Most German houses don’t have closets. They have to buy Schränken – wardrobes. Some are simple cabinets with a shelf and rod to hang clothes. Others are monstrous wall units with drawers, shelves, cabinets, and a place to hang clothes.
We are allotted seven wardrobes from FMO (Furniture Management Office) during our stay here in Germany. We are more than lucky that our master bedroom has this huge walk-in closet. But I am allotted seven, so you know I found use for every single one of them. Two in the girls’ room, one in Alex’s room, one in Liz’s room, one in the hallway for coats, one in the laundry area for towels and whatnot, and one in the schoolroom to cram everything I can out of sight and out of reach of little hands.
I had to come all the way to Germany for the awesome washer and dryer of my dreams.
These lovely brand-spanking-new laundry units are mine on loan from FMO (Furniture Management Office) for three years.
They sing to me when they’ve completed a cycle. They’re sweet like that. All the settings are in German, so I just play with it until it feels right. Google Translate is our friend. I do know the difference between wool and cotton. I seldom wear wool (Wolle), so that’s easy.
The washer has to drain water into a sink since there’s no connection for a drain hose. So that’s special.
The dryer is a condenser which means that it collects all the water from the wet clothes and has to be emptied after each load. There is no big metal vent that connects to the wall like with American dryers. I just use it to water plants.
These units are just plug and go. It seems simpler and efficient.
This is a Flügeltrockner. It means “winged dryer.” It folds up flat for storage. It has two “wings” that unfold to hang clothes to dry. All utilities are more expensive here, so if we don’t have to use the dryer, the better. I basically just use the dryer for underwear and towels.
And, just so you know, that’s my band name. Flügeltrockner.
My bathroom is like a greenhouse. I can’t wait to stock it full of orchids and plants.
It’s huge and has a toilet, two pedestal sinks, a shower, a jetted tub, urinal, and bidet. No storage! No cabinets. No shelves.