Laundry Room Progress

When we began the basement renovation/remodel, we talked for hours about a new layout down there that would be the most user friendly and much more aesthetically pleasing than the previous layout.  The laundry area was one of the areas that has been switched all around.

Previously you had to enter the basement bathroom and then enter the little laundry area. It was small and claustrophobic, and although we freshened it up with some white paint and fabric, it was still small and claustrophobic. It's only redeeming quality was that it had a window, so there was still a little natural light. Here's what it looked like up until two weeks ago.



Then, as we spent yet another weekend on the basement, we ripped everything out of that corner and took everything back to the cinder block walls. This is the part where it gets scary, as things always do when you have it all ripped apart, and haven't begun rebuilding yet. Apparently the previous owners thought that aluminum foil was a great insulator, because they lined the walls with it before putting up paneling. The centipedes apparently really enjoyed the foil, as we found what seemed to be their main nest behind the foil. AHHHH! Luckily I have a wonderful husband and a really nice brother who dealt with all of that for me.  And I am happy to report that many centipedes were harmed in the re-making of this laundry area.  Here's how the new laundry corner looked after we had taken it back to basics.







Yep, it was pretty scary looking while it was all nekked. Much like many of us, I am afraid. ;-) I knew that I wanted the new little laundry area to be a fun splash of color, so I painted the cinder block turquoise. Fun! Before painting I used a wire brush to clear off any flaking paint, and then cleaned up everything with the shop vac. My BFF Kilz created a good surface for the paint to stick to, and I went ahead and did two coats to really seal the walls. Then I went to town with my turquoise, and did two coats with that as well.



So now the washer and dryer are on the opposing wall (same corner) of the wall they used to be on, and the laundry sink is in the middle of the two, instead of being stuck in a corner, backwards. (!?!) It's actually usable now, which I am finding to be quite the novel concept. :-)



Above the washer and dryer there used to be a single pane window that got no light because it was underneath our back deck. We replaced it with a plywood panel that allows the dryer and the bathroom fan to vent through it. Eventually I will paint the panel too, so that it blends in a little more.



I'm looking for just the right light fixture to go in this little area, and I've got grand plans for storage and making the whole area a little prettier, as well as some collapsible doors to close off the whole area when not in use.  I'll keep updating you as we make progress.  Which brings me to my next question: which accent color(s) should I use with the turquoise?

Orange?

Red?

Light Green?

Watermelon?

Yellow?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what accent to use. I'm looking forward to your comments!

Linked to Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch

Make It For Monday @ Cottage Instincts

Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered

DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land

Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog

Talented Tuesdays @ My Frugal Family

Trash to Treasure Tuesday @ reinvented

Thrifty Thursday @ Tales from Bloggeritaville

Transformation Thursday @ Shabby Chic Cottage

Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple

Finished For Friday @ Lit and Laundry

Share Your Story @ Remodelaholic

Show and Tell Friday @ Romantic Home

Light and Airy Laundry Room

I found this "Deluxe Wooden Coat Rack" at a garage sale last week for one dollar.

I had been trying to find something that would be the missing link for my little laundry room makeover. I needed a row of hooks on the empty wall for hanging delicates and items that couldn't go in the dryer. But every hook I could find at Lowes and the like were at least $2 a piece. Adding a whole row of them would prove costly.

A can of white spray paint made this coat rack fit in nicely with the rest of the items in my fresh and clean laundry room.

Here's what the laundry "nook" looked like when we bought the house. Notice the paneling, the lovely wallpaper on the left wall, and the psychadelic colors of the cabinet on the right.

My father was kind enough to spend a few hours painting this room before we moved the washing machine and dryer into the room. I spent a few months searching for the right fabric to bring some happy color into the now fresh and clean space.

I hung a sheer panel over the doorway where the carpet covered doors had been. I used a blue on white polka dot cotton to make a screen to cover the electrical box. It's hanging from curtain clips on a wire, so it can be easily moved aside when we need to access the panel.

I had the wooden shelf with a heart cutout already, given to me when my parents moved. A couple of coats of white paint helped freshen it up, and I "accessorized" it with some faux blue hydrangeas, a picture of Lover and I, some Oxiclean in a white jar, and a white plastic box holding dryer sheets. I had all of these things, so there was no additional cost.

On the left wall, I took cork panels taken off the walls of the office and covered them in another polka dot print, this one with richer colors. I figure I can use these panels to hold spare buttons, stain remover tips, etc.

Below the cork panels I hung a watercolor I did of some laundry drying in the breeze. Isn't it pretty?

On the left wall, I put some pegboard hooks on the now white cabinet, and the coat rack on the adjacent wall. (Opposite the washer and dryer) Above the rack I freehanded the saying "Life and Laundry, Loads of Fun!"

Doing laundry in this area is much more pleasant now, and I love that I spent about $15 to make it enjoyable. Here's to makeovers on a dime!

Linked to Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures. Check out the other tranformations and great finds!

Light and Airy Laundry Room

I found this "Deluxe Wooden Coat Rack" at a garage sale last week for one dollar.

I had been trying to find something that would be the missing link for my little laundry room makeover. I needed a row of hooks on the empty wall for hanging delicates and items that couldn't go in the dryer. But every hook I could find at Lowes and the like were at least $2 a piece. Adding a whole row of them would prove costly.

A can of white spray paint made this coat rack fit in nicely with the rest of the items in my fresh and clean laundry room.

Here's what the laundry "nook" looked like when we bought the house. Notice the paneling, the lovely wallpaper on the left wall, and the psychadelic colors of the cabinet on the right.

My father was kind enough to spend a few hours painting this room before we moved the washing machine and dryer into the room. I spent a few months searching for the right fabric to bring some happy color into the now fresh and clean space.

I hung a sheer panel over the doorway where the carpet covered doors had been. I used a blue on white polka dot cotton to make a screen to cover the electrical box. It's hanging from curtain clips on a wire, so it can be easily moved aside when we need to access the panel.

I had the wooden shelf with a heart cutout already, given to me when my parents moved. A couple of coats of white paint helped freshen it up, and I "accessorized" it with some faux blue hydrangeas, a picture of Lover and I, some Oxiclean in a white jar, and a white plastic box holding dryer sheets. I had all of these things, so there was no additional cost.

On the left wall, I took cork panels taken off the walls of the office and covered them in another polka dot print, this one with richer colors. I figure I can use these panels to hold spare buttons, stain remover tips, etc.

Below the cork panels I hung a watercolor I did of some laundry drying in the breeze. Isn't it pretty?

On the left wall, I put some pegboard hooks on the now white cabinet, and the coat rack on the adjacent wall. (Opposite the washer and dryer) Above the rack I freehanded the saying "Life and Laundry, Loads of Fun!"

Doing laundry in this area is much more pleasant now, and I love that I spent about $15 to make it enjoyable. Here's to makeovers on a dime!

Linked to Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures. Check out the other tranformations and great finds!