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March 28, 2011

the laundry room

My laundry room is probably my least favorite thing about my house. When I first saw it on our first walk through it was almost a deal breaker! Our house has a huge master bedroom and bath, both with wasted space and it was crazy to me that they put the laundry room in a closet. It sits at the very top of the stairs in straight view from the front door. 

After we moved in we started thinking about possibly remodeling and moving or expanding the laundry room. Both options required extensive work and really we weren't sure if it was worth it. So I started adding a few cute things here and there to make it a space that I would love. I can now say that I love my laundry room!

Before I show the before pic, I must warn you! It really was bad. I think I used half a bottle of bleach to clean this room! Ok here it is:


Gross I know!
And the after:


Originally I wanted to take the shelf and cupboard out and replace it with some nice new cabinets. That was really pricey so I just got some molding and my miter saw and went to work. 

 
This is a close up of the cabinet before. It is pretty much the cheapest thing you can find. To dress it up I bought some beadboard for another project and had Lowes cut the leftover piece to fit the cabinet doors. I then got some wood glue and stuck it straight to the surface of the door.


I couldn't for the life of me get these doors off the hinges so I had to work against gravity and glue these while they were still attached.  I used a clamp of each side and let it dry for 30 min.

Once both doors had beadboard I decided to add a trim around each door. I used leftover lattice wood from my bathroom redo found here.


Again I just glued and clamped each section for 30 min.

Once the trim was done, I caulked uneven spots and sanded the whole thing. Once that was done all it needed was a fresh coat of paint and some new knobs and it turned from this:


Into this:


For the shelf I just cut a piece of molding the exact size of the shelf and stuck it right in front. No glue or nails needed. 


On the shelf I have my favorite linen water spray that I used for ironing instead of starch. Its rose scented from L'Occitane.


On the dryer I have a tray with glass canisters holding dryer sheets and detergent. 

On the side wall I made an ironing board holder. I got the idea and vinyl from House of Smiths. Seriously best idea ever! If you haven't checked out their blog then you are missin out!!


The hooks on the opposite wall are used for hang drying clothes.
And here is everything put together.


Eric thinks I should paint the walls, but I'm not sure yet if I want to. The room is so small that I am scared of making it darker than it already is. He says a light gray would be good, but I'm not sure. So far I love it!

This post is linked up to Beneath My Heart's, and House of Hepworth's link party. Check it out :)

69 comments:

www.gallamorewest.com said...

Your laundry room looks great! I love all of the little details! I'm your first follower!
xo,
Laurie :)

S and K said...

Amazing! I love love love it!

cyndi said...

love love love it! definately inspires me in my laundry room!

Unknown said...

Great job! Love the simplicity and elegance while still being very utilitarian.

Anne said...

Beautiful! I'm redoing my laundry room soon, and I need all the inspiration I can get!

Emily said...

Looks beautiful! You did a wonderful job on your cabinets!

I {heart} Nap Time said...

This is GORGEOUS!! I love it!!

Rebecca Lynne Houg said...

I love it! And I definitely agree with your hubby, a blue/gray or a purple/grey would look really nice and make your white accents really pop!

Anonymous said...

I love it! I am redoing my laundry room as well. Where did you get your ironing board cover? I have been looking for one just like that!

Maddie Kertay- The Domestic Anarchist said...

It is SO worth having a room that you feel good in when you spend so much flippin' time in it!

good job girl!

Maddie - the D.A.

Angie said...

Brilliant solution for your cabinet doors!! Everything looks great. I'm envious of any laundry room, much less a beautiful one! :) our laundry is in our garage. I can't wait to live in a home with an actual laundry room!

Ches said...

This is an awesome transformation. I am definitely going to steal the creative concealment you did on the wire shelving.

{Elyse} said...

Thank you all for your sweet comments! You know how to make me feel good :)

The ironing board cover I found on ebay. I think it was about $20 shipped.

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh. SO BEAUTIFUL!! I'm your newest follower!

Miranda @ Pressing On said...

You did an amazing job! I love all the details and how bright and light this small space looks. Great work!

The Chezik Family said...

You did a fantastic job!

Pine Tree Home said...

Welcome to blogland. So glad I found you via House of Smith's. Great laundry room redo.

Lindsay said...

Shelley sent me here and wow! My laundry is uncovered in my kitchen and that bead board look is exactly what i neeeeeed! That and the glass jars the cute labels and well ok everything you did. :)

Anonymous said...

It looks great! Thanks for sharing. Keep it up!

Chandra Chinnis said...

Great job. It's beautiful!!!!!!

Erin said...

LOVE THE CABINETS

Mandi @ Sweetly Home said...

Straight up gorgeous! I'd love to do laundry there.

Maureen said...

Looks great !

Unknown said...

I love small and intimate and I am in "LOVE" with your laundry room!!!

I am your newest follower (via House of Smiths)...looking forward to all the great ideas...if you get a chance visit my blog at... http://mydailyphotojourney.blogspot.com

Not (Re)finished Yet said...

Love it! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous! I am your newest follower!

Shelley said...

popped over from House of Smith...this is awesome! I've been meaning to make over my laundry closet for awhile now...thanks for the inspiration :)

Candice said...

Wow! It looks so great! A laundry room makeover is on my list too!

3krazychics said...

Wow, looks amazing! I went over to your blog and did a quick read thru! Love it! We are now your newest follower. Would love it if you came over to our blog and become a follower! www.3krazychics.blogspot.com

Taija said...

What a refreshing laundry room!! I love what you did with the cupboards. Genious!!! Can't wait to see more wonderful things you do.

Audrey said...

Awesome idea for those cabinets!! Super creative!! I'm your newest follower!

Audrey @ adaywithadomesticengineer.blogspot.com

Tara said...

I just LOVE what you did to your cabinets! Now really want to do this to my cheapo kitchen cabinets. :) Thanks for the inspiration! I can't wait to check out the rest of your blog!
Thanks!
Tara

Michelle Laulu said...

What a beautiful but simple transformation! I am going to use some of your ideas on my laundry room!

To The Moon and Back said...

This is absolutely beautiful!

Amanda said...

its beautiful!! and yes a light gray would totally make the cabinets POP!! I say go for it!!! its only paint right? LOL :-)

Sarah @ Cubicle Sanity said...

I don't even have a laundry room so you can imagine how jealous I am at this moment. Love how you transformed such cheap cabinets!
I agree with the Mister and some of the others, a blue/gray would be gorgeous.

Amy Gilman and Emily Lee (Sisters of the Wild West) said...

Awesome job on the laundry room. that is so amazing. Love that you just used left over stuff. Making things better on a budget rocks!! I would love for you to link them up at our link party here.

http://sistersofthewildwest.blogspot.com/2011/03/weekend-features-and-sister-sunday-link_26.html
Amy

Fresh Fête said...

very cute & chic!! I agree with your hubby...grey would be fabulous!!!

Ranin Z
Freshfete.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

SUCH a smart idea for those cabinets! I love the brightness of this laundry area! White always makes things seem bigger and brighter! A very light gray would be cool...but white is great!

Michelle Heryford said...

What a great idea! My laundry room is my least favorite room in the house, it's tiny like your's and I don't even have a cabinet! I so would love to do this! Great idea!

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Oh my goodness! Your laundry room is adorable! You did good girl! I make my own laundry detergent (recipe on my sidebar) and out it in a pretty jar like yours, now I just need to find a small one for my dryer sheets! Thanks for the inspiration!

Hugs,
Maryjane

Amy @ 11Magnolialane said...

Wow, what a great transformation. You have proved that any room can be made wonderful. I love it! Can't wait to see more of what you do.
Amy
www.11magnolialane.com

Natalie said...

Hi! I just finished my laundry room! BUT, I have the same cabinets as you and I love how you fixed them up. That hadn't even occurred to me. So I'm wondering how you made the edges/sides of the cabinets look finished? (You know the rough/cut edge of the bead board).
Thanks
www.onemomwithamission.blogspot.com

Jodi said...

Love this! It is beautiful! I am facing the same challenge soon and love what you did here. My laundry room is pretty much just a closet too, so it is challenging.
I love your blog and I am happy that I found it via house of smiths. I will definitely be a regular reader.

FrouFrouBritches said...

Oh my gracious! I absolutely love it! I'm dying to redo my tiny laundry room. My big hang up (other than it's junky) is I hav eno cabinets and can't afford pretty ones. This totally helps!!! You rock! I also love that you put your dryer sheets in a pretty container. It's just gorgeous!!! Love it!

Anonymous said...

This looks wonderful! I've been wanting to redo our laundry area for a while now. It is awful LOL and tiny but seems so overwhelming at the same time. I considered putting the dryer sheets in a container exactly like yours but wasn't sure I would like it. Now I know I will. :-) Thanks for posting.

Cheryl said...

i love all the deatils you added to this makeover. My fave thing though is taking those cabinets and really dressing them up with the beadboard and trim. Looks great.

Unknown said...

This is probably one of my most favorite laundry room redos I've seen in a while. I'm going to have to steal your idea about the front of the cabinets. Absolutely love the change.

Erin said...

I really like the fabric on your ironing board - it adds so much to the room. Great idea to hang it there, too; my iron is folding up in a closet far away from the laundry.

Mud Pie Studio said...

I love it! The beadboard on the cabinet doors is ingenious! I'll be doing this for sure. Thanks for a wonderful post!

Angie K. said...

I adore your laundry room...fabulous job! My washer/dryer are crammed into a teeny bathroom...I'm jealous. I'm now your newest follower. :-)

Damouredo said...

A real great ingenious work. Bravo j'adore.

Kris said...

This stinking awesome! I love LOVE it! Thanks for the inspiration! Definitley now a follower!

THEBUZYBUG said...

Your newest follower....Love your laundry room....I have redone my laundry room from seeing Shelly's Laundry Room over at The House Of Smiths, I posted pictures on my blog also! I love the cabinets! I wish you had a subscription button on your blog so that I could receive your posts in my email as soon as you post something! I would love to see what you do next! Bug Hugs!

Jil Casey said...

I so envy your woodworking skills!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful...thanks for sharing.

Julie said...

that is beautiful! and your shelf idea has rocked my world! I have these lovely wire shelves all over my house and now can disguise them..thanks for sharing!!

Shannon Green said...

Truly inspiring!

**Anne** said...

This is a wonderful makeover. Clever, clever lady.! :) I think the current colour of the walls is perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Anne xx

Jenna said...

Love this! I LOVE your creative idea for the cheap cabinets. I am definitely saving this as inspiration for our kitchen cabinets.

Courtney Lynn said...

Elyse - After being completely inspired by your project, I went to lowes to find some wood to use to do a similar project on my plywood kitchen cupboards... Wondering where you find lattice wood, and wondering how wide your lattice wood is? They only had 1.5" wood (in the trim aisle) - yours looks wider...Also - where do you buy the lattice wood? Do you literally buy the lattice and pull it apart? Please help!!!! THANKS!!

{Elyse} said...

Courtney,
Yes my lattice wood is wider. If you look on my main floor bath post you can see the difference in width. The vertical pieces are 1.5" and the horizontal piece is 2". I used the 2" on the cabinets and got them from Lowe's. They are down the molding isle and come in 8' lengths. I tried to buy the wood at Home Depot but they only carried 1.5". Maybe not all Lowe's stores carry 2" lattice wood, I would ask a worker if they do. Sorry thats not much help....good luck and I would love to see your finished project!!

Kelly said...

found you via TipJunkie. What a great transformation. Thank you for the inspiration!

Lisa Davis said...

I LOVE it! I too hate my laundry room and unfortunately its also my pantry! Gotta do something to it. I know the first thing is to put the molding over the front of the wire shelf! That is super cute and I have some extra molding sitting around right now! :)

Kristin Dyer said...

I love your idea. We just bought a house with these same cabinets in our kitchen. YUCK!!! I can't wait to use this idea, just wondering if you had a problem with your cupboard being to thick, and not being able to open the doors completely? Any hints or suggestions on that? I love your blog, what fun ideas. Can't wait to see what else you come up with. khdyer@gmail.com

Carolyn@Sweet Chaos Home said...

Wow! What a fabulous transformation! Love how you updated the cabinet and shelf... so clever! Great job :)

Shan said...

I am so impressed! You were really able to see the diamond in the coal. Congratulations on a job WELL DONE! I love it! Clean, organized and simple, but still beautiful! I am really excited to find the ironing board holder idea. I have been needing one! Thank you so much for sharing this with Roomspiration. I can tell many liked it as much as I do. ;)

design on a find said...

I love that you did that yourself. I want to learn how to do woodworking. I admire a women that takes the inititive to do this on her own. It is stunning. You should be so proud. A gray color would be beautiful!

cardigan said...

I love it! I am redoing my laundry room as well. Where did you get your ironing board cover? I have been looking for one just like that!


kitchen pantry cabinet

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