Laundry Room Makeover
This is the story of my life. We are a family of four and yet, I wash three loads of laundry two times a week. That is six loads per week! Or broken down, it is 1.5 loads per person per week. Is this a lot for a family of four? Maybe I’m too clean? Regardless, with all the time I spend in the laundry room, I wanted it to be attractive.
Our My laundry room looked like this right before we bought the house:
So, I set to work and painted dark blue on the bottom 2/3 of the room and the same color with some white mixed in to the top 1/3 of the room. I also painted the windows and trim a glossy white. It is amazing how much easier it is to dust a newly painted surface (a definite must in a lint-filled laundry room.)
Next, I bought several sections of peg racks and painted them the same color as the trim. I screwed them into studs, or
if there wasn’t a stud to screw into I used Toggler anchors:
Then I set forth to cloak the biggest eye-sore in the room, the utility sink. All I did was cut a curtain down to size and used double-stick velcro. Then I hot glued some roped cording to the top. Abra-ca-dabra, it was sufficiently hidden.
Next I cut a piece of 1″ x 6″ pine to the length of my two windows. I rounded the corners with my jig saw and then used a router to give the edge a decorative finish.
After painting the shelf to match the windows, I mounted it to the wall with metal shelf brackets.
This gave me a sunny spot to rest my plants…
…and laundry supplies (Oxy clean powder, liquid laundry detergent and water spritzer for ironing wrinkles).
I also hung some drop cloth curtains that I painted stripes on (tutorial to come);
added a few letters above the windows;
and now I have a laundry room that I want to spend time in!
This makeover was very low budget. I had the paint leftover from our master bathroom. And the sink cover was one panel on clearance at Target for $3. The letters were $1.50 each and the drop cloths were $5 each. The curtain rod was stolen from another room in our house. And the shelf was from my wood pile. So, all-in-all, I spent about $25.
Some day I’d love to install cabinets with doors on them to hide all the supplies. But, until that day, I’m happy with the transformation.
So, am I the only one doing loads and loads and loads of laundry?
I would SOOOO love a laundry room with an outside window. I've never had a window in my laundry room….nope, never had one. I would genuinely love one! But eventually I'm going to have a lovely laundry room.
Just fantasic, love the shelf for the plants and the skirt and curtains!
You've inspired me. Love the sink skirt and the shelf. My laundry/mud room is boring beige and doesn't get much natural light. I've been thinking of painting it to make doing laundry more enjoyable. Like you I do approximately 1 load/person/week. That's a lot of time in the laundry room. It's nice to pretty it up a bit!
What a difference! It looks great. 🙂
It's so lovely! What I envy most of all is the window and the view of all the trees… I'd love to see that from my laundry room! I don't even have windows because my washer and drier are in my basement. 🙁
Beautiful job! Love the color and the shelf that you added! Also, I am having utility sink envy right now, I would love one of those!!
This is lovely! A really effect redecoration, especially on that budget. I wish I had a laundry room this appealing (well, actually, I wish I had a laundry room at all — hauling my hampers to the laundromat is my least favorite feature of my otherwise lovely apartment)
WOWZA! it turned out beautiful. This belongs in a home interiors magazine =) if you'd saw my laundry room, you wouldn't totally understand why I'm gaga about your laundry room.
I'd love to have you take a peek at my spaces and tell me what you think.
http://bargaincornerdesigns.blogspot.com
i just love it!
ok i love this room!! this gives me some inspiration to get started on my laundry room…if only i can convince the hubby to let me!!
I have a family of 7, I do 2 loads of laundry a day 6 days a week. Just thought I would mention that so you know you are not alone. Although I wish my room was that nice. It is in the corner of a room that measures 40'x20' in the basement that is not finished. I'm stumped on what to do with it.
$25 for such a transformation? Wow! You really know how to stretch that budget. It looks bright and cheery. My laundry "room" is a lost cause for now. It's in a very dingy corner of the unfinished basement. I kind of try to avoid going down there, and let my laundry pile up for two weeks before I'll cry uncle. Then I'll do it all in one day. The plus side is that it's just the two of us, so it's not THAT much.
How bright and cheery now. Love the blue and all your little touches. Great job.
What great inspiration! Thank you! I have been brainstorming how to make my own laundry area more user-friendly and pretty. You have given me some wonderful ideas.
Just lovely!! Feels much better to do laundry in a pretty room : ) LOVE the "sink curtain"
(maybe you could just hang a tension rod & hang a curtain over the closet area… to hide things?? ….. I used that trick before 🙂