We tried to make the room larger by removing the back stairway, but it turned out that the pillar at the corner of the stairway was structurally critical for the house, so this room remains a bit cramped. Still, it previously only had a small window and was quite dark, so it's still a big improvement.

The bookcase at the back there was purchased at the time the house was built, but sat forlornly unused in a storeroom for decades prior to the renovations, and now has a new lease on life as a place to put freshly folded laundry.