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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

31

Reader Space: A Rockin' Laundry Room Renovation

This world works in crazy ways sometimes.  My friend, Jessica from Four Generations One Roof, is no stranger around here.  She is constantly wowing me with her home makeovers and projects.  She is handy and has a beautiful sense of style, which to me, is a winning combination.  Naturally, I gush over any project of hers that boasts any type of organization and storage.  We initially built our friendship through the blog world, and this summer fate finally brought us together in person.  Let me tell you, this girl is a hoot!  She is full of life and her personality goes right along with her incredible style.  I truly wish she was my neighbor, I just adore her like crazy.

Today, she is back again, because I stalked her recent laundry room makeover and I just had to share it!


Sure, it is full of darling baskets and that makes my heart do somersaults, but it is SO much more than that.  Her updated space is efficient, pretty, practical and smart.  She redesigned the initial footprint and built in incredible surface space and storage.  Here she is now to answer a few of my questions about her stellar space.


What is the main function of this space?

"To do laundry!  My arch nemesis.  Also to store laundry and cleaning supplies."



Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Buy or create cute containers to keep stuff in one place.  I cannot believe how having a simple basket or box for items makes me {plus my family} put things back in the right place!"



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

"Creating the DIY floating shelves and purchasing coordinating baskets/boxes for items was key. We never had enough shelves to store items and the cleaning supplies along with other random laundry items were always just stacked and buried on the prior shelves. What a mess it was!"



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

"Well, I did budget $200 for pretty baskets and plastic boxes.  For me, I like pretty things and am more inclined to stay organized if I "like" being in the space. I tend to avoid spaces that are a mess, hence my dislike for doing laundry.  I am actually keeping up with it now which is amazing!  If I didn't have the $200 to buy new stuff, I would have purchased inexpensive fabric and recovered existing boxes that we already had."



What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"The DIY floating shelves and folding station. My dad and I spent an afternoon making the shelves and that saved a bundle!"





How has this space changed your life for the better?

"Well, I will never like doing laundry BUT I do like being in the space now AND because we have a folding table right there in the room, I fold the clothes right away and it's SOOOO much better then piling the clothes on a random chair or couch.  My stress level is definitely down in the laundry area."


OK.  I have shown you the pretty after photos, but let's take a look at what Jessica started with and the side by side awesomeness of the transformation.


Don't you just love the way she updated the use of space?  And the before and after photos are pretty incredible right?

  • By removing the shelves to the side and building them in above the washer and dryer, she really opened things up and it allowed her to completely reconfigure the use of space.
  • Purchasing custom shelving and counters can be costly.  By building them herself, Jessica not only saved a few pennies, she was also able to customize them to fit her space perfectly.
  • By DIY'ing some of the larger items in the space, she was able to save her budget for purchasing storage.  
  • Similar baskets and bins really give the space a streamlined and fresh feeling.  As Jessica mentioned, if the storage budget is less, DIY'ng storage in cohesive finishes such as paint or fabric will also provide that feeling of unity between the storage containers.  
  • Now that she has added a folding station, her process has because much more efficient.  Laundry can be folded right out of the dryer, instead of being taken around the house in baskets.
  • Small touches such as trays and decanters really take the makeover to the next level.  Paying attention to the little details really impacts the overall feeling of a space.
  • Although she will never LOVE doing laundry, she does love being in her laundry space.  That makes such a difference come time to do chores.  That is why I adore these types of makeovers so very much.  They result in elevated moods. 

Jessica doesn't have a huge laundry space, but it sure functions big.  She did a great job utilizing the vertical space, and all of her personal touches really brought it to life.  You can read more about this incredible transformation on her blog here.  Want to see Jessica's other IHeart features?  You can find her mudroom here and her DIY magazine rack here.

Does anyone out there really LOVE doing laundry?  If so, what tips do you have to getting through chore time with a smile?



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!

31 comments:

  1. This came at the perfect time. We are moving into our first house a going to work on the laundry room soon! I picked a cheery bright teal paint color, hoping that helps keep us happy and cheery about laundry.

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  2. Love this! The plan would work for my space if I didn't have a top-load washer! Something for me to think about! :-)

    www.styleoyster.blogspot.com

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  3. Love the sign to the right....when I said I do I didn't mean the laundry! Where did you get it? I need it! :)

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  4. I love how she created something out of a nothing space. Its petite but perfectly functional.

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  5. When I see your post, it makes me wondering that I should do something in the laundry room. However, I am thinking about a light Lavender paint color over the wall. I havent decided yet. Anyway, thank you for sharing this :-)

    Cheers,
    Joyce

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  6. Thanks so much Jen for the feature and all your kind words! You are a hoot yourself :) Thanks rockstar and have a fab day :)

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  7. Drooling! What a beautiful room! We could actually do something like this in our laundry room, this is a great inspiration!

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  8. I LOVE organized laundry spaces! I can't wait to have a space dedicated to just laundry to do something amazing with it! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Thats a really good idea...although in the Uk we don't tend to have laundry rooms like this...;(

    http://vodkaandarose.blogspot.co.uk

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  10. I'm one of the crazies who actually LOVES doing laundry! The things that I think help me love it the most - I take things out of the wash, then out of the dryer immediately when the machines shut off. I immediately hang the hang up clothes and fold the rest and PUT THEM AWAY right then! This helps me avoid having to iron, having clothes pile up to be put away, and…if I can't finish a load, I don't start it so that I don't have the "need to rewash" or "need to dry again" syndrome that can seem never ending! I do laundry almost everyday - but that means I only do a load or two instead of having 7 or 8 loads to try to get done all in one day!

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  11. Such a fabulous space! I definitely agree that if space pretty I'm more likely to keep it organized!

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  12. Gotta know where the wire baskets came from. Love!!

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  13. Where did u get the basket the towels are in? I've been looking for some like that.

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  14. Those who despise doing laundry will love doing it in a beautiful little space like this! How tidy & organized & not to mention creative with that small space...love! Thanks for sharing! P.S.: Jen...looking forward to seeing some of your Christmas decorating soon! Your Thanksgiving table looked so wonderful and pretty with the colors you chose, etc. (loved the gold accents!), just can't wait to see what you all will do for the "the most wonderful time of the year" this year! :)

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  15. Oh my goodness, this makeover makes my heart swoon. I'm totally in love. I just moved to a new home. I have a smallish laundry room and am looking for some fun ways to make better use of the space. Can I just say that this post motivated me! Thanks so much!

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  16. Amazing transformation! I love it and am a little envious of the skill it took to do it. Just beautiful...

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  17. I have been searching for those same wire baskets. Where did you purchase them from? Love the space, thanks for sharing.

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  18. I need that basket hanging on the wall. This laundry room looks so put together. Love it! I recently redid my own laundry room, and shared a few tips for getting the chore done here. http://improvementlist.blogspot.com/2013/11/list-my-laundry-tips.html

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  19. I've noticed that you and Jessica both have front loader washing machines. Do you like them? I have heard mixed reviews, but would love to have one simply so I could have a folding spot on top.

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  20. OMG I love this! I loathe laundry too and our laundry room is next on our "to revamp" list. Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous space Jen!

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  21. Hello!! it`s a wonderful space ! Very cool ! :)

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  22. So jealous. I don't even have a laundry room, I have a laundry closet.

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  23. Pretty and functional! I have a similar arrangement in my tiny laundry room and it's amazing how much I can fit in there. Counters are the best, too!

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  24. This looks great!! We went back and forth on whether to get pedestals underneath our washer and dryer, or do a counter on top. Since our space is pretty cozy, we decided that the extra folding and storage space on top would be best. I love a countertop in the laundry room! :)

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  25. The "I Do" sign is my fave!!! Definitely sharing this space with my readers! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  26. Metal baskets are the Harvest Baskets from The Container Store, right?

    http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/binsBaskets/wireMetal?productId=10034754

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  27. I didn't even realize this was a closet till halfway through the post! Beautiful job!

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  28. I think I must be one of the few people who actually like doing laundry :)
    Although I always hang my washing out to dry in the sun. The Aussie summer heat has it dry in an hour

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  29. I love doing laundry. Just saying. I am a neat freak and if I don't do the laundry it just sits and I become verrrryyyyy annoyed.

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