[ad_1]

Whilst we were in the shop my sister announced that she wanted to go and look at ironing boards. We hadn’t investigated these so we went to have some lunch an chat over the options as we knew them. She obviously fancied some sort of ironing board storage system and I could see the appeal of that. Laundry room storage has always been an issue and she didn’t even have a laundry room! We knew there were several companies making built in systems with different features and we knew that they would all mean that the ironing boards was quickly and easily accessible when it was needed and stored away neatly when it wasn’t.

We also knew that some ironing boards folded into a drawer or a vanity unit, again with the same quick and easy access and even less obvious when stored away. The last option was just a new ironing board with the usual problem of storing it neatly away and lugging it out to use it.

What we didn’t know were the prices, so we went to take a look.

Iron-A-Way ironing centres are well known built in units. Their exteriors can be stained or painted to match any colour scheme and some of them have spotlights and electricity connected into them. Iron Away systems are well known everywhere.

Other companies also make similar systems. Broan make a very similar unit with either white or custom doors. Hafele make a range of ironing board wall mounts and in many ways put others to shame. They are easy to mount to any wall and they turn to left or right and fold in half for easier storage. Witney make a built in boards with a sliding door system and Rev-A-Shelf have boards that fold out of closets or vanity units and have a unique ford out design. They are easy to install with fixed brackets and sn expandable frame.

The problem with all of these systems was that they were pretty expensive as they started at around $250 for the basic systems and while they had some great plus points, my sister was not planning on spending that much.

We found a mobile laundry center by Lifestyle. It was just like a laundry room on wheels. It had baskets, a laundry hamper, the ironing board and a clothes rack and you could get a cover for it all. It looked as if it would make ironing fun but we decided you would need to be doing an awful lot of ironing to make it worthwhile and took up quite a lot of room and again it was not a budget purchase.

We looked then at conventional ironing boards. Amazingly some of these were just as expensive as the built in options and some of them by Brabantia, which we knew was a huge manufacturer of these items, had something called steam control. It was a system to catch the condensation from a steam iron which I suppose had merit now that steam irons steam so well. Anyway my sister was still put off by the price saying that if she spent that much money, she would prefer a built in unit.

We then found an over door ironing boards. This was just fitted to hang on a door and fold down to use it. It was very reasonably priced at $40 but my sister could not think of one suitable door to hang it on. Sullivans make a portable ironing board called the Go Board and it was a great idea for anyone living in a tiny space but the boards was too small for my sister and I agreed with her.

In the end we found a few cheaper boards that were perfectly adequate for her need and she settle for a Polder 1751W-69 De Luxe standing ironing board at $55 which she was pleased with. She chose it in grey and metallic. It is a large ironing board with an adjustable iron rest and somewhere to hang a few garments while they cool. The best features are the extension plug on the underside of the ironing board which means she does not have to stand so close to the plug or have a bulky extension cable on the floor round her feet and when the board is folded away the legs lock – I loved that feature, I always have a problem with the legs sticking out on mine. Well it wasn’t the ironing board ironing system she had originally fancied but it was a well priced good option.

Just as we were paying for the ironing board, she got her final purchase. A lovely Witney design Wicker Laundry Basket. It is a great size basket made from split willow and it has a lining that tie to the handles. It looks lovely and was under 30 dollars. I had to laugh, she had now bought herself this super high-tech laundry system and her impulse buy was an old fashioned wicker laundry basket. Wonderful!

[ad_2]

Source by Barbara Woodward

DESIGN AND INSTALLATION SERVICES

Take the hassle out of kitchen or bathroom cabinet installations with the help of Admiral Cabinets & Countertops’ installation professionals. We take pride in delivering the best possible solutions for your bathrooms, entertainment areas, custom kitchens, wardrobes, closets, and other sections of your house.

We have a knowledgeable design team. Give us a call today, and we can put the right design together for you. Contact us now for a free consultation.