Laundry Room Makeover

I know what you’re thinking……how could anyone look at that gold paint and border everyday for 3-4 years?! Good question, and I wonder that myself. I’d like to pretend that the camera didn’t capture the yellow/gold quite accurately, but I think it did. Sadly. Let’s just say that this French Country goodness ship had sailed, but the thought of stripping the border, moving 2 massive washers/dryers, etc. did not seem real appealing. Can you relate, my friend? CAN YOU RELATE?!

The first thing I had to do was put this room on my “TO DO LIST,” figure out a time when I could live without my washer/dryer for a day, and then mentally prepare myself for the mess that I was about to tackle. When you have 3 boys, laundry is never ending, but it had to be done. I was tired of looking at this room and needed a change! I started by gathering some inspiration on Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/mimirobins/laundry-room-inspiration/, then I forced gently told myself to strip the wallpaper border, so I would feel a bit more prepared and motivated to paint this room, thus giving it a clean, organized, and updated feel.

 

I find that by choosing a paint color I love and making an inspiration board for spaces on Pinterest, I actually motivate myself to get the job done with much more gusto!  After Mark removed the washer and dryer, we got everything cleaned up and I got ready to paint!

 

I chose Elephant Tusk by Benjamin Moore because I knew I wanted to lighten this room up, but with a creamy, warm color. Elephant Tusk is the most perfect, beautiful cream. Just gorgeous! I found this paint color when I needed to paint a client’s tray ceiling a few years ago. She called it the “perfect creamiest cream,” too. No harsh undertones, just an unwavering creamy cream.

 

I bought this chandelier from a friend that was redoing her teenage daughter’s room. She has had it since she was a child, but her daughter wanted a change, so I was thrilled to have it.  It was beautiful to begin with, but I removed all the crystals, cleaned them, and painted it with a variety of paints/layers. I’m not sure if I’ll keep it in my laundry room….it’s so pretty, I may use it in my kitchen eventually and find something closer to the ceiling for this space. Kinda fun for now.

 

I really would love to get cabinets and a good hanging bar in my laundry room, but for the short term, I  just used some leftover burlap I had from another project. I measured the wall width, and doubled that for gathering, and sewed a rod pocket for a thin tension rod. Very easy, and it hides all of the cleaners,etc. and I can simply replace the fabric for a different look when I get tired of the burlap.

I replaced all of the plastic containers with pretty baskets from Hobby Lobby, and reused my gold framed chalkboard that reminds me to Keep Calm and Laundry On!

 

 

Looks a little better, no? I already had this bookshelf that I painted many years ago, and it makes for some additional storage in this small laundry room. I also have a clear hanging shoe organizer for additional items on the back of the door to the room. 

 

Finally, I painted a terra cotta pot that was already in this room to make it looked aged, added some faux orchids and moss, and a catch all basket beside it for all those coins, dollar bills, airsoft bb’s, pencils, rocks, sticks, notes from school I never saw, etc. that a Mom of 3 boys finds in the laundry! 🙂

 

I saw many stainless steel and white washers/dryers on Pinterest and Houzz while making my Inspiration Board for this space, but not so many black ones like I had. While looking through a Ballard’s catalog one day, I saw this color scheme, and loved it. Cream + black + gold frame + magenta/violet = Laundry room I can be happy doing laundry in! 

 

I remember one time we had a large group of couples over after I had painted this room gold, and they were touring our house. One of the husbands laughed and said, ” If you’ve got time to decorate your laundry room, you’ve got too much time on your hands!” While some guys may think that, I know many women spend ALOT of time in these rooms in their homes……why not have somewhere you enjoy doing laundry and that’s visually pleasing to you? And the bonus, ( and I’m NOT kidding!) is that I place things back where they go, and have stayed on top of my laundry loads/ironing without getting too far behind now. Let’s see how long I can keep that going! Ok, it’s only been 2 weeks, but a girl can dream, can’t she?!

 

Think unconventional when decorating rooms like this in your home. It’s about what you love, what makes you happy. And to me, clean and organized makes me happy. Because…..

 

 

Have a terrific Tuesday, y’all! It’s a rainy one here in Atlanta, and I need to clean my closet that I’ve been avoiding for months now.  I will first start by making an Inspiration Board on Pinterest, and browsing beautiful closets on Houzz……..