am
I am running to my ironing board!! Thank you again for making your lovely homes available to us. I love to iron and the whole art of homekeeping.
Posted by: Cynthia | January 7th, 2011 at 6:44 am
Martha,
that has to be the very best I have seen, similar at Biltmore Estate, but nothing like yours, isn't this where all the china was left as well?
Many thanks for showing us how the "other half lived".
Posted by: Aussie gal | January 7th, 2011 at 8:31 am
now this is a blog i like to see. great idea about hanging laundry in a limited space (well, not in your case). will use this idea.
Posted by: chris | January 7th, 2011 at 9:29 am
love it, so neat and organized! Wish you a wonderful weekend!
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | January 7th, 2011 at 9:34 am
Can't seem to find my old used dryer that sis gave me under pile of laundry and my washer was used on baby clothes for my now almost 40 yr old son. Doesn't mean I do NOT aspire to better things but am so happy to be right here right now. Thanx for showing us your home and parties using antigue linens. My collection of quality linens is one of the joys of my life..
Posted by: ann | January 7th, 2011 at 10:04 am
With so many homes you have to live in, I can't imagine you would use that many linens to need such an elaborate laundry room. That's quite a large home with fifteen "or so" guest bedrooms, for one person.
Posted by: Sharon | January 7th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Martha, many upcoming generations might never know of the wonders of ironing. Growing up we were allowed to iron father's handkerchiefs to learn how iron and fold. We had an entire day per week devoted to ironing. Sheets, cases, as well as all the clothes. There is a real feeling of accomplishment when you are surrounded by such nice fresh laundry. It is a solitary activity that allows you to problem solve or just daydream. Thanks for including all the old irons, I never knew of some of them.
Are the sinks original to the house? I am really glad you appreciate the history of a home and work to preserve it. That is something I have always been interested in also. Have a wonderful weekend, carrots to the donks!
Posted by: robin ball | January 7th, 2011 at 10:16 am
Martha, thanks very much for sharing this blog posting. The tailspin this one sent me on was quite unbelieveable to me - and I know it is not important that I share all the details of the tailspin.
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I first think it is so wonderful for you to have had a mother that was so thoughtful enough to pass down those linens to you - very wonderful (from generation to generation to generation what a blessing)!
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I will share this, one of my favorite pastimes with my dearest grandmother was watching her iron clothes (one can learn a lot by observation and I did learn much). Ironing is for sure one of the most relaxing things one can do. She could press a shirt for my grandfather like no other. She worked as a housekeeper. She made the least amount of money and was always the one to have money to loan out. It's truly amazing when I think back over her life. It's a reoccuring story in life it's never the amount, but it's always about how you manage it! I never planned on opening up in such a way on your blog, but I think it a bit too late to turn back now.
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Be blessed on today and I hope your day is great!
Posted by: KLBrown | January 7th, 2011 at 10:30 am
watching your show yesterday I heard you mention that you have ants coming in around your cats food bowls...Martha theses are pharaoh ants and are extremely difficult to deal with...you cannot spray them or they move to a different are in your home...they must be baited..I have tried many things please let me know of any of your trials...love your show...
Posted by: Mary Braem | January 7th, 2011 at 10:31 am
Where do I get one of those drying racks? Would love one for my laundry room.
Posted by: Carol Boeck | January 7th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Hi Martha, I love it when you share some of your personal history with us. Thanks to your delightful Mother, you became interested in many things years ago. This fascinating blog post about the fantastic laundry room in your Skylands home is outstanding! I love all of your wonderful photos about the historical irons, clothes pins, sinks, ironing boards, clothes drying racks, etc.! You certainly have a terrific collection of original irons and clothes pins! Your laundry room in the basement of your beautiful Skylands' home looks like a wonderful place to do the laundry, especially with the sun shining through the windows! Thanks so much for sharing! Have a wonderful time in Cartagena! Thanks for the tweets! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | January 7th, 2011 at 10:59 am
This is just wonderful!! I too have quite a large laundry room in my house, so laundering is quite fun in a big space
Love to see more blogs like that, maybe Lilly Pond??
Posted by: Inga Dis | January 7th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Another snow storm in the Philadelphia region today. This is warm story of a classic look at the past. It reminds me of stories from my childhood that my grandmother a first generation Irish Americans recounted. She was an expert on these matters! Thanks for rekindling the memories..Martha...the farm and the horses looked so content in the winter storm of post Christmas day...hope you are rested from St Barts...Happy New Year!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | January 7th, 2011 at 11:20 am
Hi Martha,
I have been waiting for this blog - thanks so much! I think I have mentioned a few times how much I love that laundry room. I have always enjoyed doing laundry and ironing and folding towels but I never did all of that in such a fabulous room as yours at Skylands. Wow, all those ironing boards and 4 tubs and that drying cupboard - golly Moses! I think my grandmother had one of those flat irons and I recognize the electric iron by the dotted beige cord. I love old linens too but have never really collected them. I just hang onto the ones I do manage to acquire. I love that flatwork finisher – everything must really look beautiful when you use that on it. Well, if I get some spare time today, I’m going to neaten up my linen closet. I’m already washing sheets – it would be great to have one of those big tables to iron on too. Thanks so much for all the great close-up pictures! I’ll probably be dreaming about those tubs! Trish
Posted by: Trish | January 7th, 2011 at 11:29 am
thanks for sharing this with us, Martha ! What a spectacular find........... I have never seen anything remotely like it while touring old homes ! This was one helluva homeowner !
Posted by: caffeine | January 7th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Laundry rooms in most home are always too small. What a wonderful space you have. I also noticed that all the linens are whilte.Is this so they can be bleached or do you use an alternative bleaching process?
Posted by: Deborah Hook | January 7th, 2011 at 11:36 am
For Deborah Hook - Generally, I like to use an all-fabric bleach and add it with the detergent. It won't harm colors and helps whites stay white, but cannot restore whiteness. Chlorine bleach does a great job of whitening clothes, but can weaken fabrics and will damage colors. I use it only occasionally, diluted with water and added about five minutes into the wash cycle. Bluing, which is usually added to the rinse cycle, will also brighten whites and actually adds a slight blue tint that makes whites look their whitest. By the way, in addition to white, I have linens in many colors and patterns.
Posted by: Martha Stewart | January 7th, 2011 at 11:49 am
I know how to iron and was a housekeeper while my children were young for a famous interior designer in Winter Park, Florida. may I have a job working for you?
Posted by: Brooke Drevers | January 7th, 2011 at 11:56 am
WOW! I absolutely love it! One day I'll have my own.
Posted by: Cecilia | January 7th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Re picture #7-Wood handle iron. I remember how my mother used to iron with this!!! Oh Martha, you really know how to bring up such great memories...
Posted by: Aida | January 7th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Wow, now that's what I call a laundry room! The lighting is absolutely amazing! Mine is just a tiny corner in the basement. And I mean tiny, my basement is filled with tubs of holiday decorations. Mainly Halloween. And old toys I can't seem to throw away. Thanks for sharing Martha!
Posted by: Kathleen Schmid | January 7th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Wow. This is absolutely inspiring and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
Posted by: Laura Bear | January 7th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I volunteer to iron.
Posted by: Pat | January 7th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
It's a tossup, which is more satisfying: vacuuming or ironing! Both are truly enjoyable in good surroundings.
Posted by: Penny | January 7th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Martha, I watched the show today Tim McGraw looked completely different without his hat on.
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One thing I will miss about the old calendar is workout counts. One of the first things I use to do was count the number of workouts you were scheduled for in a month. Why I counted them first, I don't know yet? I guess I found it unbelieveable as well. I was reminded of that counting when I saw your trainer segment today.
Posted by: KLBrown | January 7th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Oh yeah, I also tried to find all those companies listed throught the laundry room to see if they still existed.
Posted by: KLBrown | January 7th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I have a small collection of old linens and use cloth napkins totally. I don't mind ironing them at all. I have found when white items are stained, one of the best ways to bleach them is to lay them on the grass and let the sun work on them for several days. Usually, before I put them outside, I soak them overnight in the following...1/4 cup color safe bleaching powder...1/8 cup dishwasher powder...1/2 gallon warm water. I DO NOT put them in the dryer. This recipe may have come from YOU!
I live in GA now, but collected most of my linens during my 60 years in Maine. I love white linens, but I also treasure some old red and white tablecloths with fringes on the edge that remind me of some my great grandmother once had at the beginning of the 20th century. They are almost pink now and were woven...not printed.
Posted by: Ellie Farrington | January 7th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
That's a fabulous laundry room! I love it! My laundry room is a closet off the kitchen with a washer and dryer. I usually do the ironing on a fold-up board in the kitchen.
I love your blog, Martha! The highlight of my morning is seeing that you've posted something new!
Posted by: Scott David Smith | January 7th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
What a place, I certainly would love to do ironing here!!
Love the antique irons.
Posted by: Marlen | January 7th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Martha, I took your laundry advice and set up a room just like yours. It includes a Meile washer and dryer, a Martha Stewart Everyday ironing board.. very sturdy.. and one of the new Rowenta irons... and of couse sheets from the Martha Stewart collection.
Posted by: norma | January 7th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
These photographs are stunning! Not only does it inspire me to keep collecting and selling vintage linens but makes sense of my love for old advertising, antique irons, and incredibly well designed machinery.
Thank You for this inside peak.
Larry
Posted by: Larry Ruhl | January 7th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
ok , that is unbelievable. That's all I have to say!
Posted by: Frances | January 7th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Love it!! I had a laundry plumbed and installed on the first floor of our house, but luckily I also was given the cabinetry and a magnificent 13 foot stainless steel counter with a huge, deep sink built into it from the laboratory in a manufacturing plant that closed.
I created a fantastic laundry room in the basement, making a HUGE island out of those used cabinets, and a wonderful laundry sink out of the stainless steel counter and sink. We use it for laundry and a craft room. I did all of the plumbing myself. Your homekeeping book sits prominently on the island.
Posted by: Steve Shelton | January 7th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Awesome! Can I come and do your laundry?
Posted by: Dorene | January 7th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I L O V E I T !!!!!!
Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Wanda | January 7th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Martha, you have beautiful homes/estates and all are marvelously furnished. They all need to be maintained and restored to its original condition. How do you make sure that they are all cared for properly? Okay so you have staff that do specialized chores, like a good laundry person to do the laundry even with this customized laundry room, gardeners or your landscape crew, etc. Do you have them in each of your homes or do they travel with you? I am in awe of the upkeep of your beautiful properties in spite of the fact that you are not there all the time.
Thank you for sharing them with us through your blogs.
Posted by: Nikki | January 7th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
I just saw that handsome Tim McGraw on Martha....He was such a great guest and I think Martha has a crush on him!!! I do too!!!
Posted by: Lisa * Starr | January 7th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
What a wonderful laundry room. I became the ironer in my family when I reached my teens. I never had anything like your large laundry roon to do my work but I never had that much laundry either. I hope you use your linens, as I am sure you do. I have a small collection that my older sister handed down to me. Hand sewn and beautiful hand work by her. I was so glad to get it. Thanks Martha for giving us a peek at yours.
Posted by: Libbygirl | January 7th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Wow! I want to go home now and paint and organize my little laundry room. Although it is very small, your laundry room has inspired me to make mine more inviting and relaxing when I have to do my washing and folding. I love the antiques.
Posted by: Deb Davidson | January 7th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
who ever thought I would suffer from Laundry envy?!!
Posted by: Tania | January 7th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
Hi Martha,i like your large laundry room and irons.thanks from shareing your Blog with us.God Bless.
Posted by: Carolyn Barrett | January 7th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Wow! You were lucky enough to purchase Skylands with all the vintage equipment and linens in place! I remember using drying racks when I spent a semester in England in 1977. Would love to be able to "green" up my lifestyle by employing them to dry clothes during my long NH winter. Are there still available anywhere?
Posted by: Sharon Spickler | January 7th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Living in Melbourne, Australia and coming from a relatively working class upbringing, I remember my mum use to have her laundry trough out in the back yard and an old washing line to dry the clothes on, that she would hand wash and hand wring. My laundry room these days at home is the size of a shoe box! It barely fits the washing machine, wall mounted drier on top and a very squishy shoe cupboard. Martha, I have decided that I am moving in with you!
Posted by: Mary KC | January 7th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
What a lovely, organized space you have! It really gives off a very calming and structured feel, which I love.
Posted by: Faith from OrdinaryMommy | January 7th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Dreamy!! I love to iron and what a peaceful setting to do so!
Posted by: Kim B. | January 7th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
I also love to iron unless, of course, the weather allows me to be working in my yard. I hope you don't get too caught up in the value of these linens, Martha. They are meant to be enjoyed, like fine china. The special linens, dishes, etc., should be used for special people, not special occasions. Lovely!
Posted by: Elyse Fichter | January 7th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I love the ironing board with the heavy cast iron base. Would love to see more pictures of it and know the history. Did it come with the house? Do you think I could ever find one for sale? Thanks for sharing your home with us!
Posted by: Debbie Rogers | January 7th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
ohhh wow! This would be a dream come true for this cloth diaper washing mama *sigh* instead I will sit in the laundry room again tonight, to watch those diapers tumble. Love those sinks too!
Posted by: Stefanie | January 7th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
I don't like to iron at all, but this gorgeous laundry room would take the tedium out, for sure. What a fabulous set up...love all the antique irons and are those ironing boards antique? Really beautiful!
Posted by: Judy | January 7th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Fabulous, just fabulous. It's like a business. The basement is the largest single space in my house, but it's not fabulous. Martha's the best!!!
Posted by: Autumnjoy | January 7th, 2011 at 11:34 pm
And the clothes pins also. WOW what memories. She used the ones with the springs.
Posted by: KLBrown | January 8th, 2011 at 12:09 am
Great, huge laundry room. Skylands is a mansion with 15 guest rooms. Something only a few thousand people in this country can afford.
To see a more typical laundry room, see my daughter's (Morgan's)...no larger than a bathroom...see her laundry room post on her blog: marthaandmorgan.blogspot.com (that predates this blog post by a day or so).
Morgan is spending 2011 testing Martha's cooking, decorating, craft, gardening, and "tag" sale advice in the home of an average young woman on a modest budget, a hubbie, three kids, and three pets. The pics are fun and entertaining.
Go Martha! Go Morgan!
Posted by: Carl May | January 8th, 2011 at 12:18 am
How fascinating and really wonderful that tasks typically thought of as 'drudgery' can be elevated to a level of, well...almost an art form! Thank you Martha for sharing these pictures, I love them!
Posted by: Mary | January 8th, 2011 at 7:20 am
That is very exquisite I love to iron so glad you look outdoors as I do when tackling this job.
Posted by: genea wynn | January 8th, 2011 at 7:44 am
Martha, that took me back in time. Although my mother had an electric iron, she had several of the old flat irons that had been in her family. We lived in a big farmhouse that was difficult to heat. In the coldest winters, she would heat up the flat irons, wrap them in flannel and place them in the beds to warm the sheets before we retired for the night.
Thanks for being a "time machine"!
Esther
Posted by: Esther Ells | January 8th, 2011 at 8:14 am
Martha, when I mentioned I had not planned on opening up I was referring to opening up about my grandmother.
Posted by: KLBrown | January 8th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
This room is a room after my own heart. I have always been an "ironer"! I would be in 7th Heaven here! Everything about that glorious room would make laundry day a fun day! Happy New Year, Martha! XOXO
Posted by: Preppy 101 | January 8th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Can I come to work for you?? PLease!!!!!
Posted by: James Myers | January 8th, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Wow, this is beyond ridiculous!
Posted by: Angelica | January 9th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Dear Martha,
Although I do not have a lavish laundry room like yours, I love to iron. It is at those times that I make my best plans, think of wonderful stories and dream of dreams..... Recently,I gave my oldest daughter a beautiful tablecloth that my mother had embroidered which she had not finished and I helped finish. It is mostly all cut work, white on white. It usually took me one to one and a half hours to iron. I told my daughter that if she did not feel like iron it, I would fly back east, in N.J. to iron it fro her. That is worth it to me. Beautiful things need to be cherished and passed on to others who appreciate them. Thank you for the opportunity to make a comment.
Posted by: Ann Petrocelli | January 9th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Love it! Thank you for sharing your home and the art of homekeeing.
Posted by: Cheryl | January 9th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
I guess if you're going to do it, do it right!
Posted by: Sarah Cook | January 9th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
When I was about 11 yrs. old, I had to do a lot of ironing, as I was the oldest of four. I remember ironing toddler clothes with smocking and elastic, and not liking it one bit!
Posted by: Karen Neuman | January 9th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Such inspiration! I have 5 great ideas for my own laundry room. The pictures are beautiful - so gracious in tone.
How the heck did they keep those linens so white with those difficult irons?
thanks for sharing with us!!
Posted by: elle | January 10th, 2011 at 4:09 am
Hi Martha! Monday is laundry day for me. Oh my///.... just to get me going I revisited this post and was transported to Laundry HEAVEN. Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us.
Posted by: mumzy | January 10th, 2011 at 5:05 am
Wow! Love your Laundry room! Doing my laundry today I kept dreaming I was in your laundry rooom. For me that is Laundry heaven! thanks for sharing your home with us. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Posted by: Monica | January 10th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Your laundry room has a very clean and traditional feel to it. Also, having laundry related antiques is great for décor. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Mister Steamy | January 11th, 2011 at 10:58 am
I like the 3 panel rod style drying racks. Where can I find them or did you make them. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Mildred | January 14th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Nice to know that someone besides myself and the people who work at my bed and breakfast understand that ironing sheets is a good thing to do,especially for the guests that stay with us.
If you ever get trapped in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati airport and need to find a good place to stay just give us a call. We have a nice little bed and breakfast in Burlington, Kentucky,not far from the airport. We have been in business for 17 years,that is a long time for innkeeping.www.burligrave.com Nancy Swartzel
859- 689-5096
Posted by: nancy swartzel | January 15th, 2011 at 12:22 am
my dream laundry room... it just needs a little person to be permanently esconsed there. love M
Posted by: abrookbank@floridasheartland.elf.org | January 17th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
I love to see historical estates and have collected many antique linens of my own. I also love good quality linens and there is nothing better than to crawl into a freshly washed, line dried and ironed bed linens. Love your laundry room. Thanks for sharing and God Bless
Posted by: Pamela Tomlin | January 18th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
You mentioned the adjacent sewing room...I would love to see it!
And your vintage Singer sewing machines.
Posted by: Jonathan | January 19th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Your laundry room seems nice. I like the space and also the windows. It would take away whatever unnecessary odors.
Posted by: laundry hampers | January 21st, 2011 at 4:12 am
Wow, great that so many antiques came built into this house. It's great to know you maintained them and actually use them still.
I love the homey but also industrial feel of this space as well as the kitchen. The warm burnished wood, the slightly luminescent soft glow of the tile, it's all good. And I love your sad iron collection!
Posted by: Penny Otte | January 28th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I love the laundry room. I iron the sheets while they are on the mattress becuase my laundry room and other areas are too small to do the task the appropriate way. I still have yet to learn how to fold a fitted sheet correctly, it never turns out as good as I see yours demonstrated:) Kudos! your hard work has brought you much deserved success:)
Posted by: Belinda | March 1st, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Kudo's for the pictures and sharing a passion for care of lovely linens. When some family members immigrated from Ireland through Ellis Island the great, great grandmother brought many yards of Irish Linen but was told it would be taxed because it could become fabric for products. She would not leave until she hand hemmed the whole length and width and called it a tablecloth so it would not be taxed. My daughter-in-law still has it.
Posted by: Patricia Atha | December 26th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
I commented the first time I saw this Blog, and it is stll fantastic. I really like those deep sinks, and the ironing table, and.......I just like all of t.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | December 28th, 2011 at 12:49 am
Martha,
Unbelieveable how much I wrote on this blog post. I forgot until I read my comments again. I'm completely embarrassed, yet smiling from the wonderful memories this blog post brings!
Posted by: KLBrown | December 28th, 2011 at 2:36 am
sevgili martha ben türkiye'de yaşıyorum şuan bebek bekliyorum yaptığın bazı şeyler burdan güzel görünüyor (yiyecekler) ve seni büyük bir ilgiyle izliyorum. programın harika ve asla sıkıcı değil! seni seviyorum!
Posted by: irem | December 28th, 2011 at 3:23 am
Love your post, thank you for sharing.
Best wishes
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | December 28th, 2011 at 7:55 am
I am feeling a little envious of this marvelous laundry room! Over the years I have collected vintage linens and love to wash, dry in the sun and iron them. My latest passion is the hunt for vintage French sheets. I have been so lucky in that I discovered a shop in Wiscasset during a yearly visit that has piles of them. The fine sheets are out of my financial reach but I did find one there that had some damage yet was still beautiful. I also found a shop in Wells: there were several in a heap in the back of the store. I spent about an hour sorting through them and picking a couple out. The shop owner was so happy I had folded them and put them on a rack that he let me have them for a song.
Thanks for showing your wonderful laundry area!
Posted by: Carolyn Kidd | December 28th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Hi Martha,
This is still my favorite room in all of your houses but I probably wouldn't say that if I actually saw a room in one of your houses. I still wish I had one of your tubs even though there's no room in my garage. I use portable tubs if I need to soak anything. I have never seen those iron bases to hold the ironing boards - I wonder if you have the only ones around. They are definitely unique! Well, I hope you are enjoying your after Christmas vacation. I think you mentioned that you go to St. Bart's every year. If so, you're having great weather like us in South Florida. Trish
Posted by: Trish | December 28th, 2011 at 10:12 am
Hi Martha, You must be having a delightful time hopefully relaxing before 2012 begins and it is fun to see the reruns on Hallmark Channel, listen to the encores on Sirius Radio 110 and read these wonderful repeats of your best blogs! Who would have thought a laundry room would be so beautiful?! All of your rooms you share with us are gorgeous and I absolutely appreciate that you share these tours with us to enjoy! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing your Skylands' laundry room tour again and it kind of feels like I am really there! Hope you are having nice weather! We have a much better winter day with 54 degrees at 5AM, wind blowing, and the rain has finally stopped. The fog and pollution has gone away and the air is much cleaner. Hope you have another great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 28th, 2011 at 10:17 am
Wow Patricia, what a treasure your daughter in law has! Martha, love the laundry room at Skylands. I'm afraid if I was trying to work in that room I would be too distracted looking at the beauty outdoors!!
Posted by: Cindy F | December 28th, 2011 at 10:22 am
What an educational post! I have ten children, but no laundry room. Just a washer/dryer combo off the kitchen. But I find we are doing just fine with easy care fabrics and my "staff" of teenagers! This room and iron tour was a treat.
Posted by: Helene | December 28th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Thanks for sharing Martha! You have a dream laundry room - as expected. I would gladly iron in that room.
Posted by: Mary Wright | December 28th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Amazing laundry room, Martha! My husband has a collection of interesting antique irons. Here is a post with a photo of a few of them: http://www.campbellkidsfarm.com/?p=114
Posted by: Dianne | December 29th, 2011 at 1:32 am
The room is such an inspiration. You will never feel tired when you do the ironing in this kind of place.
Posted by: Starting a New Business | December 29th, 2011 at 4:48 am
I would simply die to be able to spend a weekend there at that magnificent place you have at Skylands in Maine, Martha. To sleep on and eat off of and enjoy that kind of luxury, in an old school perfect manner, is an amazing dream to live out. I do have some old linens, embroidered doilies and tablecloths I enjoy.
Posted by: Mary Pat | December 30th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Happy New Year in St. Barths
Posted by: Bea Trainer | December 31st, 2011 at 11:52 pm
I happen to love ironing....wish I had a room like that W O W !!!!
Happy New Year
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy :) | January 1st, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Can you tell me the brand and name of the flat press machine in the laundry room? I have a small wash and fold busness and will be adding ironing to our service. I look forward to hearing from you.
Stephanie
Posted by: Stephanie Arnett | February 3rd, 2012 at 9:29 am
Laundry room over the top! Beautiful.
I had a Great Aunt who worked for a wealthy family in NYC, from 1920's-1950's. She described the laundry room of the families mansion, with sheet and tablecloth hanging racks, where linens were put over wooden rods,then hoisted up 15-20' to ceiling. That story amazed me, never to forget.
Looking at your laundry room, must have been so similar. Thanks for the warm memory of great days gone by.
Posted by: Linda Ann | February 3rd, 2012 at 11:58 am
I use great vintage linens all the time, and have a huge collection. I also have a 1940's mangle which works perfectly, gets quite hot, and really makes the job easier. The exterior metal cover, however, has many small rust spots. I would like to clean it up and restore it (could send you a photo). I am pretty handy. Should I try to do this myself, or do you recommend taking it to some place special like an autobody paint shop or some place similar?
Aloha, Maryellen
Posted by: Maryellen | April 4th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
I got your towels for Christmas presents for my family. I try to do something from the home each year. I am delighted with your towels sold at Macy's. They make me feel like Oprah with her best towels. My mother-in-law says not to use fabric softner but I like my towels to smell good. What do you sugesst? I have embroideried over 14 set of towels with Disney characters as presents, and I would like to know how to advice my family how best take care of these towels. Everyone just loved the gifts. Thank you for making life easier for me. Karen
Posted by: Karen O Pearce | January 22nd, 2013 at 8:56 pm