Our freshly painted laundry room is so bright and happy that makes me want to sing and dance like a crazy person. First I repainted all the trim (with Olympic No-VOC semi-gloss off-the-shelf white) and painted the annoying brown quarter round near the baseboards, so it blended in with the white trim. I applied three thin coats of the same Olympic No-VOC paint (no primer because I used the same method with success in the living room five months back and I’m lazy). Then when it came to the wall color, we decided to use the leftover paint that we used in the adjoining kitchen (remember when we painted that beastly paneling here?). Why that color? To brighten things up and connect the two spaces since you pretty much see the kitchen as soon as you step in the side door in the laundry room.
Since the laundry room is such a small space we knew a different color might interrupt the flow and make it feel a lot smaller than something that would connect slash elongate it. We might add a subtle stencil or some other paint treatment down the line if we want more mojo in there – but once we hang window treatments and a new dangly light fixture and add lots of other stuff (art, storage, etc) we’re not sure if it’ll be too much for the tiny room. So we’re waiting on the whole stencil/stripe possibility.
Bee tee dubs (yes I just spelled out btw, and turned the w into a dubs) the color is called Sesame 381 by Benjamin Moore (color matched to Olympic’s No-VOC paint in a semi-gloss finish). Our small semi-light-filled laundry room has a door and window that let in light from the carport, which isn’t super bright but it’s a lot brighter than our windowless kitchen. So the artichoke-ish grellow (green + yellow) tone:
- is a smidge brighter
- reads a little more yellow than it does in the kitchen
- is so insanely cheerful
We’re psyched. Who doesn’t love a happy little laundry nook? As soon as I started cutting in I knew it would wake up the whole space.
Here’s what it looked like when we moved in:
And here she is now with a slap of how-you-doin’-on-this-fine-morning color (along with some other changes covered here):
Oh and if you’re wondering what that white board is in the pic above and below, we heard setting stacked appliances on a nice thick piece of plywood that goes against all three walls can stabilize the machine for a longer life. So we did it. And I painted it white because when we add shelving to that side of the nook it’ll blend in like chin hair on a mountain goat. Made that up. Think it’s catchy? Nah, me neither.
Some of these photos look a little more neon and booger-ish than it does in real life. In real life there’s zero booger resemblance and it’s definitely not neon. Which is a relief. It’s light and sweet – like liquid sunshine. And here’s why we knew this room could handle some happy color:
- We’ll add a ton of white shelving to temper the color (along with the white washer/dryer).
- It has a window & a glass door as well as a doorway into the kitchen to break things up.
- Eventually when we have wood floors in there it’ll be even more subdued.
Oh and as for that crazy metal fuse box cover that we had going on – remember this?
We just rolled/brushed a few thin and even coats of paint right over it. Didn’t even prime. We did that in our last house to hide a just-as-obvious one in the corner of the den – and four years later it still looked awesome. See if you can find it here. Metal actually takes thin coats of paint really well (like spray paint) so by being sure not to glob it on and opting to do more thin coats (as opposed to fewer thick and globby ones) I got some nice coverage. And it still opens and closes easily (tip: do that a few times between coats to ensure that things still work smoothly and nothing gets gummed up with paint). In short: thin and even applications = the painting holy grail.
Total spent for this phase of the makeover: $0 (thanks to trim and wall paint that we already had leftover from the kitchen). Wait, we did buy a pack of rollers so it was actually $8. Of course we still have plans for adding a ton of function (and a good dose of looks-nice stuff, like art) to the room – and that blank wall in particular. So that painted fuse box won’t just sit there looking, well, painted. We’ll share those details as we go.
As for the to do list, here it is as it stands today:
Paint the odd brown quarter round near the baseboards glossy white
Redo all the dinged up trim (also in semi-gloss white)Paint the walls- Replace our dryer hose with a safer all-metal one
- Add adjustable built-in shelving in that nook next to the stacked washer & dryer <– we can’t unstack them and put them on the long wall since the room is only 3.5′ wide so the doors wouldn’t even open
- Replace the hinges and knobs on the upper cabinetry
- Get a new light fixture <- DIY something? maybe a small chandelier?
- Add a window treatment (maybe a homemade one?)
- Add other functional storage near the door for shoes, Burger’s leash, etc
- Hang some art to keep it cheerful and obscure the giant metal fuse box
Mmm, crisp white trim might also be the painting holy grail. Doesn’t it look so great with warm greeny gold? This photo is probably the most true to life when it comes to the actual paint color and how it looks in there. It’s a little lighter in person, but this is the yellow with a hint of green tone to a T. It’s just like an artichoke heart.
Suddenly I actually feel like doing laundry. Weird.
Psst- You guys were all so sweet about my haircut yesterday. Seriously, I almost got a cavity. And I definitely got all awkward and clammy and blushy. Basically the opposite of cute. Anyway, rest assured that my hair will never look that good again (you know stylists possess some other-worldly powers to create a hairstyle that no one can replicate at home). So stop being so dang nice. It’s making me rashy.
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
I love that you used the same color from the kitchen in the laundry room. It’s so interesting how colors can change in different rooms and times of day.
Kristina Strain says
Love it! I didn’t think I’d like that color at first, but it’s surely growing on me. Happy laundry!
ALittleBite says
I love how the white trim looks against the wall color in the last picture! And I can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of the space.
Jessica says
The new hair is fabulous!! Love the laundry room makeover too!
heather s. says
Looks great! What is next to the fuse box (also painted)?
YoungHouseLove says
Another fuse box that has since been disconnected. We hit the fuse box jackpot. Haha.
xo,
s
Krysta @ Domestic for Dummies says
Wow! It is very yellow! I noticed the door is a little off white. Do you plan on painting that to match the trim or leaving it as is? And I would like to see more pictures of your hair. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- we definitely gotta take care of that clashy door!
xo,
s
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
Well, I don’t know if I love the color, but I think it will look much better once you’ve crossed a few more items off your list. The Brady Bunch, however, is a classic. No room for improvement. Ha. Just curious, what are you going to use to make the shelving adjustable? Wire shelving? Wood shelves on with metal adjusters (like your bookcase)?
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’ll use those metal things that wood shelves can sit on. More deets as we go for sure!
xo,
s
annabelvita says
Looks awesome! I think some nice stripes like in your last bathroom would look awesome in here, but I like the idea of a stencil too. It’s such a great colour!
Gina says
It looks great! I love the yellow! My bedroom in high school was bright yellow and I named it the yellow submarine. One of the hardest things about owning a home is picking a color palette for the main floor. Do you guys have any tips?
Thanks,
g
http://beatbeatheartbeat.com
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we wrote a post about that a while back here: https://www.younghouselove.com/our-homes-recently-expanded-color-palette/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachael says
I saw a really cool episode of Color Splash Miami where they talked about color palettes for a whole home. They way they did it was by using the HGTV paint line (of course). It comes in collections like “cool” and “warm” and I think there are 12 colors in each collection. Then David demonstrated that you can pick any colors out of the 12 and they will match any other color in the collection.
If you like the HGTV colors, I’m sure you can always color match them to cheaper paints (I have a feeling they’re expensive). The HGTV paints are by Sherwin-Williams and you can find them here: http://tinyurl.com/5t6awz5
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo,
s
heather says
Good to know! I inadvertently chose one of those HGTV colors for my living room, which apparently also happens to be part of their Rustic line (I think rustic is just in my blood inside and out). It’s good to know I can go back and choose other colors that will match….because I’m at a loss!
Tia says
Thanks for sharing that link Rachel! We close on our new house tomorrow, so that is really helpful!
Emily @ Our Waldo Bungie says
I painted our bathroom/laundry room a similar color (although mine read more “bright greeny-greige”) and loved it – I told my husband that laundry actually makes me smile now. What a difference some paint can make!
Melissa S. says
What a difference! It’s gone from dark and icky to fresh and inviting!
I’m in the process of painting my kitchen the same color. What you call artichoke heart I call celery. Potato, potahto. :)
My laundry is cobalt though. Sort of regretting that now, but there is no way I’m tackling that space again in my lifetime.
Anna says
The color looks great in that little room!
I got a question for you: how did you paint the wall on the left side of the washer/dryer? Did you have to move the W/D away from the wall to paint it, or were you able to squeeze a roller in there? I’m asking because we have a similar setup in the bathroom and I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how to paint the wall in that corner. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
I just stuck my paintbrush in the crack against the wall as far as it would go. You can’t tell that the rest of the wall beyond that isn’t painted since the color isn’t tooo jarring (it’s bright and happy but it’s not like I used navy or black, which might make it more obvious). You could also probably put your machines on sliders and try to gently pull them away from the wall a bit. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Have you seen the infomercial for those sliders that you can use under furniture, appliances, etc? I am in awe that they used them to move a car….they just stick these tiny little things under each tire and this scrawny little dude just starts spinning that car around. I’m sold!!! I guess I’m easily swayed… :-/
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- John’s mom got us those as stocking stuffers- they do come in handy! Although we haven’t tried them on a car. Haha.
xo,
s
Jessica says
I think it’s worth a shot! lol
Kelly says
Sliders work – we have done that.
Megan Brewer says
Now you’re happy when you do laundry, right????
Happy decorating & living-
Megan
http://cottagebluedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/07/pink-rooms.html
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! And once I have shelves on that side that I can actually reach (as opposed to the overhead cabinets that only tall John can use) I’ll be giddy!
xo,
s
heather says
Now, this is a little more rustic but it did the charm for us for shelving. We have an older wooden ladder, and I used that for laundry for months (until someone needed it for a project! Boo!). When we redo the laundry room I plan on putting it back up, and then making custom shelving (maybe old flooring or something) between the rungs. I’m kind of pumped about it.
ang says
i love how you’re using all your dream colors and not ‘keeping it safe’. i think they’re beautiful <3 and anyone who says other wise– has tan walls! lol
YoungHouseLove says
It’s probably our rebellion from having a lot of tan walls in our last house. Haha. We’re rebels!
xo,
s
Ginna says
This is great! I’ve been wanting to paint our laundry room but have been intimidated by trying to paint behind and next to the washer and dryer. Any tips on how you tackled that?
YoungHouseLove says
I just stuck my paintbrush in the crack against the wall as far as it would go. You can’t tell that the rest of the wall beyond that isn’t painted since the color isn’t tooo jarring (it’s bright and happy but it’s not like I used navy or black, which might make it more obvious). You could also probably put your machines on sliders and try to gently pull them away from the wall a bit. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bonnie says
Your laundry room looks great already (again evidence of the power of paint to transform a space) and I love that you maintained the flow and continuity with the kitchen color. It looks clean, crisp and happy! Gotta love that video too, Bobby Brady’s little solo moment cracks me up every time, as does the awkward choreography. A true classic. Thanks for sharing!
J says
How funny. Another blog I read did a very funny Brady Bunch post today: http://www.pickleope.com/2011/07/unnecessary-tv-recaps.html
The laundry room is looking happy and fresh!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Ali says
I seriously LOVE it in the laundry room! And I definitely think you should go for the stencil idea — that is if I’m thinking of the same Pinterest-popular yellow laundry room picture that I think you are!
The hair is seriously adorable and you know it :P But I do know what you mean about never being able to make it look that good again. I’ve used every hair styling tool I own (which actually isn’t that many, but you know…) to try to replicate what my stylist does to no avail. She’s magical.
Fahima says
Love the tribute to the Brady Bunch! So sad that the creator died today:( Love everyithing you do!
YoungHouseLove says
I just heard that- so sad. It was the best show (along with Gilligan’s Island).
xo,
s
Cindy says
“Booger-ish” — HA! Looks great, especially in the last photo.
Please stop trying to make “chin hair on a mountain goat” happen. hee!
And I did my part to make you rashy but I’m not going to apologize for it. xo
Shunta says
Sherry (or John), question for you. I followed your recommendation to get the Premium XL Tight Spots brush for cutting in. But do I also use that brush for actually painting the trim also? Maybe I missed a poston painting trim (I just went to check under the painting tab), but what’s your advice for painting the trim? We’re doing our bedroom a bold blue and taking our cream trim to a nice bright white. Do you use the Tight Spots brush for the trim also? Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I use that brush for everything. I don’t even know if I currently own a long handled one!
xo,
s
Danielle says
Since you posted the Brady Bunch video… did you know that the creator of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island passed away, I think, yesterday. Sweet coincidence and way to remember him!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no – it’s definitely in memory! Loved both of those shows so much.
xo,
s
Rachel Tatem says
So bright and happy a color, love it. My living room is a tan-y-yellow color and I love it, just enough to brighten up the room!
Kath says
LOVEEEE that song!!! Haha. I know all the words!
Alissa says
Looks great! We painted our laundry room eggplant purple for fun…It’s amazing how much nicer the space is when the color of the walls can make you smile.
And I think your haircut looks awesome! You look gorgeous in those pictures. You’d better get some benadryl cream for your rashy-ness, your readers love you. :)
Robin @ our semi organic life says
so crisp and pretty!
Amber says
Glad to see you have plans to replace your dryer hose. We ran into trouble in our new house because we couldn’t get a HE front loader to fit behind the folding doors if we used one of the safe metal dryer vents. On top of that, our dryer vent and washer hookup were on the wrong sides, so the front loader doors would have been opening the wrong way (into each other) and they don’t make the washing machine door reversible. Doh! We considered stacking, but our electrical box is on the wall in that closet, and it’s on the side where the dryer would have to hook up! Double doh! After much hemming and hawing I decided to remove the folding doors and we just keep the door to the laundry room closed anyway. The baby would have just pinched his fingers in the door, and because the room is also a mudroom it tends to be a wreck. The guys who installed it were nice enough to run the connections criss-crossed so the washer and dryer are on the proper sides now. They just stick out ever-so-slightly from the closet space.
My laundry room seriously needs a touch up, but is not a priority right now. It has the original (1971) linoleum floors in an orange, green and brown diapered pattern that I’m actually in love with. They’re only a little torn up under the washing machine, which you don’t see anyway. But the popcorn ceiling needs to be painted and I just kind of let the spiders have free-roam in there, so it’s covered in cobwebs! Oh well, we have bathrooms and bedrooms to make-over first!
Kristen: Turning a House into a Home says
Definitely happy, sunshiny, and lovely – I see lots of clean laundry in your future! I like that you used the same color as the kitchen for a seamless feel – what with the room being so small as so closely connected to the kitchen. Can’t wait to see the fun, awesome accessories you’ll bring in – any ideas on colors?
Kristen
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely going to use some white to cut a little of the color and keep it from getting too busy/chaotic since it’s small. And then we might bring in some of the tones in the dining room curtains (chocolate, teal, etc) just because we love those tones with grellow so much. Maybe even some deep teal like the guest bedroom too…
xo,
s
Hayley says
Great, now I am going to have that song stuck in my head the rest of the day! ;) The room looks really good though!
Corinne says
Wow that looks great! Can’t wait to see the rest of your ideas come together for that space. I like that you used the same color, which I’m loving by the way (or beee teee dubs as you said). I even out went and got a couple swatches from Ben Moore that were similar, including Sesame of course. I think a similar color in my kitchen would look good and not clash with the Chai Latte color used in the living room!
Jerri says
I am so addicted to your blog and look forward to your updates!! I even went to Sherwin-Williams the other day to buy the awesome brush you’ve mentioned and used it yesterday to paint a hallway that used to be wallpapered. I do have a question, though about ‘cutting in’. I’ve noticed that we sometimes can see the difference in the paint, especially close to the ceiling, even though we paint it the same number of coats as when rolling. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for motivating me. In fact, I’ve been eyeing some bright green paint for my kitchen…LOVE the inspiration room you shared!
YoungHouseLove says
My tip would be to cut in and then roll afterwards. By rolling as close to the trim as possible (over some of the cut in part) it’ll help blend it!
xo,
s
anne says
I’m failing to see the white-painted board that the washer sits on…? I know I’m probably being a dope, here. I’m cool with that. :)
YoungHouseLove says
It’s on the floor just seen to the right of the washer/dryer (since it sits on it on the other side) in this pic: http://images.younghouselove.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2011/07/painting-laundry2.jpg
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
anne says
Got it! Thanks!
Tuesday says
I would give up chocolate and good red wine for…..a week, for a laundry room!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I like that conviction!
xo,
s
Barb says
I knew you would continue the same color into the laundry area…Brilliant!!! It looks wonderful and anxious to see the shelving and art work.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT STYLISTS. My hairs looks so perfect the minute I leave the salon. The next morning or when it is next washed…..never will it look the same. I agree with you. What is it about stylists? I always ask them if they would like a job on a daily basis to make me look this good ….. no takers yet.
I also think the best part of a haircut is the shampoo part. Nothing better than having someone massage your head. What do you think? It almost makes me fall asleep!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes. I can feel my eyes rolling back in my head. It’s like the pedicure foot massage. So good.
xo,
s
Brittany says
It’s looking good in there! :) When you mentioned possibly adding a small chandelier, it made me think of one we just saw on our first trip to Ikea on July 4th: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20089464. Not sure if it’s what you were looking for, but $39 is hard to beat!
YoungHouseLove says
Very cute indeed! And the price is great!
xo,
s
Julia @ Chris loves Julia says
I read the post. Then watched the video. Then clicked on another Brady Bunch video (“You gotta keep on keep on keep on movin’!) right after. And then another. And then my husband walked in the room confused. Thanks for starting off my morning right.
Chris Loves Julia
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s the way to do it!
xo,
s
Crystal says
Oh, how I wanted to be Marsha.
That song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
Catharine @ Your Modern Couple says
Oh man this looks SO good! I love how bright and cheerful it looks, I should spruce up mine a little, I think it would make laundry more “fun”. And what better way to start your morning off than with a little bit-o-Brady? Awesome.
Sarah says
Every time I see pictures of the new kitchen, I can’t get over how much better it looks. All that wood paneling in there always gave me anxiety when you’d pop photos of it into old posts. I just want to sit in that new green paradise and eat breakfast all day long.
Brianne Franklin says
ooh, that window is BEGGING for a roman shade! like it said to me, “I would look hawt with a roman shade.” I swear. It did.
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed!!! Sew excited. Haha.
xo,
s
Eileen says
Just curious on 1 thing. You used semi-gloss for the walls? We just finished repainting our kitchen and went from (a too dark) satin to eggshell (trim in semi-gloss), I thought the ‘sheen’ was too distracting (although the biggest error was the too dark color, it’s my fatal flaw). I wonder if it just varies from paint manufacturer to another.
YoungHouseLove says
I like to use semi-gloss in all kitchens, bathrooms, and mudroom/laundry room areas- just because it’s easier to wipe down. We also have plaster walls so that seems to suck up paint more (so it doesn’t appear as shiny) so if you have drywall you might prefer eggshell, which is also an awesome choice. Oh and you said you used a dark color- that’s why! Darker colors look a lot more reflective and shiny- even flat paint would probably look kinda glossy in a dark color. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karla @ {TheClassyWoman} says
It looks so sunny and inviting. :) I have one of those fuse boxes in my hallway leading to our bedrooms (old house), I was able to use our framed photo with signed matte from our wedding to cover over it. When we need to get into it, I just take it down. I had to remove a little handle that slides in and out. For now it’s in our tool drawer when we need to get in there. But, it made the space feel less industrial and more pretty. I’m not sure if you’d be able to do that though as their are other gadgets right next to it.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that solution! We definitely plan to hang some stuff on that wall to further obscure the fuse box!
xo,
s
Katie says
Ooooh, I love it! It would definitely make me want to shimmy while I did laundry.
Q: Where do you guys fold your clothes?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a laundry basket so things come out of the dryer and go into the living room where we both fold on Karl or the bedroom (where we fold on the bed). It works out great except when Burger or Clara try to “help.”
xo,
s
Teresa says
I love the color! VERY cheerful. I hadn’t put much thought into our laundry room until I saw yours. I am afraid that my “empty” weekend is now booked. lol Thanks guys for the inspiration!
Brittany says
I wish I had your cutting in skills. Even with the 2″ brush I can never get the right amount of paint on the brush to avoid drippage and make it go exactly where I want. :( I’m seeing a new video opportunity….?!? :)
Also, I’ve made reading your posts one of the best parts of my day by making it snacktime. As soon as I see there’s a new post I grab my snack. Food & decorating. Heaven.
Lastly, got around to watching designstar last night and I wanna punch Kathy in the mouth. She is a total be-yotch.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh check out this video: https://www.younghouselove.com/holy-buckets/
I actually go into how much paint to put on and where to put your head. Haha. It sounds crazy but these things are important!
xo,
s
Brittany says
Ah! Thanks so much! I don’t know how I missed this the first time around! Love love love!
Ade@fortheloveofpainting says
It looks great…I am definitely a fan of that color!
Erin @ One Project at a Time says
I love it- there’s no better place for bright and cheery than a laundry room!
P.S.- I’ve commented before, but never took the time to say THANK YOU for the inspiration, motivation and laughs along the way. You guys give me the guts to do things I never thought I could. (Like paint a small room bright yellow!) You rock my face off!.
YoungHouseLove says
Getting rashy again! Ack.
xo,
s
Jess says
Our new little house has unpainted quarter round, too! Although, since we still have the original (perfect, dark, never refinished and doesn’t need it) oak hardwood floors and the quarter round is the same stain, I actually like how it looks. I also can’t believe that it hasn’t gotten painted in 70 years.
Diane says
Hi guys – I’m in love with that color – esp for a laundry room. Now if I only HAD a laundry room…..sigh….the white trim just adds so much to any room. And Sherry – I seriously didn’t recognize you in that first photo with your new cut. I guess that sounds not too flattering but I mean it!!! Thanks for being such an inspiration to others who may be thinking about doing that :)
I will always love BB – “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia….” – I even loved the first movie remake of it!!!
Barbara says
Oh, I so hate you for posting that video! That song will be with me all day!!!! Your room looks lovely and I love your new “do”!!