For the vast majority of New Yorkers, having a personal washer and dryer is quite possibly the ultimate luxury. Due to extremely tight living spaces and strict water-restriction laws, the majority of New Yorkers are forced to schlep their washing to the nearest Scrub ’n’ Bubble—hardly what you might call chic. In a city that boasts everything from ninja-theme restaurants to cryotherapy spas to boutique vitamin bars, it’s surprising that there isn’t a happening new laundromat—at least there hasn’t been until now. Enter Celsious, a new modern, eco-conscious laundromat opening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, later this month. Shiny, new Electrolux washers and dryers line the immaculately decorated space that’s dotted with plants. There’s an outdoor patio in the back and an upstairs café serving organic kombucha on tap, baked goods from Saraghina, and CAP Beauty matcha drinks. Guests pay per wash like a regular laundromat, and get a free cup of environmentally safe detergent by The Simply Co. There’s also the option of a bespoke wash-and-dry by the expert laundry staff, who wear specially designed aprons by German designer Inga-Lena.
Celsious founders and sisters Corinna and Theresa Williams moved to New York from Germany about five years ago, and after working in fashion—Corinna as a journalist and Theresa as a Central Saint Martins–trained designer—they saw an opportunity. As Corinna explains, “New Yorkers have long understood the importance of being conscious about what they put in their bodies in terms of food and what they put on their bodies in the form of clothing and cosmetics. Laundry is just a natural extension of that mindfulness that people aren’t aware of yet.” Aside from the chemical-free soaps and water-conscious machines, the space itself feels more like a hangout spot than a place to get stains out of your jeans. “We’re hoping to build a community within Celsious,” Theresa says. She was responsible for sourcing the majority of the furniture (she found Arne Jacobsen chairs on Craigslist and bought old subway tiles for the stairs at auction), lending her chic aesthetic to the interiors. As she notes, “The color palette was picked to reflect that airiness and welcoming feeling we want Celsious to convey: warm yellows, cozy corals, and clean off-whites are needed as a juxtaposition to our equipment’s stainless steel.”
It’s about the most fashionable laundromat that you can imagine, one where precious wardrobe staples will also get the TLC they need. “We’ve learned more than we ever thought we’d learn about clothes and caring for clothes throughout the process of building this business,” says Corinna. “The biggest eye-openers were certainly the machine filling. To achieve optimal friction, load a washer not half, but ‘loosely full.’ Also, almost every fabric—even knits—can be cleaned using water. Dry-cleaning is to be avoided at all costs, but that’s an entire subject for a new story!” In other words, airing your dirty laundry in public just got a whole lot more stylish.