We can all recognize it: the forced smile. The muttering of, “Ohhhh, it’s great…”, between clenched teeth as you attempt to keep a frozen smile on your face & try to remember to blink your eyes, which have widened in horror. It’s the expression you force when you’re trying to be pleasant & polite about something, yet are absolutely mortified by it. This was the situation I found myself in when I saw my then-boyfriend (now husband’s) laundry room for the first time (sorry, Matt). I could immediately tell it was an awesome room – spacious & full of potential – but it was dark, smelly & packed with years’ worth of dirty clothes & god knows what else. You couldn’t enter without climbing over something. Inside was a 10 year old DVD player still in its sealed, dust covered box. 40 dusty hats that have probably never been worn. Bright blue ceramic tile with black grout that held the secrets of laundry days past. You don’t even want to know what was in those cabinets. “Cool room…”, I muttered, as I quickly shut the door. Well, I tried to. Piles of clothes were blocking the door from fully closing. Okay, something had to be done. Something. Had. To. Be. DONE.
In his defense, he was a single guy & rarely home for a LONG TIME
For a while, the room was an abyss I avoided at all costs except to toss my clothing into & out of the washing machines. I attempted to clear the floor space numerous times, but a few weekends’ worth of travel & suitcases later, the same mess reappeared. Eventually, I gave up.
So. Many. Hats.
Inside that particular cabinet: Wrestlemania Gear
Then we had kids. Imagine doing laundry 2000x a week in this. It was not fun, nor was it efficient; an already tedious task was made even more miserable by depressing surroundings. At this point, I had begun to start storing miscellaneous odds & ends in here too and it had truly become the black hole of the home. As embarrassing as it is to be literally airing your dirty laundry, the before has to be seen to truly appreciate the after.
Before
After. Full makeover gallery below !
What a difference ! It was a lot of work, but I was able to get nearly all of it done within the span of a few weeks & mostly DIY – backsplash & flooring included – with the exception being the folding table & washer/dryer surround, which I had my builder put together for me. I now actually enjoy laundry duties & sometimes hide out in here just to relax & have a break. After all, the door can actually shut now 😉
Check out the details below !
Vintage Style Wall Mounted Drying Rack | Amazon | I painted mine with white chalk spray paint.
Peel & Stick Backsplash Tile | Amazon | It looks like glass. This stuff fools everyone.
8×10 Matted Frames | Amazon | * More on this below *
Crystal Chandelier | Amazon | Because everyone needs a chandelier in their laundry room, AMIRITE ?
Groutable Travertine Flooring | Lowes | I did grout mine & it made a HUGE difference. Also be sure to caulk around the perimeter of the room & baseboards.
Steele Rolling Laundry Baskets | Crate & Barrel | These were a splurge that ended up being totally worth it. They’re super durable & the wheels are helpful in a home like mine, where the laundry room is as far away as possible from our closets.
Hemnes Shoe Cabinet | IKEA | I mounted it right next to the dryer & use the bottom left drawer as a dryer lint trash can. The remaining three are actually used for shoes & have freed up a ton of floor space in here. The crystal knobs are from Hobby Lobby.
Floral Wallpaper | Indy Bloom Design | I ordered the peel & stick option and it couldn’t have been any easier.
Laundry Decals | Creative Concepts by Kristin | These really added a polished look & help with cabinet organization.
All other decor & accessories were either from Hobby Lobby or Home Goods. Fortunately, I renovated between spring & summer and pastels were rampant (and on sale).
Now for the freebies…
I’ve had a few people ask me where I got the laundry themed artwork for this room & I actually just made it myself. Since there has been interest about it, I’ve decided to offer the full resolution artwork for you to enjoy in your own laundry havens. Of course, my diaper routine may differ from yours, but feel free to customize it however you see fit.
Click view full size & right-click/save to download from there. These are all formatted to 8×10.
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