A Laundry Room Mini Refresh
Once the back hallway and mudroom received an upgrade, my sad laundry space started to look even sadder.
Yes, I am super lucky to have this space - and I love it! - it just doesn’t function as well as I would like it to.
It’s an awkward shape to start, then we added a fridge when we first moved in and stacked the washer/dyer. Honestly, it’s just too much stuff in too small of an awkwardly shaped pace.
So I did what i would recommend to anyone … I removed everything from the space (within reason) and re-evaluated how the layout could work better for us. Funnily enough, it was pretty simple in the end.
We moved the dog food to the mudroom, allowing the folding table to move more into the corner, which made room for the laundry hamper to be placed between the table and the stacked washer/dryer.
Having everything on one side of the room really helped with the cramp factor, which was just enough to make the space feel like it functioned better for our family.
I’d really love to re-do the counter/sink area (more on that below) but for now, this little refresh is helping the laundry room to feel more consistent with the hallway/mudroom.
With the new layout in place, the rest of the changes were mostly cosmetic.
The beach print was the jumping off point for the whole refresh. I love how it connects to the colors in the hallway and plays off all the natural woven elements, making the two spaces flow as one.
Next, I created a non functioning, no sew faux roman shade from a fabric remnant. I followed this tutorial and it all came together within a couple of hours. Easy peasy and I am NOT a crafter.
Then I found the wood backed ceramic flower, which helps tie in the wooden elements from the hallway as well as the hamper trio..
After I added the large plant to the folding table I swapped out the planter at least 3 times until I found the perfect beachy stripe.
The final addition was the beach painting by local Charlotte artist, Leslie Poteet Busker. I’ve been making a concerted effort to add more original local art to my home lately and this is just one of several small scale pieces that I’m lucky enough to own.
I have been on the search for a pretty and functional hamper situation now that they are so prominent with the new layout. When I spotted these baskets at HomeGoods, I figured I could make them work.
They weren’t what I had originally imagined, but I love the beachy vibe and having three baskets functions so well for sorting colors/darks/lights. It pays to be open minded when it comes to designing on a budget!
I’m only missing something to hang ALL the wet suits and towels from now (my old hamper had a metal frame that I used to hang wet things from) so I’m still on the look out for some hooks to hang on the opposite wall. Because, this summer, it’s ALL about the above ground vinyl pool!
The back wall of the laundry room provides a lot of storage with the upper cabinets, but not a lot of function with the lowers. The cabinets don’t open all the way and there is a “dead” corner to the right due to the fridge placement. (The previous owner had a side by side washer/dryer, creating an equally “dead” corner - hence the odd layout comment above.)
Unfortunately the faucet leaks (onto the counter), but we can’t replace it without removing the utility sink as well. The leaking water has caused several rust rings to form on the counters, which are pretty unsightly too. The under cabinet lighting is a plug in, but disappears into the wall … not sure what to think about that, so we just don’t use it. Basically, this whole area is a hot mess!
Addressing these issues is on the long list of projects we need to put legit attention to …so we’ll just look at it from a distance. ha!
While it’s certainly NOT perfect, it’s much better than it was and it’s A LOT more appealing to look at, too! I consider that a success and a job well done (for now).
Now, if only I would get my act together and finish the hallway runner. Procrastination is my friend when a project intimidates me. Just being honest.
More to come…