With the addition of a light fixture and shoe storage this past week (and deciding to nix a window covering for now and just frost the window when we convert the carport into a garage), we just had one last item on our tig ol’ bist (which is how I would imagine Missy Elliott would say “big ol’ list”):
Frost the side door for privacy<– seen here
Remove the narrow shelving that gets blocked by the open door<– seen hereRemove the old shutters that block much-needed light<– seen hereCraigslist the old un-energy efficient stacked top loaders and snag a killer deal on new Energy Star front loaders<– seen hereCaulk a big ol’ crack in the ceiling<– seen herePaint the odd brown quarter round near the baseboards glossy white<– seen here
Redo all the dinged up trim (also in semi-gloss white)<– seen here
Paint the walls<– seen here
Replace our dryer hose with a safer all-metal one<– seen here
Add adjustable built-in shelving in that nook next to the stacked washer & dryer<– seen here
Prime & paint the upper cabinetry<– seen here
Replace the hinges and knobs on those upper cabinets<– seen here
Hang the ironing board to obscure the giant metal fuse box<– seen hereAdd other functional storage near the door for shoes<–seen here
Make a new light fixture<– seen here
Add a window treatment (maybe a homemade one?)<— will just frost it when we convert the carport to a garage
- Hang some art to keep it cheerful (and add storage for Burger’s leash)
When it came to what to put on the wall besides the hanging ironing board, Sherry and I bounced around a lot of ideas throughout the whole laundry room process. And ultimately we decided we need something else bouncing around in there: light. Lucky for us, we snagged this awesome $10 mirror at a neighborhood yard sale a few weeks ago. Coincidentally, it was the same one where we got our twig & berry art – so imagine us walking home carrying two big frames and a heavy mirror while pushing a stroller and walking a chihuahua. Yeah, that’s how we roll.
We decided it was perfect for that big blank wall next to the door, since whatever went there had to be relatively flat or risk getting slammed by the door (which is why the narrow open shelving left by the previous owners made us nervous so we removed it and frosted that side door for privacy).
Anyway, the mirror was perfect. Except that hanging it was going to require some planning because my screws in the wall would have to be perfectly placed thanks to this “do not hang with wire” warning (complete with accompanying illustration):
So I tore a piece of printer paper in half, and taped each piece partially over each hook (with that tape facing the mirror) and partially hanging out the sides (with that tape facing away from the mirror). Basically, I gave the mirror dinky paper wings.
And yes, my Dr. Pepper shirt is campaigning to become The Official Shirt Of Doing Projects With (Or In Front Of) Mirrors. That or I just wear it a lot.
Back to the winged mirror. First I poked a hole right through where my screw would need to go:
That way when we held up the mirror in place (making sure it was centered and level) we could slap the exposed pieces of tape against the wall and have an instant guide for where the screws needed to get a-screwed:
I definitely recommend two people for this method. One to hold it up (me) and one to step back and make sure it’s placed well/not wonky (Sherry). After that step it was also Sherry’s job to hold down the taped wings as I pulled the mirror away from the wall to ensure that they successfully separated and remained in the right spots (as opposed to shifting or unsticking as the mirror was pulled away).
After quickly drilling through my guide holes to make small pilot holes, those paper wings that we had taped to the wall came down and a heavy duty anchor and screw soon took their place on each side:
Just as I had hoped (but didn’t expect), it worked and the mirror was hanging in no time. Total shocker. Quick tip: never expect that something like this will work on the first try because you’re practically ensuring that it won’t and you’ll be pissed. I went into this expecting it to take a fortnight (which resulted in “pleasantly surprised John”).
Sherry and I are still a bit undecided about the finish on the mirror. Our usual instinct was to paint it white (or ORB, or even the same deep teal from the built-ins), but lately we find ourselves appreciating a mix of finishes more and more. And letting “old pieces” add to the collected feel of a room without always slapping paint on them right away. I know, another shocker. So, for now, we’re living with this crackled gold dealio. Although down the line when we get stainless appliances in the adjoined kitchen it might look clashy and call for a paint job. We’ll keep you posted.
So far our random $10 yard sale mirror is turning out to be an AWESOME addition to the room. Not only does it allow for that last look at ourselves before heading out the door, it also reflects a lot of additional light into our windowless kitchen. Heck, it even makes the laundry room look bigger too thanks to “visually doubling” the space when you stand in front of the dryer (now the room seems to go on and on).
But that’s not our only addition to the laundry room walls. We also hung two textured frames (from the Pottery Barn Outlet a few years back – they used to live in our old office slash guest room). And we decided to use them to proudly display some of our favorite family pictures above our new shoe cabinet. As for Burger’s leash, we just tucked it into a white bowl from the kitchen. Oh and we got that pink vase on sale at Target for $7. I actually found it myself and recommended it to the wife since it reminded me of the colors in our ironing board cover. Who knew I had that in me? The laundry room is evidently helping me branch out in ways that I never imagined.
But back to the art. I actually owe my mom for inspiring the framed family pics. She always had a collage of family photos tacked up in our laundry room growing up and I loved looking at it. Functional spaces like laundry rooms can so quickly become just that – functional – so it’s easy to overlook bringing something personal in. Wow – how lame was that last sentence? To put it in less “TV decorating host” terms: it doesn’t hurt to look at a cute baby while, well, washing diapers for said cute baby. And the rest of the fam doesn’t hurt my eyes either.
The top pic is a family portrait (Burger included!) from our Outer Banks trip last month. And the bottom is one Katie Bower snapped the last time we visited her in GA. Lucky for us, the yellows in each pic accidentally work nicely with the room’s colors scheme (although we’d probably hang them up even if they clashed because they’re favs). Oh, and next to the top frame is a little iron bee (you know we love us some bees) that we got a while ago while thrifting in Delaware. And once again, we opted to leave it as is (even though we mentioned painting it white in the thrifting post). That, my friends, is our form of rebellion. Yup, we’re bad. Bad to the bone.
Wow, just realized that wall comes from a lot of states. Pictures taken in NC and GA, frames purchased in SC, and a hook found in DE. Though the miscellaneous keys are for things like local PO Boxes and family members’ homes – so that kinda ruins the streak. Oh well.
And with that fine ladies and gentlemen, we are calling the laundry room COMPLETE… for now at least. So let’s take one more look back at how we got from before…
…to done (for now):
It’s actually the first room we’ve made this much progress on. Quite possibly because it was only about the size of a bathroom stall. Oh well, you know we’re all about taking the whole house makeover thing one tiny project at a time.
And for all you number crunchers out there, here’s the whole budget breakdown of all of the updates we’ve made in the past few weeks:
- New Energy Star front loading washer/dryer: $388 (well, really $638 but we craigslisted the old set for $250)
- Frosting film (Home Depot): $18
- Paint and caulk: $0 (already owned)
- Built-in shelves (supplies from Lowe’s & Home Depot): $74
- Ironing board cover (Etsy): $24
- Ironing board hooks (Lowe’s): $12
- Cabinet knobs (Hobby Lobby): $8
- Shoe cabinets (Ikea): $38
- Clothespin light fixture (homemade here): $34
- Mirror (yard sale): $10
- Family photos (CVS): $1
- Frames (Pottery Barn Outlet): $0 (already owned)
- Iron fly hook (thrift store): $0 (already owned)
- Laundry basket (Target): $0 (already owned)
- Pink vase (Target): $7
- Other accessories like bowls & baskets: $0 (already owned)
- TOTAL: $624*
* which is pretty thrilling considering our new front loading washer & dryer alone were originally $1198!
Oh and we don’t factor in the cost of things that we have leftover from previous projects or already own since they’re usually already “counted” in other budget breakdowns (ex: the wall paint we used was already counted in the kitchen painting breakdown, so using the remaining paint for this project and saying “$20 again” would be double-counting). But a few folks commented to say that it might be helpful to mention the cost of those already-owned items in case someone at home was planning to do the same thing (but had to buy everything from scratch) so adding about $25 for some caulk & a quart of paint, $25 for frames & accessories, $3 for the plastic laundry basket, and $5 for the iron bee hook that we found thrifting should do it (for a grand total of $682).
Thee cheers for appliance deals and DIY built-ins and ironing-board-covers-as-art and thrift store hooks and clothespin chandeliers and all the other odd calls that we made for our tiny laundry room. And now I’ll toss in this awkward monkey-toed picture, lest you forget just how narrow this space really is:
And so ends the laundry room makeover. We’re currently enjoying diaper-washing-day a little too much. And my mom and dad saw our clothespin light in person and proclaimed it “the coolest thing we’ve ever made besides Clara.” Which got us all awkward and blushy. Have you guys done any laundry room revamps lately? Or made any cute babies? Or done some owling on a windowsill? Apparently owling is the new planking.
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
I like the mirror. It’s sort of funky! I also really like the idea of hanging pictures up in the laundry room. It helps make it feel like a home.
Krysta @ Domestic for Dummies says
It looks wonderful! I like the personalized touch with the family photos. My post this morning deals with laundry room art also. Perfect timing! Thanks for all the ideas.
http://domesticfordummies.com/2011/08/our-laundry-room-is-slowly-coming.html
ALittleBite says
It looks great, I love how it turned out!!
Gina says
This room is the bomb. Straight up awesomesauce. I LOVE IT!!! I have a sneaky suspicion the price of clothes pins is going to skyrocket when everyone (myself included) tries to recreate that AHHHH-mazing light fixture.
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Ohmigosh, I love it. I would never have guessed that you could bring so much personality to such a tiny, utilitarian space. And it actually looks so much bigger (and not so bowling-alley-ish) now.
A+.
Blair says
Love the mirror (and the finish grows on you!)! Hanging can be such a hassle sometimes! I recently decided in a stroke of madness to hang up 6 matching frames in a very narrow hallway. Let’s just say it took over a day and under a fortnight to complete! I ended up just cutting construction paper to match the frames so I could accurately hang them! Maybe next I will use your method and be done faster! http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-hang-set-of-frames.html
Love the redo,
~Blair
Crystal says
Guys, the laundry room looks fabulous! You amaze me with how you are able to take a drab, small room and turn it into an adorable space.
FYI – I found a cool tip on Pinterest of using toothpaste to aid in hanging pictures, etc. I used it to hang a headboard in my friends new apartment:http://theweekendhomemaker.com/diy-upholstered-headboard
Just put it on the hanger where you want your nail hole and press against the wall. And it worked!!!
YoungHouseLove says
GENIUS! I love it.
xo,
s
Julia @ Chris loves Julia says
Wow! Great tip!! Definitely gonna put that to use!
Also, the laundry room looks great John and Sherry. I had to laugh when I saw the picture of John “owling” again. Hahaha. Did it make it into 3 separate posts or am I off on my counter?
Chris loves Julia
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yes. We met our goal!
xo,
s
Maryellen says
Toothpaste sounds awesome! I used this same trick with an eyeliner pencil, but will definitely be taking advantage of this tip next time!
Suzanne says
Lipstick works too, just put some on the tip of the hanger, press into the wall, and it marks where the screws go.
YoungHouseLove says
Soooo smart. I love all these tips guys!
xo,
s
Lori says
I take a piece of painter tape, tape it onto the back of what I am hanging, mark the holes and then tape onto the wall. Make sure the holes are level and hammer where the marks are. Works every time
YoungHouseLove says
Also smart. You guys are hanging experts. Haha.
xo,
s
annabelvita says
I love this room. It’s so happy and matchy without being too matchy.
Alisa says
This place makes me so happy I can hardly stand it. And, thankfully, you’re makeover got me started on our laundry room makeover. We’re going to be going the cloth diaper route when our little one gets here so it’s about time I make our laundry room pretty so I won’t dread diaper washing days! Great job, you guys!
Alisa says
ewww, I meant to say “your makeover” not “you are makeover”….
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
I love the art additions. Everything is pretty and/or functional, which is great for such a small room. My only suggestion might be to add a fun rug, but I don’t know if you already have one in there?
YoungHouseLove says
Love the rug idea! It’s such a long narrow space that we couldn’t find one that didn’t conflict with the door (many were too thick to allow it to open). Oh well, someday we’d love to uncover the hardwoods that we suspect are in there and the kitchen…
xo,
s
AarthiD says
I’ve been watching the laundry room come together from the beginning (that was when I started reading this blog) and wow the place looks AMAZING! I can’t believe how much of a change a little paint, caulk, decor, and a careful eye can really bring about. If this room came out this well, I can’t wait to see how the rest of your (already lovely) home turns out! :D
Bethany says
Love that last picture of the new room, with the reflections in the mirror- Clever photography! And great job on the transformation! So inspiring to this girl who just moved into her first apartment!
Barb says
You so have my “HEART” with this room. I mean, face facts….we spend a lot of time in our laundry rooms. Yours is so perfect for the space given. I love it … yes I do.
Nice Job, you guys…..yikes, my Chicago slang coming out.
What is next on the project list?
I am getting ready to spray paint an old SINGER sew machine base flat white for our glassed in porch.
Too humid to paint today, but tomorrow is another day.
Have a happy Monday.
B.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Barb! We have a few projects at the top of our to-do list, so we might be doing some rocks, paper, scissors to see what room/project we’ll dive into next! You know we’ll keep you posted though. Haha.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Love.
Merrie says
Love your bee! We’re big fans of a key hook. One small thought: it’s right next to a window. The guy who installed our security system saw ours hung by the back door (which had a window in it) and told us it was smart to move the keys away from the door. Too easy for some nefarious guy to break through the glass, grab the keys and let himself in.
I HATE sending this to you, because I don’t want to rain on your parade. It’s such a beautiful room.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Merrie! We’ve also heard that, so they’re actually not house keys (they’re just random unmarked keys to things like PO Boxes and relatives homes). So anyone who thwarted our alarm system and took them couldn’t use them on our house and would have no idea where they’d work!
xo,
s
Sandy says
What? You guys didn’t paint a mirror??? Blasphemy!
;o)
It looks great! I love the photos by the door, it’s kind of nice to see your family before you step out and as you step in…
Kristen: Turning a House into a Home says
L-O-V-E it! That mirror adds great texture and definitely works to make the room appear larger and brighter…I’d love to hear just how much brighter the kitchen is with it as well. I’m sure I’d find myself doing more laundry than ever with that great new room!
Kristen
YoungHouseLove says
It definitely brightens up the kitchen thanks to reflecting light that comes in through the frosted door! Paired with the lighter walls in the kitchen (as opposed to the dark paneling) it’s definitely more cheerful in there now! But we still have a long way to go when it comes to the kitchen. Haha.
xo,
s
Rachel says
Hey y’all! Just wondering if y’all are planning to do a book signing in Richmond when your book comes out. I can’t wait for that book!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachel! I’m sure we’ll be planning things like that down the line- we’d definitely love to meet up with lots o’ locals when it’s out! We’re actually moving right along on the 250+ page manuscript (insane!) so we owe you guys a post about that whole process. The book itself is due out next fall (2012). We can’t wait.
xo,
s
Lindsay says
I can’t wait either!
Paige says
I totally forgot about the book! And update would be awesome.
Wom-mom Ethne says
My laundry room is the junk catcher/place to keep cleaning products safe and away from the kids. When we move, I swear I want a laundry room like this. It’s happy.
my honest answer says
Yeah, I think I’d paint the mirror… But once it’s done, it’s done, so I think it’s a good idea to live with it for a bit, and see if you like it or not. Plus it looks like a big job to tape it all out round all those protruding bits and I’m lazy!
Christin says
That is the prettiest and cleanest laundry room I’ve ever seen! Beauty. :)
debbie c says
This room is so sweet! It came together so well, the chandy is the crowning touch! Such a good feeling when a room design is complete!
jane says
ooohhh, I love it! I wasnt so sure of that color when you first painted, but I love how it came together!!! WOW!! Our laundry area is in a dark basement. I should paint the area like that to just make it more enjoyable and cheery while I am down there.
Have you made any decisions on your WE leaf duvet?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely leaning towards selling it on ebay and posting the link for everyone, so the second we get it together we’ll share that info!
xo,
s
Darnetha says
I love the mirror, by the picture the color goes great with the new light fixture you guys made. I started a long time ago trying to spruce up the ol’ mud room/laundry room, but it just quickly turned into an after thought. But you all have inspired me to start that project up again. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, I think that’s why we’re so happy leaving it for now! It definitely goes with the blonde wood in the clothespins and the light baskets on the built-ins.
xo,
s
Amanda says
Have you guys thought about adding a sky light to bring some “additional light into our windowless kitchen”? There are some awesome pictures of kitchens with sky lights on Pinterest and having one (or two) in your kitchen would make such a difference! Maybe over the island you guys plan on putting in.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we’d love to do something like that way down the line (since it’s messing with the roof, etc).
xo,
s
Stacy says
I like the room but would like to see the mirror in a more eye catching color…turquoise? A bright blue, white…not sure but not digging the mirror as is.
Heather W says
Love the Laundry room! I have two random questions though on your Baby Center post you mentioned the 3M picture hanging velcro and I was wondering where you purchase this and second where in Target did you find the sale vase. Our Target got remodeled and I haven’t beeen able to find the vases????? Your help is much appreciated.
Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve found that 3M velcro at places like JoAnn Fabrics or other craft stores usually (maybe Target in the hook aisle or Home Depot or Lowe’s?). Hope it helps! As for the vase, it was on an end cap near the frames. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Heather W says
Thank you so much!
Michelle says
So glad you didn’t paint the mirror! That’s old Hollywood Regency Faux Bamboo style! Nice! I have some old pieces of it handed down from my Mom and Dad that’s from the 60’s. I love it and this from someone who hates gold furnishings.
Btw … i want to live in your laundry room, so stinkin’ organized! Thanks for all the updates. ;-D
Elizabeth says
I love it as well…hope it doesn’t get painted! Painting it would take all the dimension out of the frame finish.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah we’d love for it to work once we add the stainless range hood and appliances in the kitchen. You can easily see that side of the laundry room while sitting where the future island will go, so we’ll have to see how it goes!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I think it would still be fine…I have a gold federal style convex eagle mirror right next to my kitchen with silver hardware and brushed steel lamps.
Mixing is good in my book!
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet! That’s awesome to hear!
xo,
s
Pamela says
I agree wholeheartedly Michelle! Hollywood Regency is amazing & sooo classy. The gorgeous mirror doesn’t scream “gold” at all, but has a fabulous understated elegance which requires no paint. Love the organic bamboo look, too, which ties in with the light fixture. What a score John & Sherry! Your beautiful laundry room, with the interesting elements & finishes totally works…
Hilary says
I just posted our laundry room makeover… still in the works, but it’s coming along! Our room is long and narrow too and we used a ‘runner’ type rug from TarJay. Oh, and when you frost the paned window – the frosting spray paint works WONDERS! We did the film on master windows and spray paint is a lot easier (although stinky).
By the way – you take awesome pics. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Hilary. We used our tripod this time so we hoped things would come out extra crisp.
xo,
s
Leah says
It looks so great! I love how it turned out.
Another easy(-ish) way to hang pictures with dual brackets is to put a piece of painter’s tape across the back and poke holes where the hangers are. Then just pull the tape off the back and put it on the wall.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo,
s
Callie says
Great job, guys! Loove the laundry room. Am still marveling at your fabulous find on the washer and dryer – I’ve been looking for most of a year now and still haven’t found *that* great of deals…crossing my fingers for next February-ish :o)
Elizabeth says
You’ve both done it again! It’s absolutely charming and perfectly suits your personalities. Who knew you could do that in a laundry room?! You continue to inspire. That’s why I keep reading every day. Thank you.
Brooke says
WOW! Such an amazing transformation for any space, let alone such a small, unglamorous one. If I had redone this room I would find myself peeking in there throughout the day just because I think it would make me smile. Nice work — as usual!!
Melissa@Julia's Bookbag says
Awesome, awesome, awesome! You made laundry Not Scary. I’m going to go clean my laundry room RIGHT NOW.
mariela says
It looks great!! I think perhaps I saw that vase at Target yesterday :) Do you youngsters have a priority list when it comes to re-doing, decorating a room or space? We have our first house and my to-do list is extensive. Don’t know where to start. The only thing I can think of is our master bedroom for now.
YoungHouseLove says
We just take on small projects at a time. See how this laundry room makeover was a million steps long over the last seven months? That’s the method that seems to work for us so we can save our pennies and keep from getting overwhelmed. Just make a big list of what you’d like to do and put stars next to the ones that are the most necessary (or a priority for safety reasons, etc) and try to break those down into bite sized pieces. Good luck!
xo,
s
Amy @ All In A Day says
I’m in love! It looks amazing!! And seriously I think my fav part of the whole room might be those textured frames!!! They were the perfect touch! As always, great job!!!
Jaime says
When I hang things, I take a piece of scotch tape and run it the full length of the item to be hung, on the back, horizontally, just below the hooks. I mark the hook placement with a pen on the tape, and then take it off and put it on the wall. Once on the wall, I level it, and center it, as the tape is the exact width of the object being hung. Then I just hammer or drill through my pen marks. Does that make sense? Works for me every time.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, totally makes sense. Love it!
xo,
s
Maya says
LOVE the room and I also love the different finishes! It looks so much more interesting, mature, and confident to me to not paint everything matchy-matchy, and all the textures and the wall color keep the room interesting without extra color on the mirror. I can see your point about painting it down the line if it clashes with the new kitchen appliances, but for now I think it looks incredible and goes with the colors in the room so well!
gk says
looks fantastic! so proud of you guys for not painting the mirror or the fly hook. unpainted, i think they add age and character.
Sam Q says
Laundry room looks GREAT. I wish I had a laundry space with that much light (or SPACE for that matter) and I love LOVE LOVE that mirror — just the way it is!
Awesome guys!!
Taylor @ TheProposalEnthusiast says
I still cannot get over how cool those shoe holders are!
Elizabeth says
Looks great!!! I love seeing the new pictures in there.
Elisa @ What the Vita says
What a great, happy laundry room! It’s making me inspired to do ours very soon – we’ll be washing cloth diapers right along with yall!
And I agree about items looking collected… We used to paint everything “old” but we’re leaving them be more and more these days.. but of course after a few weeks of looking at them, sometimes we reach for the spray paint can anyway.
Sarah in Indiana says
It looks great! I’m so jealous of a)what a pleasant, cheerful place you have to do laundry, and b)the great deal you scored on the washer and dryer.
It makes me wany to get started on my laundry room right now, but it’s so far down the list!
Amanda says
I love the laundry room! It’s so bright and welcoming! Are you worried about how much light you’re going to cut off if you close in the carport to make a garage?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning to add windows to the garage door and the side/back wall, so hopefully it’ll be a light-filled garage. Fingers crossed…
xo,
s
Elisa @ What the Vita says
And I prefer batting over owling – since I’m living in Austin, the city of bats!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- love it.
xo,
s
Kristen says
You guys! This room looks really fantastic! I too love the tone of the mirror since it seems to coordinate so well with the awesome light fixture you made (still can’t believe that!). And thanks for the idea of the hooks to hold the ironing board! I recently bought one to use for pressing fabric (I just started to learn how to sew), but like Sherry said all the ironing board hanger things have a place for the iron and my iron is definetly not ready for prime time! I’ll have to post pictures once I make these little tweaks to our laundry room…right now I’m brainstorming how to add a mirror since we have no window in that room…a brain-buster for a Monday! :-)
Melanie says
It looks great! I love, love, love that mirror.
Boy that rhino sure gets around :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- he sure does! He’s something Clara can’t break (not ceramic). Yay!
xo,
s
Liz says
Just wondering who won the heated ironing board direction debate? I was hoping to be able to tell from your pics, but couldn’t!
YoungHouseLove says
We have board wars, so it goes up and down when the other person’s not looking. Haha.
xo,
s
Rebekka says
i was wondering the same thing! it looks to me like john is currently winning the war!
Lauren H. says
Such a pretty laundry room! I bet it feels so cheerful to walk in and out of.