Laundry Room Renovation

It is amazing how having a functional "pretty" laundry room can make doing laundry enjoyable OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but it definitely isn't something I dread anymore.  In past posts I have talked alot about how color helps set the mood of a room; well that also holds true for even the smallest of rooms; in this case the laundry room. For my laundry room I used Sherwin Williams Pink Flamingo.

I have always wanted to use pink in my house but never had enough guts to do it. So when it came time to renovating my laundry room I instantly thought: THIS IS WHERE I WILL USE PINK AND I DON"T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS!.. Believe me, I got alot of funny faces from my family but I didn't care; I was going to do pink and I am so glad I did. I LOVE IT!!!!! The pink against the white bead board has such a fresh, clean look that it makes the room, even when filled with dirty laundry, feel fresh and clean. And those questioning family members...... they love it to. They are shocked at how great it looks. Maybe it will entice them to start doing their own laundry. One can only dream.

Before: (This is a picture with the cabinets already out)

During construction phase:

After: (the computer makes this color look red but it really is the color above)

Mark did an amazing job taking out the existing tub sink, putting up the bead board and building the shelves. The layout of the room is so much more functional; very work friendly. The open shelving allows me to see everything I have and it eliminates clutter. The cabinets became huge dust collectors and areas for me just to shove and hide things.

Well, I hope you have been inspired to create your own "pretty" laundry room. It doesn't have to be a huge change, just some shelves and a little bit of paint. What it just might change is how you feel when doing laundry. It has for me.

Oh by the way, have a ........Happy Valentines Day!

Take Care,
Stacy

Laundry Room Makeover

OK everyone I am finally biting the bullet and getting a new washer and dryer. It is a love hate thing don't you think? I love the idea of getting something new but hate the pressure of picking the right one (they are sooooo EXPENSIVE).  I have been reading consumer reports on all of them and have decided to get the LG front loaders. Does anyone have these? I have never had a front loader but want to be able to slide them under a counter top so that I have a folding station. My laundry room is rather small so I am trying to utilize as much space as possible. I have a sink in the corner of the room so I am thinking of having the counter top basically go from wall to sink on both sides which will form an L shape counter top.

For under the the short counter, I thought about putting cabinets but then decided to use a 3 compartment canvas hamper system instead. I have a nylon one now but it is small and flimsy. I am considering this one from overstock.

Any chances of my girls putting their dirty clothes in these?

Now for the walls. I think I am going through an early midlife crisis because my color choices are so drastically different then what I use to like. I am really drawn to bright bold colors where before I loved very warm traditional colors. ( What hidden message should I be looking for?) I can't change my whole house so  I am  leaning towards the soft pinks or gray blues. I was going to try wallpaper but then remembered it was a laundry room which holds alot of heat and moisture ...not so good for keeping the wallpaper on the walls. Therefore, I am going to paint and stencil to give the impression of wallpaper.

Take a look at some of my choices:

Any thoughts? Remember these aren't necessarily the colors I would choose, I just like the patterns. I have to admit I am leaning more towards a geometric shape.   Also, I am going to put white beadboard floor to counter height so the stencil will only cover a little less then half the wall. I removed our old cabinets which covered the whole wall over our exiting washer and dryer and in its place will go open shelving.  I had thought having closed cabinets would keep things looking nice and neat.  I didn't realize I would see a closed cabinet as an oppurtunity to shove everything in and close the door. You weren't able to see the mess but then you could find anything either. 

Last item on the makeover list and the most costly and stressful are the washer and dryer.  I really think I am going with the LG front loaders( unless someone has a horrible story to tell me) but what I can't decide is; do I go for ones with a steam element or not and do I get the more expensive silver or just go safe with white? The silver is so nice looking but again IT IS JUST A LAUNDRY ROOM right?

There you have it. So many decisions to make. I would love to hear your thoughts?

A little side note.  You will probably notice the blog looking different a few times over the next couple of weeks. As I posted earlier, my brother in law is helping me redesign my blog and create a website. We are playing around with a lot of different ideas, so please bear with us through the redesign.  . 

Take Care,

Stacy