Wednesday, January 25, 2012

76 Reader Space: Design Build Love Laundry

Today's reader space tells such a great story of the magic of paint, the power of the Internet and the importance of organizing. 


Ashley wrote:

Hey Jen!

I know you LOVE organized spaces, so I just had to share my recent laundry room overhaul with you!  I know laundry rooms can be a bit of a bore, but this one is no longer- I went for high impact {on a budget}!  We have one of those terribly awkward and tiny "pass-through" laundry rooms, making it prime realty to collect junk and become disorganized.  I finally decided that enough was enough and took matters into my own hands!  With less then $150, I completed a custom color-blocked herringbone paint treatment using paint I had on hand, DIY'd new shelving, created a hang-dry area for delicate pieces, added some storage boxes with custom labels {made sans a Silhouette machine}, hung bars for our frequently used cleaners and some hand towels, DIY'd some basic decor {included our swiffer duster "holder" vase, flowers in sand vases, and wall art with $1 frames and some travel art that I bought several years ago}.

In the end, the room turned out better than I ever
could have imagined and each day I walk through or by that room I literally smile uncontrollably {and awkwardly, I'm sure}!  I recently posted the reveal on my blog: http://designbuildlove.co/pinterest-partayy-entire-room-makeover/

Thanks a ton!
Ashley


Let's take a look at Ashley's laundry room before her takeover:



"Our laundry room suffers from a case of the “pass-through’s”!  What does that mean?  That means that it is the narrow corridor that you pass through when entering our home from the garage and it dumps you into the kitchen!  Because of this, the laundry room has been a horrible dumping ground for miscellaneous junk ever since we moved in, and it gets seen all the time since it’s right off our kitchen. On top of being very tight on usable space, the one shelf that was in the laundry room was literally out-of-reach for my 5’2″ frame, making its use nearly impossible!"


But now.....




After some Pinterest inspiration, she ended up with a laundry room that had a painted herringbone accent wall, fresh paint in the entire room, custom DIY built shelves, DIY wall art and decor, more efficient storage and easier access to used items!

  • She set a tight budget and stuck to it!  When that is done, it forces you to get really creative and resourceful, which she was with a fabulous outcome!
  • She found her inspiration on the www.  Finding inspiration is a great way to get started.  It gives you an idea of where you are headed and provides all sorts of motivation.
  • She labeled her storage so no more piles should be formed, everything has a place!
  • That hanging bar for clothing is a simply genius laundry room addition!
  • She customized the shelving at levels that worked for her.  Putting less frequently used items above and everyday needs in arms reach!
  • She didn't settle for the placement of the washer and dryer.  She moved them together to make room for her laundry hamper.
  • I love how she is storing her cleaning bottles, leaving them hanging out in the open allows her to quickly grab what she needs in a jiff!
  • That herringbone wall.  I am speechless trying to find words to describe how amazing it is.  It really takes that space to a whole new level.  It shows that those extra steps to beautify are so worth it in the end.  Combining storage with decor is always a winning combination.
  • She smiles when she sees it.  That's what it's all about my friends.  That giant perma grin that you sport after completing a great organizing project.  The magnetic pull that brings you back to your finished space just to oohh and ahhh and feel amazing!

What do you heart most?  Anyone else been revamping your laundry closet, nook or room?  Or maybe taking on a fun wall treatment?


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 send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com 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!  More info HERE.

76 comments:

  1. Such a good idea!
    I am trying to help my boyfriend make the most of his apartment space, it is a VERY small apartment and the laundry is stuffed into a closet space and you cannot walk in. There are only two small closets in his house, including his laundry closet - I would love to see some space saving ideas for people who live in apartments like these...
    xx


    The Urban Umbrella
    xoxo


    http://urbanumbrella.blogspot.com/

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    1. Glad you like the space! Our laundry room, while in our home, is probably small enough to qualify as an apartment-sized space... it's only 6'x6'. :) The makeover definitely made the space immensely more usable! Hope the inspiration is helpful!

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  2. Oh my! Such a beautiful and useful space now!!!
    I soooo gotta finish my laundry room area. My current space in the garage is currently not inspiring. I'm hoping a pretty laundry room area will inspire me to want to do laundry more often (or at least not hate it)

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    1. My mom actually has a garage laundry room space, and after I just completed our makeover, she asked me to come over and make over her space too, so it doesn't just feel like a washer and dryer in the garage, but more like a usable and beautiful laundry space! I can't wait to do it! Even if a garage space is temporary, you can still make it beautiful and functional with very little money! Our entire makeover was done for under $150! :)

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  3. It looks so nice now that she probably hopes more people enter thru her garage just to take a peek. :)

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    1. soooo true! I LOVE coming in through the garage and never want to close the door from the kitchen into the laundry room. It just makes me smile too much!

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  4. That's crazy what a little bit of work can do to transform such a boring area of the house. Great!!

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  5. It comes full circle Ashley because now your room has been Pinned as inspiration for others! I love the low shelf right above the controls of the appliances. Those without front-loaders can't go the counter-top route so this is the next best thing.

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    1. aww... thank you so much! :) Front loaders just aren't in the budget for us, so coming up with a non-counter top solution was a priority! I hope this shows, that you don't have to have expensive front-loaders to have a beautiful laundry space. :)

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  6. I LOVE what she did on the back wall! Inspiring!

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    1. Thank you so much Laurie! The tutorial for this easy but bold wall treatment is up on my blog: http://designbuildlove.co/diy-herringbone-colorblocked-wall-pattern/

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  7. What an awesome transformation of this space! I love the patterned wall on the back!

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    1. Thank you so much Andrea! The wall treatment tutorial is up on my blog if you want to check it out: http://designbuildlove.co/diy-herringbone-colorblocked-wall-pattern/

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  8. The hanging bar is genius... Pinned it for my own laundry room makeover! Loving all these reader spaces. New to your blog, LOVE it. :)

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    1. Hey Elisa! That amazing hanging bar was only $5 at Ikea! Total score, and the best part is that the width of the bar is adjustable so you can make it fit your space! Good luck with your makeover!

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  9. I'm loving it! Totally on my to do list for the house that we're buying. And, cause its so low budget, it should be no problem to get the husband's approval!!

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    1. the low-budget and easy husband approval is totally the best part! :) Good luck with your new home!!!

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  10. Love this! Outstanding job! I just remodeled my laundry room last summer and can testify that it is much nicer to do laundry in a pretty space!

    http://gabrielsgoodtidings.blogspot.com/2011/06/laundry-room-transformation.html

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  11. This is wonderful!! My laundry room is in desperate need of some shelving and razzle dazzle!! I love, love, love the herringbone pattern! So, going to use this painting technique!! Thanks so much for sharing her great space!!

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    1. Glad you love and are inspired by the space! The herringbone pattern is definitely my all-time favorite part (even though I love it all)! If you end up doing your own version, I would love to feature it on my blog! Email me at DesignBuildLoveBlog@gmail.com!

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  12. how are the bottles hanging on the right hand side wall? amazing! kudos to a beautiful room!

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    1. Hi there- Thanks for the sweet comments! The bottles are simply hanging by their own handles on the bar. Hope that helps!

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  13. Incredible transformation!! Beautiful~

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  14. OMG, i actually gasped when i scrolled down to the "after"! I love, love, love that wall design! Awesome job!

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    1. thank you sooooo much! The tutorial for the wall design is on my blog if you want to check it out: http://designbuildlove.co/diy-herringbone-colorblocked-wall-pattern/

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  15. What a great space! I totally love the herringbone pattern. :)

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  16. I LOVE, LOVE the way the laundry room came out. Her laundry room is the exact same setup as mine. And I also have the same problem as she did with the one shelve that we have. It is really hard for me to reach things up that high since I am only 5'3. Her back wall amazing I love what she did with it. I am definitively going to use some or maybe most of her ideas to make over our laundry room.

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    1. that is totally awesome that our room inspires you so much! I know a lot of people share the same challenges we were faced with- small space, small budget, and serious lack of functionality!

      If you end up redoing your room, I'd love to feature it on my blog as a reader redesign! Email me at DesignBuildLoveBlog@gmail.com

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  17. Love it! The paint looks great and the shelves are fantastic for storage.

    We have the same laundry room situation here, it's the pass through from garage to kitchen but my high efficiency washers are stacked on those under shelf storage base things so I can't put shelves on the wall above them because I can't reach them. I'm stuck with the mini space next to my washer and dryer being occupied with our cat's litter box (yuck) since we don't have a basement. Would love to know how other cat owners organize and decorate around litter boxes -- that's one thing I never find in any of these cute DIY or Pinterest makeovers! : )

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    1. Hi there! Sounds like I have a few ideas for you. If you'd like, shoot me an email with a few pictures and I can certainly make some recommendations... even for the kitty litter box! :) DesignBuildLoveBlog@gmail.com

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  18. I have a laundry room in an unfinished part of the basement that probably never will be finished because of all of the piper and water tanks, etc. Any great ideas for making a nice space out of seeing insulation and having pipes and tanks all around???!!! I would love to see something like that transformed sometime??!!!

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    1. Perhaps you could cover the wall with the pipes, etc. with a curtain? Just pretend they are not there!

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    2. As Janet suggests, a curtain could certainly work, but there are really tons of options. Feel free to shoot me a picture or two via email and I can do my best to make some recommendations! :) DesignBuildLoveBlog@gmail.com

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  19. What an improvement! And: I love the cupboards and the wallpaper.

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    1. Thanks Ela! :) The wall actually doesn't have any wallpaper- I painted the herringbone pattern myself. :) Fun stuff!

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  20. Awesome job! My laundry room has a similar set-up, and is in sore need of a makeover. Any idea what kind of bar holds the cleaners? Is it a plain towel rack? One of those racks that you can hang mugs from?

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    1. Hi Suzanne! Thanks so much for the sweet feedback! The bar for the cleaners is actually an organization bar from Ikea. I will have a full post of the supplies and costs up on the blog tomorrow... and hopefully links to most of the products, including the bar! :) www.DesignBuildLove.co

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  21. Jen this is a great post and she has an attractive/functional laundry room in a small space. Wonderful ideas in a small space. I can relate this is exactly the size of my laundry room. I did a mini-makeover on mine too! Kudos to Ashely for a job well done!
    Kathysue

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    1. Thanks so much for the sweet comments Kathysue! Hope you enjoy your laundry room makeover as much as we enjoy ours! (isn't that weird to say... "enjoying your laundry room"...) :)

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  22. LOVE the herringbone wall!!! Great job!!!

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  23. Wow I never would have expected to think a laundry room beautiful, but it is! What are the bottles hanging on there on the side wall? Is that a towel bar? Also, where did you get the sand jars? Sooo cute!

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    1. Thank you so much! The bottles are hanging on an organization bar from Ikea that is the same as the one that the towels are hanging on just below the bottles. The sand jars are also from Ikea and are less than $1 a piece. I did a post about most of these items here- http://designbuildlove.co/laundry-room-diy-decor-roundup/

      I'll be doing a full supply and cost summary for the makeover tomorrow on the blog if you're interested. And, I'll be doing my best to include links to all the items we used! :)

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  24. The Herringbone accent wall is amazing! And the hanging bar is such a thoughtful addition - I'm always hanging clothes from doorways only to have them fall off after being freshly ironed. Great space!

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    1. Thank you! The hanging bar came out of my pure irritation of hanging clothes to dry throughout our house after our cheap-o "drying rack" broke. It's the best development ever! It's so easy and convenient to deal with washing delicates now! Glad you enjoyed the space!

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  25. Love, love, love! My laundry space is similar in size and layout - I'm feeling very inspired now!

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    1. that's awesome Andrea! I'm glad the space has inspired you! Can't wait to see what you do! :) Proof that little spaces can still be full of style!

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  26. I definitely love that paint job! I have been wanting to redo my ugly laundry room... this is very inspiring. I was so against using shelves with the braces (I like free floating better myself) but these look great! The colors are awesome and the rack for clothes and hanging bottles is SO perfect :-) Great job!

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    1. Thanks for the sweet compliments! I totally know what you mean too... I am a BIG fan of floating shelves, but I just loved these brackets and to keep costs low, I wasn't going to be able to DIY floating shelves with enough strength to hold the storage. I will definitely be working on some DIY floating shelves on another upcoming project! :)

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  27. Is that clear jar for spare change? SO CUTE! :-) Definitely stealing that idea!

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    1. yup- it's just a leftover vase we had that I made a little label for! :P Glad you like it! The hubby has a bad habit of leaving stuff in his pockets that I don't discover until I'm putting it in the wash. This gave me a convenient place to empty his pockets without having to run back and forth between the bedroom and the laundry room.

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  28. That's how I roll. I would love, love, love to be able to access my large pans without taking all the small pans out first. Thanks :)
    erin6494@sbcglobal.net

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  29. Hi Jen! We are in the process of relocating our laundry to the basement to make room for a 1st floor mudroom/locker room. I am so excited... I know it is weird for some people to hear about a laundry room moving to the basement... maybe I can send some pictures to you when we're done! Judy

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  30. WOW!!! So cute!! I love the painted wall!!!!! You have given me inspiration for my boring laundry room. THANK YOU!!!

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    1. oh, that's awesome! Glad I could help! :) We LOVE our space and the makeover has just made a world of difference for us! I'd love to see what you come up with, so please feel free to email me if you'd like me to share it as a reader redesign on my blog: DesignBuildLoveBlog@gmail.com

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  31. Love this laundry room! Such a great idea. Those walls are too cute!

    www.jenandjercook.blogspot.com

    xoxo,
    ~Jeni

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  32. Great paint job! My laundry area is on my redo list...I love the idea of the lower shelf! www.justhadabrightidea.blogspot.com
    -Morgan

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    1. well, when you get around to it, I promise you will not regret doing a lower shelf! It makes everything soooo convenient! :)

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  33. That's how I roll!
    What a great addition this would be to our kitchen.
    Thanks - Colleen G.
    VaGeyers@aol.com

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  34. Great job, Ashley! It looks like it's straight out of a magazine! We have the same set up, where it's in a "pass through" area...and I'm 4'11, so I get the deal with the shelving. It looks like you maximized your space and the smiles and pride in knowing you achieved it on your own and within your budget makes it all the more worthwhile :)

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    1. aww... you are too sweet, and yes, there is so much pride found when you do it yourself!!! I'm finding that there are a ton of people that are both height challenged and have these pass-through laundry rooms and their comments have been awesome!!!

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  35. Yep, this space looks fabulous! Really nice work Ashley!

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  36. Love it. Everything's so organized. Love the look of Chevron on the wall.

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  37. "That's How I Roll!" What a fun giveaway! I liked spacesavers on facebook and started follwing them on Pinterest...Looks like they have some great ideas!

    Thank you and have a wonderful day!

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  38. That is such a great transformation. It is great to see such a good idea on a small budget. That is certainly something that can happen in our laundry and very cost effective. Thank you for sharing

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  39. Where did you get the bar to hang the clothes? I love it!

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  40. Very inspiring! We have a pass through laundry room from our garage to our family room. I am in the process of scouring Houzz and Pinterest for ideas. It would be awesome, if we could post a photo of our space on here and get ideas from everyone on what they would do to the space.

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