Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 245 Comments

More Tile, Room Plans, & A New Door

Back to THE ROOM THAT DIDN’T EXIST A FEW WEEKS AGO. Pardon my type-screaming, but it doesn’t get much more exciting than that in my world. (Sidenote: I had a dream last night that there was a column in the newspaper called Shellac This! – all about shellacking a different piece of furniture each day – and the world was so enamored with it that normal morning conversation was “did you see what they shellacked this morning in Shellac This?” and it was getting turned into a major motion picture).

We left you with a primed-&-ready picture of our new laundry room in Monday’s post, so let’s start there (we used VOC-free Kilz Premium from Home Depot). This room is only around 7′ wide by 8′ deep so it went pretty fast. Here she is all ready for paint:

Paint Primer On

Oh but before picking a paint color we picked floor tile. It’s from The Tile Shop & it’s called Blast Anthracite. It’s $6.59 a square foot so the whole floor will be around $350 (we got 10% off with the YHL10 discount code). We loved how it looked with the accent tile we bought (remember that will go above the washer & dryer but below the wall cabinets).

Paint Tile In Store

We appreciated that the floor tile wasn’t too light (read: it won’t show every ball of lint or hair) and that it would look good running up against the hardwoods in the hallway (it always helps to remember what will be next to what). But the main thing that sold us are the striations. You can sort of see the pretty veins and variations in this shot, but in person they’re gorgeous.

Paint Tile In Store Detail

After we picked the tile, I sat down and played around with a little mood board action – just to see what we liked together, and to figure out what wall color we wanted. Of course everything here might change as we go (except for the appliances and tile picks), but it feels like a nice place to start:

 

Laundry Mood Board

  1. Some warm wood elements will balance out the gray tile & the shiny appliances – like a butcher block counter for the cabinet next to the appliances.
  2. Here’s our washer & dryer (more on those here).
  3. We think this cozy room is a nice spot to try out one of the newer designs from our Shades of Light collection.
  4. This colored basket is charming. Colorful yet natural. So… coltural?
  5. I’ve been pining after these prints for a long time, and the laundry room might be just the place.
  6. A cute wood letterpress drawer on the wall could display something Clara & I have been collecting for a while…
  7. White cabinets to tie into our appliances and make the butcher block pop.
  8. These knobs could be fun on the cabinets – especially since they resemble our lighting choice.
  9. Here’s the tile we already got for the wall above the washer & dryer (more on that here).
  10. And here’s our floor tile.
  11. Last we have a Dash & Albert rug to add a little more texture and a hint of color.

After playing around and seeing things like the tile and the warm wood tones with some colorful art come together, we were ready to pick our wall color. We knew we wanted something light (it’s not very big and doesn’t have any windows), but we also didn’t want to go with stark white since we want the trim and the cabinets to feel more like architecture by standing out a bit from the wall color. But finding a good light-but-not-white tone for the walls still felt a little arbitrary (hello 167 swatches, I’m sure one of you will be perfect). So we decided to make a more abstract, in-person mood board right in the room:

Paint Moodboard

We just sort of grabbed things from around the house that we thought could loosely represent materials/colors/patterns that might end up in there, like the shiny white drum stool (it’s really close in color to our appliances), our tile samples, some warm wood tones, etc. Oh and the terrarium actually represents the light fixture, since it has similar coloring and lines.

Paint Moodboard Detail

Bringing all of these things together into the room made picking a paint color feel less arbitrary (we could hold swatches up to the tile and the wood tones and the finishes and see what looked best right in the room). And imagine our surprise when our favorite swatch ended up being Going To The Chapel by Benjamin Moore – which we actually used in Teddy’s room! We like the idea of repeating that color somewhere else in our house since we’re fans of a whole-house palette that ties together, usually with a few colors that reoccur a few times. So into the laundry room it went (we went with an eggshell finish in BM’s VOC-free Natura line).

Paint Room Painted

I realize that photo isn’t wildly different than the priming one that started this post, but in person the room went from feeling stark and unfinished to feeling a lot more polished and room-like. And it was amazing to give the new end of the hallway a fresh coat of paint to tie it into the original walls. Aside from those raw doorways and floors, it looks like it has always been this way!

Paint Hallway Painted

Remember we were just drawing on pictures a month ago and now these rooms and doorways are a reality?!

LaundryTwo Drawing Of Doors

I can’t wait to get our special glass door to the future bunk-room in. Speaking of that, we picked one out! After considering a bunch of options (something that came frosted, one big glass pane, etc) we decided it would feel nice and cohesive to go with the same type of 15-paned glass door that we have downstairs leading out to the deck.

Egg Chair Final Pulled Back

We also would love to add glass paned french doors like that to the office someday (like this), so knowing that those would be the same style felt like it was a good choice for upstairs as well. That way they might all look original, if that makes sense. And we liked the idea of the glass being clear so that we have the option of frosting it or adding a shade from behind the door (like this) instead of committing to a frosted door forever.

Bunkroom Door

The good news is that it’s an in-stock door at Home Depot so it’s only $149. We do have to paint it ourselves and of course frame it in, add hinges, add a knob, etc – but it’s going to be one of my favorite parts, I just know it. So now our to-do list looks something like this:

  • Move washer & dryer and remove cabinetry (more on that here)
  • Demo cased opening, side wall, back wall, part of the floor and the attic step
  • Frame new walls & doorways
  • Move laundry plumbing hook-ups & drains
  • Move laundry electrical (plus other lights, switches, and outlets) (more on those last four bullets here)
  • Move dryer vent & HVAC duct (more on that here)
  • Hang drywall (more on that here)
  • Add insulation (more on that here)
  • Mud, tape, and sand all the drywall seams in the new room (more on that here)
  • Prime & paint laundry room and hallway walls
  • Tile & grout new laundry floor
  • Add baseboards and door casings
  • Rehang laundry door
  • Add new glass door to future bunk-room
  • Add upper cabinetry and crown molding
  • Add lower cabinet next to washer & dryer with countertop
  • Tile & grout laundry room backsplash
  • Reinstall washer & dryer
  • Add ceiling light fixture
  • Hang art, ironing board, and bring in other laundry room items
  • Finishing touches and repairs (drywall in garage, step in attic, etc)

So before we hang any doors we have to install & grout the laundry room floor tile, which we hope to have done by Monday. I can’t even handle how much that’s going to make things feel like a room. And we’ll be one step closer to bringing the washer & dryer back in. I know doing laundry doesn’t excite many people, but the idea of being able to wash things at home again is pretty captivating to this girl right now. I predict a reenactment of Happy Feet while those machines hum.

Comments

  2. Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says

    So exciting!! Love those natural fiber baskets, but I’ve had bad luck with the handles being brittle – looks like y’all lost one of the handles on yours? Do you plan on just gluing it back on?

    We just got our washer/dryer hooked up over here – it feels so GOOD to be able to do laundry in our own house again! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes that’s our poor shoe basket that I grabbed just to see the texture/color with other things. I don’t know if glue would work (we manhandle that thing) but I thought about just breaking off all the handles so it’s just a flush-top basket :)

      xo
      s

  3. Emily says

    What is your floor tile? I’ve been looking for something like that in our half bath. Next I will be looking at all of your posts on how to lay tile ;) I told my hubby I’d handle this project since he did a few others so it should be interesting haha

    Reply

  4. mribaro says

    “So now our to-do list looks something like this:”

    Like what? Sorry, I don’t see any to-do list here.

    Reply

  6. Naomi says

    Can’t wait to see it all come together. It looks like the “to do” list is missing at the end of the post. I am curious to see that now that you are almost to the fun finishing touches stage!

    Reply

  9. Katie Craig says

    Let me fully agree with you that Emily Jefford’s Art is the bee’s knees. I bought a canvas print for my sister’s birthday this year (SHE LOVED IT, duh!) and hope to get one for myself soon!

    Reply

    • sarah says

      i actually have four emily jeffords originals at my house. one of them is one of these beloved oils, and then i have a water color, an oil on wood, and a lithograph. i LOVE every one of them. her work is so so beautiful. hope you get to have something from her. (and it doesn’t hurt that she’s a friend, too)
      your room is going to look amazing. i love your fresh and clean style always!

  10. Nis says

    I’m so excited to see this all come together! I love the art print. . .At the risk of shamelessly plugging the work of one of my best friends from high school, I think you might like some of Katrina Schmit-Rinke’s work (http://ksrfineart.com). . .It is my favorite!

    Reply

  11. jeannette says

    daniel kanter at manhattan nest cornstarched cotton sheeting to the panes of the french doors in his rental apartment, for a translucent, frosted but textured privacy effect. as i think he owned the sheeting that he used, it was almost a no $$$ project, could easily be undone, and it looked super good.

    http://manhattan-nest.com/?s=french+doors

    Reply

  12. Stephanie says

    Meanwhile my “laundry room” is in my garage lol… I can’t wait to see the room complete. I wish I could do something like this but I’m renting right now.

    Reply

  14. Sarah W. says

    Shellac This! Camera pan to me chuckling at my desk and knowing there is no way anyone I explain “what’s so funny” to will get it. Shellac This: The Major Motion Picture…I imagine people watching someone slow-motion shellac something on tv sets in homes and bars all across the world like the viewers in the Truman Show.

    Reply

  15. Kathy says

    Loved reading about your dream! I’d watch “Shellac this!” I have recurring dreams about a certain house that exists only in my dreams!

    Reply

  16. emma says

    “So we decided to make something a more abstract, in-person mood board right in the room:”
    Something’s wrong with that there sentence y’all :p

    Reply

  17. Isabel says

    And the fun begins! Amazing progress and looking forward to reading about the tiling, something I hope to one day tackle. The only thing worse than doing laundry is not being able to do it at home so I can totally relate with your desire to put those brand new puppies back to work!

    Reply

  19. Danielle says

    Just curious- are you guys cloth diapering Tedddy yet? Just wondering how that is going this time around, or not going? :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We were before we unplugged our washer & dryer, ha! Now it’s back to disposables just because we didn’t want to put dirty cloth diapers in Grammy’s machine ;)

      Can’t wait to see cute cloth buns again!

      xo
      s

  21. Ashley says

    You guys are amazing – can’t wait to see the finished product!

    Are you able to tell us what you and Clara have been collecting?? I want to start a collection with my 2.5 year old and would love to get the scoop :)

    Keep on rocking guys!

    Reply

  22. Sarah says

    Maybe you have done this already and I missed it, but have you ever considered doing a post to explain how you find the home decor items you put in your house? Maybe I’m just a design newbie, but I’ve never heard of Emily Jeffords or Dash & Albert– now that I’ve seen them, I LOVE Emily’s artwork and items on the D&A website. Do you just use a search engine to find specific items you’re looking for, or do you have a list of ‘go-to’ websites? I feel like I always search the same chain websites, so some ideas on how to find new decor stores/website would be great!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Sarah! That would be a fun post. I love trolling Pinterest and even Instagram to find things, and sometimes I just poke around Etsy or find something through another blog :)

      xo
      s

  23. Lauren @ Bless'er House says

    Eeek! I can’t wait to see it all together! Your dream made me laugh out loud. I actually had a dream last night that I was installing concrete countertops in our house (I guess because I’ve been researching and daydreaming about it a lot) and after I did it, I realized I’d accidentally applied the concrete to our ceiling instead of the counters. I was freaking out. Then woke up and realized how hilarious it was. Home improvement can make you batty!

    Reply

  25. Cheryl says

    Great look! I love all the tile and the rug!

    Did you think of a pocket door instead of a regular door for the bunk room (the frosted door)?

    Reply

  27. Kendall says

    So exciting!! How have ya’ll handled Teddy’s diapers while the laundry room is in flux? Are you using disposables until your laundry room is hooked back up?

    Reply

  29. Karen says

    I like the direction of most of the laundry room, but won’t butcher block suck up any liquid detergents or softeners that don’t get immediately picked up? Seems like it wouldn’t be a terribly efficient counter top vs. something from the stone-family that would be more wipe-friendly?

    Reply

  30. Berry says

    One thing I don’t remember seeing in your new plan- a place to hang clothing. We have a nice big clothes pole right next to the dryer, so that we can hang up clothing as it comes out of the dryer. I find that it makes an amazing difference to the wrinkles, and lessens ironing on nice/work clothes.

    Reply

  31. Anne says

    Nice tip on bringing in things in similar textures/colors. I think it’s going to look fab. I am curious about what you’ve been collecting with Clara! :)

    Reply

  32. Jill says

    We put that exact same door in our basement bathroom. (Which sounds strange for a bath, but one of the very few windows in the basement is in the bath, so the door lets the light shine through. No one really uses the bath anyway. I did add a roller shade you can pull down for privacy!).

    Anyway, the door comes with plastic coating on each pane, which makes it easy to paint. No taping before or scraping later. You just pull off the plastic. I was dubious about how well the plastic would hold, but it worked great.

    Reply

  33. Laurie says

    I think you guys should make a trailer for Shellac This! (there should always be an exclamation point at the end). We just need to figure out the hosts’ names.

    Guy and Primose Pomona? Manly Kirkpatrick and Henrietta Whip?

    I can even see the t-shirts…Internet, make it happen!

    Reply

  34. Susan says

    hey guys! looks great, makes me want to get started on our laundry area. Just wanted to mention, did you check with your local fire codes about the door? I am just wondering if since it’s connected to an unfinished space if it needs to be fire rated. Was the previous door fire rated?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It was just a regular door (we are reusing it on the laundry room actually!). I think since the storage room was attached to the rest of the house (heated and cooled already with electrical running) it’s not considered to be an “outside the house” space that needs to be sealed off :)

      xo
      s

  35. Lisa T. says

    I can feel your excitement for this project just through your post! That is what makes your blog so special, and keeps me coming back!
    Love what you’ve chosen in your tile and backsplash, like you, I CANT WAIT to see it all completed!

    Reply

  37. Mel says

    I have to say, I’m so excited about your laundry room makeover – your updates totally make my morning. Thank you!

    Reply

  38. Christine says

    You guys have improved on the original floor plan! Looks like it was built this way, or SHOULD have been! $1600, you’ve added so much function & flow.
    BTW, the original wood cabinets in the laundry room are cute! Any plans to re-use them elsewhere?

    Reply

  39. Tanya says

    Love the tile! :) My 2 cents on the movie room door covering. I would go with a Roman shade with blackout if you like the room dark when you watch movies… Also make sure that you get the shade to cover the outside of the door window. I have a 3 bay windows in my apartment and I had roman blinds custom made with blackout however I had them measured to fit inside the window which lets in tiny slivers of light. Not a big deal but a decision I regret. Just FYI. :)

    Reply

  41. Ana Silva says

    I love the door choice! Those always look good inside a house. Plus, it will tie all the rest of the doors together. I wasn’t fond of the idea of a modern looking frosted door.

    Reply

  42. Lacey says

    Thank you for sharing that Emily Jeffords print! So pretty and so affordable! I’m totally getting one. Or two….or the set of three. :)

    Reply

  44. Lori says

    Looks great! Will you be showing us how you hang the new door? I’ve replaced a couple of doors in my house, but my chiseling skills (for the hinges) are pretty sad. There must be an easier way.

    Reply

  45. Sarah @ Sarah's Daybook says

    Woohoo!! Sorry if I missed something, but are you going to go with those type of cabinets (like outlay? is that what they’re called?) or are you going to go with shaker? I have the exact same cabinets in my kitchen, and they are very subtle. Just wondering, because I know you guys like shaker-type cabinets and I do too! :)

    Reply

  46. Laura says

    How is it going switching to disposables for Teddy during this project? Have you noticed a difference in terms of absorbency/diaper rash/etc? I’m using cloth diapers on my 3-month old and love them, but I’m curious how they compare to the disposables at this stage.

    Reply

  47. J says

    We just recently turned our rarely used dining room into my office after 9 years of my “office” being in the corner of the bedroom. The bed and dresser are terrible work space credenzas! Yes, it was awful.
    Your former LR is bigger and the floor plan is better than my set-up, but we worked with what we had. We installed a 72″ french door across the big opening and a 30″ at the other doorway. I was entertaining the thought of frosting the glass or curtains, but after one month in, I don’t think I will cover the windows. I love looking out through the LR to the front yard. And honestly, everybody who knows me, KNOWS I have paperwork galore with the nature of the business. I do try to keep it corralled. My bookcases with white Ikea boxes and cute paper covered notebooks are covering a multitude of sins. hah!
    Anyway, (after all the chit-chat) my comment was…we bought the pre-hung doors at a locally owned builder’s supply. HD nor Lowe’s had both sizes of doors and HD’s doors (maybe they were the pre-hung kind?) didn’t have great reviews (warping). Just FYI…

    Your laundry room/hall will be fabulous!

    Reply

  48. Sarah C. says

    YAY! I think that new YHL geo ceiling fixture is FINALLY the answer to my low ceiling prayers. We need a couple flush mounts and all the options are either hideous, ludicrously expensive, or don’t emit enough light. Nice job, guys!

    Reply

  49. Gwen says

    This isn’t really relevant to the post except that you have a photo of your covered patio. Can you update on if the ceiling fans really help keep bugs at bay? Thanks!

    Reply

  50. bella says

    Looks good. Did you think about going to the Restore to get the door? I’m sure you could get one much less expensive and they always have a surplus.

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *