Wednesday, May 22, 2013

43 Reader Space: Laundry Room Love Affair!


OK Dudes and Dudettes... You know I rarely play favorites.  And I have seen a lot of makeovers in my time.  Like, a lot.  And I have to say, this one ranks super duper high on my list of ohmygoshicantbelievemyeyes makeovers.  The before and after photos are jaw dropping, but what really gets me is the final budget.  I think that is why I am so over the moon obsessed with this laundry room transformation.  Kelly, from the blog View Along the Way, used a total of $157 smackaroos to create an absolutely priceless space, thanks to a little elbow grease and oodles of creativity.


Here she is now to share all the details on how she made a laundry room to lust after!

What is the main function of your space?

"Laundering our unmentionables."



Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"An oldie but a goodie: designate a place for everything.  But especially in a space like a laundry room that exists only for function, keep everything in a spot that's comfortable and accessible.  I keep the laundry detergent right over the washing machine, and I'm on the tall side so it's within easy reach for me.  Stuff I use less often, like my iron {*ahem* #iliveinyogapants}, stays on the top shelf.  Everything that's not cute stays hidden behind those cabinet doors."



What items did you find were essential when organizing the space, and why?

"One thing that's been virtually lifesaving is my drying rack.  My baby girl wears cloth diapers, so we used to have to haul out a free-standing drying rack every few days and put it back when the diapers were dry.  Except we rarely actually put it back, so it just got in the way and gave me one more excuse to put off doing another load of laundry." 



What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"I stenciled the back wall with a peacock stencil and iridescent paint.  Totally not functional, but it makes me happy, so that counts for something.  My husband made the fancy geometric light fixture, which we ended up loving so much that we're starting to wonder if we should move it to one of our main living spaces where we can see it more often!"



What items did you DIY to stay on budget?

"We DIY'd everything!  The floors were a yellowed, old linoleum, and to save a few bucks, we decided to take a chance and try painting them in chunky horizontal stripes.  I'm so glad we did because it worked so much better than I expected.  They still look perfect, without a scratch to be found.  The cabinet came from a yard sale, and we built the shelves out of scrap wood in our garage.  {Which, by the way, could really use your expertise, Jen!}"  



How has this space impacted your life for the better?

"Not once since we did this room makeover have I ever fallen behind on laundry.  Okay, that's not true at all.  But when I DO finally get around to catching up on it?  It's a hundred times more enjoyable!  We used to just have one wire shelf on the back wall so our laundry products were overflowing and falling off the shelf, and I could never find what I was looking for.  Now everything is within reach and I know where to find it.  Before, no matter how much I scrubbed I could never get that floor to look clean, so it always felt like an uncomfortable space to be washing our clothes.  Now it's a happy space, and the extra organization means I spend less time doing chores and more time hangin' with my kiddos."


Let's take a moment to glance at that absolutely awesomepants laundry room before and after....


Oh boy, where do I begin.  Why do IHeart this space so much?  Hmmmmm.... do you have a few hours for me to explain the reasons?
  • She painted the floor.  Wait.  One more time.  She painted the floor!  Totally resourceful and to make it even better, she painted the floor with stripes that make a huge impact!  Heck yes.
  • She also stenciled a focal wall.  A girl after my own heart, I am a focal wall addict.  
  • She only spent $157 to make her room look like a million bucks.  Enough said.
  • She found storage from a thrift sale.  Talk about poppin' tags!  And then she DIY'd shelves out of scrap wood.  Looking at it, you would never know that the entire setup wasn't a high-end custom install. 
  • She really thought about placement when storing away her laundry room gear.  Frequently used items within reach, less used items up higher.  No worries Kelly, #ilovemesomeyogapantstoo
  • That wall mounted drying rack is such a smart way to utilize the small space.  No more tripping over the rack on the floor.  
  • High fives for tucking the non-pretty necessities behind doors and keeping the good lookin' stuff on display.  
  • Who wouldn't want to do laundry in that space?  I am sure she definitely whistles while she works!

Stunning right?  You can find even more eye candy and specific details about the laundry room transformation over on Kelly's blog here.  And what is even more exciting is that she is also sharing some exciting news and details over on BHG's Style Spotter's blog.  Wahoo!

This makeover story got me wondering, what's the best $157 you have ever spent?


ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

43 comments:

  1. This is such an awesome makeover! We have a similar set up and I love her built ins above!

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  2. Oh, I just love this laundry room!

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  3. Everything about this is adorable! I especially love that striped floor!

    ~Sarah

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  4. I love the drying rack! Where did she get it?

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    1. Thanks so much! It's from Ballard Designs. We got it on clearance from their outlet store for about $25. :)

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  5. Kelly is one of my absolute faves - so glad to see her gorgeous space featured!!

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  6. I absolutely love the drying rack... was that DIY or store bought?

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    1. Store bought... we'd planned to DIY one, but when I came across this one for only $25, I didn't even think twice!

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  7. Whoa! I love this! Our washer/dryer area is in the garage in our current house, so one of my criteria in our next house is a designated washer/dryer area INSIDE. I feel dirty doing laundry - not to mention cut off from everyone since I am outside. So when we finally get an inside w/d area, I am totally making it pretty!

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  8. Ok, where did you get that drying rack?! It's to die for!! I must now where it came from or how you made it!

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  9. That drying rack is genius. I would love to have one.

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  10. I've had this laudry room pinned for a while trying to get the guts to paint my laundry room floor. Such a beautiful space.

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  11. Love Kelly's redo! It was so fun to see her in BHG :) xo Kristin

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    1. I just got my issue today and saw it--I thought, "Hey! I already saw that room on I Heart Organizing!" It is beautiful, Kelly! Gives me some inspiration for our tiny laundry closet :) (And I love our cloth diapers too!)

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  12. I don't think I've ever used the word stunning for a laundry room before, but in this case, it fits! Love it.

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  13. Hi! I just pinned some DIY wall-mounted drying racks if anyone wants to see. I'm in love with the ones in Kelly's laundry room too!

    http://pinterest.com/pin/61150507413332333/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/61150507413332372/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/61150507413332376/

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  14. That is an amazing make over can you tell me please where you got the drying rack I love it

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  15. Gorgeous redo! I'd say the best money I spent was for some panels from Ikea. I sewed them end to end, then draped them above my five paneled bay windows in my living room. I got fancy handles to pin them up. I love it!

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  16. What an awesome space! Love that light fixture. I wish I could have it. The floors and the focal wall are my absolute favorites.
    I can never get tired of doing laundry in that room.

    Anna
    www.authenticparent.org

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  17. OMGoodness, she really put some "WOW" in this room! Love the stenciling, the light fixture and those drying racks! And even more awesome -- she actually uses cloth diapers! I did, too, but that was a gazillion years ago! I didn't think anyone used cloth any more -- way to go!

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    1. We love ours! They're much easier to use now. They snap or velcro on just like a disposable. I wrote a post about how easy they are to use. They're strangely addicting! :) http://www.viewalongtheway.com/2013/02/cloth-diapering-101/

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  18. Lovely! Those drying racks are great and I am so pleased to see someone using washable diapers. I used them and it was all very straightforward. I wish more people would see that washable ones are not as inconvenient as they think. And they save sooooooo much money.

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  19. What a happy place to fold some clothes :)

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  20. I found the exact same drying rack at www.homedecorators.com for 194.00 though.

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  21. I love everything about Kelly's laundry room! As a mom of 3 I spend a ton of time in my laundry room and I wish mine was as beautiful!

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  22. Love the peacock feathers on the wall!

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  23. I love the floors it makes the room look so much bigger wow, great redo, Fabulous

    Houseoffuentes.blogspot.com

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  24. I love everything about this laundry room! The painted focal wall is my absolute favorite, though. Inspiring!

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  25. The painted floors are AWESOME! What a great way to totally transform a room. And the cute diapers drying on the rack. I love!

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    1. Aren't the little diapers adorable?! You should see the newborn size. They are SOOO SO TINY. It kills me!

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  26. I am in love with this room! I've been meaning to redo my laundry room, so I am going to pin this for inspiration. :)

    The Grass Skirt

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  27. I am in love with this space! That accent wall and light fixture are amazing! I really need to get to work on my laundry room! :/

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  28. Such a cheery room! Makes doing laundry not so dreadful.

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  29. Love the drying rack. After 3 years of a drying rack camping out in my master bedroom I would have loved to have that for my cloth diapers. Jealous. :)

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  30. I'm in love. Gosh, doing laundry could actually be fun that way!

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  31. I would love to have such a nice room to do the laundry things ^^'

    Melanie ~ http://www.iheartsharingthings.blogspot.com

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