Thursday, September 12, 2013

85 UHeart Organizing: A Laundry Cupboard to Covet

OK class.  Can anyone tell me why we go the extra mile to make things pretty when organizing?  Let me see those hands.

You got it!  It is more motivating to maintain your systems when you love those systems.  It is also fun to get creative, crafty and make your home YOU.  Courtney has this amazing ability to take everyday, inexpensive objects, and make them look like a million bucks.  She does it all around her beautiful home, and also adds that touch to her organizing projects.  Here she is now to show you how she made her laundry room cupboards smile big for her, which is so important in a space that is known for chores.


Hi everyone!  With my children back at school for the year, I have some time to get things more organized around my home.  Like most moms, I spend a ridiculous amount of time in my laundry room.  In fact, I often call it my office!  My laundry room is a nice size and I am able to store some craft supplies in it as well.  But the cabinet above the washer is plain uninspiring.  While it does the job just fine, I knew it could use a little pick me up.  Organized + pretty is the best combination in my book so I set off to give the cabinet a little bit of glam.  Here is the before.


And here is the more glamorous version!  All in all, the entire overhaul took an hour and a half.  Not bad for a cabinet that I now love to open.


First up was loading the cabinet.  Whenever I do this, I realize I don't even use 1/3 of what is inside.  I have been storing two irons in this cabinet for years.  We only use one!  Out with the other.  So I cleared out and purged.  I love a blank canvas!


Next up was backing the cabinet with cute paper I picked up at HomeGoods.  I LOVE their paper selections and have had this one on hand for quite a while.  I am no stranger to using wrapping paper as wallpaper.  In fact, you can see my daughter's closet office wrapped in paper here!  I also busted out some gold dots on the back of our linen closet.  For this project, I simply measured the space, cut the paper, and used a hot glue gun around the edges.  Simple and really really fast.


STORAGE:

Let's begin with the basics.  I picked up this under shelf basket from the Container Store.  It was on sale for around $7.  I didn't know these existed.  It fits nicely under a shelf to add storage in the most unexpected place.


Next up, I scored two black bins from HomeGoods.  They were $7 each.  {That seems to be the price point trend for this makeover}.  The gold dot vase was a DIY project I made while organizing the cabinet.  More details about this on my blog soon.  I also couldn't help but give the under cabinet shelf a shot of gold spray paint!  I really love the new color.


I added the gold plate labels to each basket.  They simply stick on.  They are from the Martha Stewart line for Staples and I use them everywhere!


These white bins are from Target.  I am not sure they still sell them, but any sturdy white bin will do to keep things neat and tidy.  I added gold plates to these as well.  I shared more uses for these little gems with you just a while back.


The mending bin has needles, thread and extra buttons.  I have scissors near by so everything I need to make a quick fix is right at hand.


The other bin is labeled "found" and is intended for any treasures I find in the pockets or in the laundry baskets.


The other side of the hanging shelf hosts my dryer sheets.  We are big fans of The Honest Company and use many of their products.


I have now included clean white rags as a go to item for working on stain removal.  I was always running to a bathroom or the kitchen to borrow a white towel.  Not sure why I didn't think of this sooner.


The black bin on the left keeps the laundry supplies and iron.  The one on the right holds stain removal supplies.


Now this is where you might think I have lost my mind.  Yes, I may or may not have sprayed my bleach bottle cap gold.  But hear me out before you judge me!  I had the bottle on the top shelf {I placed a piece of scrapbook paper around the label.  The directions are still on the back} and the bright blue cap bugged the heck out of me.  I know it's a tiny little thing, but it took me all of thirty seconds to spray it and now I am a happy girl.  And to be quite honest, I so rarely use bleach that this bottle will be with me for years.  Well worth the thirty second gold glam job it got!




I also wrapped the font of the shelf with black ribbon.  It was simple to do and I used a little bit of hot glue on either side to keep it in place.


Here is a peek at the entire laundry room.  You can see where I pulled the black and white color scheme from.


The cabinet above the dryer holds a large amount of my craft supplies.  The cabinet on the right, above the washer, is the cabinet I just overhauled!


And here is one last look at my new glam laundry cabinet.  In less than two hours I have a cabinet that I love opening and it definitely puts a smile on my face.  I already had the cute dragonfly paper on hand so the total cost for this was $21 {hanging shelf + two baskets}.


Thanks for letting me share my new makeover with you all today.  With a little bit of sweat equity and a few sprays of gold paint, the cabinet has an entirely new look.  Maybe you don't need to spruce up a laundry room cabinet, but maybe it has inspired you to do a desk area, a kitchen cabinet, or even an office space.  Happy organizing!





"Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure do because when I first stumbled upon I Heart Organizing I immediately fell in love with Jen's mad organizational skills. I think we all long for a calm, organized, well styled life. I am the author of A Thoughtful Place blog where I dish on all things related to decorating, organizing, entertaining, and of course DIY-ing! To be quite honest, working on making my house a home is my happy place. It fulfills my need to be creative and I love sharing ideas {both big and small} with my readers. Along with my blog, I am a contributing writer to House of Fifty and have recently started my own decorating firm, Casey Grace Design, LLC,  with my talented sister.  I call Orange County, California home where I live with amazing husband and two children. At the end of a busy day, I love to enjoy an ice cold beer on the front porch with my hubby while we watch our children ride their bikes or run around. Life is sweet and I am thrilled to be a part of the IHeart Organizing Team."

85 comments:

  1. I love this! I am the queen of using old Tiffany boxes for storage since they go so well with the Martha Stewart line from Staples, so I am happy to know that I am not the only one. What a beautiful cabinet!

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    1. I love that we can relate on that! Gotta love those blue little boxes. Thank you for the sweet compliment.

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  2. OMG - I loved the idea of spraying the shelf gold, but when you described your 'makeover' of the bleach bottle I realized you really had fun with this project! I never thought I would be jealous of someone's bottle of bleach. Great job!!!

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    1. You are so sweet and make me feel less silly for spraying it! All super easy to do, too.

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  3. I can't even express how much I love this!! SOOOO adorable!!

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  4. Wow, I wish I owned a Tiffany box!! Great makeover! I especially loved the covering up the label on the bleach and painting the lid. My husband would roll his eyes but I think it's brilliant!

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    1. That's thanks to a gift from my parents years ago! Nice to keep the box as a reminder. I think my husband hid the fact he was rolling his eyes ;)

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  5. That looks beautiful! I'll admit I use the silver and gold sharpies all the time to change the lids on things or hide something not so cute. You are not alone. :)

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  6. This looks fantastic. I can see a bleach bottle makeover in my future! But... where do you keep your laundry detergent now?!

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    1. GREAT question. I should have mentioned that. So unfortunately I buy the huge heavy one. It sits on my floor. I am working on emptying out a bottle to fill up with less detergent and I will add it to the shelf.

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  7. I am not very crafty, so this may be a stupid question. But, how do you attach the gold plates? Also, where do you find them? I am obsessed. Thanks!

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    1. No, I should have explained! They are sticky when you buy them. They are awesome. You peel it from the backing and stick them right on. SO EASY!

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  8. I live the way this turned out. I actually need cabinets above my w/d and seeing how pretty your room is making me want to put this on the priority list.

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  9. Love this! You're totally not crazy for covering the Clorox bottle - sounds like something I would do. Actually, I'm totally going to do that now. Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. Ha! I love it. So happy to feel a little more normal after reading these comments!

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  10. What a beautiful laundry cabinet. I am determined to makeover my laundry room as well as we have not updated anything since moving into our house after my husband and I got married! Kids came along and then we really had no time to update anything.

    We have open shelving (wire kind) and the clutter is just too much for me. My stress levels rise tenfold when I walk into the laundry room. Hence we don't do much laundry unless we really have to. LOL

    Love the idea of the "mending" bin.

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    1. Thank you! And big baskets are great for those open shelves. Good luck. . . it's all a process. All in good time!

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  11. Lovely space! All the little touches are just right!

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  12. Love the touches of gold - I want to go and spray EVERYTHING now!! x

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    1. I have that problem. It's real! And it's frightening!

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  13. So much better! The bleach bottle cap is my absolute favourite :D Now you got me thinking about my horrid lazy susan-cabinet in the kitchen.. Maybe I should spray susan with gold :D

    Sokru
    sokerimursu.blogspot.fi

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  14. How fun! This is perfect, because I was just going to do the same idea in my laundry room. Thank you for some ideas that I will definitely add to my own. Love it!

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  15. All kinds of adorableness going on in there! And with the gold cap it can totally be transferred and used on subsequent bottles. Totally glad you went the extra mile on it!

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    1. Thank you! I appreciate it. Makes me feel less crazy, too! :)

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  16. The cabinet looks so great! I love all the pops of gold - especially on that bleach bottle cap. And that paper! So stinkin' charming..

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  17. Love this so much! At first I was like "she even made the bleach bottle pretty", but then I was like "oh my she made this look so cute". And even if she did use a lot of bleach yshe could always funnel the new bleach into her pretty bottle. Well done. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Oh, good idea about funneling. I like the way you think. Oh, and that is my handwriting on the labels. It's the ex-teacher in me.

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    2. Or you could just switch the cap to a new bleach bottle when you get one. I am thinking they probably have a standard size cap.

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  18. For the labels is that her handwriting or is that a font she used? It's adorable! Must use it for my next bookplate labels.

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  19. I love the gold details and the laundry room as a whole is gorg, I am inspired!!!

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  20. I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  21. amazing how spray painting here and there really helped to tie everything together! :) having multiple colors does add visual clutter - though it's pure FUN, it does make the space lovely to look at. :) you nailed the most important part - FUNCTION. giving everything a specific 'home' will save you time when you want to find something and possibly money - not re-buying when you can't find something. Cheers!!

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    1. I couldn't agree more. I am such a fan of function. Thanks for your comment and your sweet compliment.

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  22. Where did you get that dragon fly wrapping paper? I have seen it before and I am dying to snag a roll (or two)!!!

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  23. Your cabinet is so cute! I am totally cracking up about the gold cap on your bleach bottle. You should be able to switch it when you get a new bottle.

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  24. Looks fantastic. I especially love the dragonfly paper! You girls really inspire me to want to slather my organizing projects with creativity. Thanks!

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  25. Love it!!! I have so many clear glass jars. Need to make a polka dot one! And, just FYI...some Target stores still have the RE Lattice Baskets, but you can also order them online (although they only come in sets of 4). If you have a Target RedCard, you get free shipping. I think I need to combine your gold bleach cap with Megan's washi tape plumbing to send my sweet hubby over the edge, LOL

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  26. It's beautiful! I love it

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  27. I don't know who's more brilliant--Courtney for your awesome skills or Jen for having you on as a contributor! Either way, we're lucky to benefit from both of your brilliance! Love you girls!

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    1. Flattery will get you everywhere, right Jen?! ;)

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  28. Looks so great, C! I need to get my hands on some of that cute paper!!! And I'm so crazy, that one of the things that stood out for me is that you don't use bleach much. I'm a bleach maniac over here!!?? I'd be spraying a cap every other week. ;)

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    1. That's funny. Someone commented that I can just reuse that cap! Oh, yeah! Sad I didn't even think of that!

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  29. Love everything about it...and the bleach bottle takes the cake! Fantastic!!

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    1. Thanks, friend. I love we can all appreciate the crazy length we will go to make mundane things more fun!

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  30. Love this laundry space! Soooo beautiful!

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  31. Love ,love this small ,big change
    You sure know how to make evrything so beautifull
    Love your blog
    from Portugal
    lots of love
    Lulu

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    1. Thank you so much! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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  32. Absolutely adorable! And functional! Makes me realize how badly I want to get crackin' on my soon-to-be mud room/laundry room. Thanks for the inspiration, I love it.

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  33. Love everything about this!!!! Gold and navy are two of my faves. Such an inspiring post!

    http://reuschinteriordesign.blogspot.com

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  34. I boycott The Honest Company because of their treatment of The Honest Toddler during a trademark dispute. I hate the idea that whoever has the most money, wins.

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  35. Beautiful! I love a clean, classic black and white color scheme (with pops of color, like your walls) - very nice! I love the dragonfly paper, so cute! Nicely done!

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  36. Wow! it looks so great. I love it... Thanks

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  37. Courtney, I feel you should spray paint those cabinet knobs (and hinges/all hardware) gold too!

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  38. Sorry to be so negative, but covering the name on the bleach bottle is extremely unsafe - it contravenes the basics of health and safety risk management.

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    1. You are not being negative with that. We are on the same page. The entire back of the bottle still has the label showing and the word clorox is imprinted in the plastic of the bottle which is clearly visible. All warnings, directions,name, and label are still in tact on the back! I also keep it very high out of reach.

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  39. Courtney you just never cease to amaze me! Thank you so much for this feature Jen. I love that paper and every detail out into making this utilitarian space gorgeous. Ummm about that gold bottle cap-genius. Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. You are so welcome. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Enjoy your weekend.

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  40. I like it. Your laundry room is VERY similar to mine layout-wise, so can I ask... where do you keep your ironing board? Are you able to iron in the laundry room? It's my current conundrum...

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    1. Great question. In the shot where you can see the white cabinet that has black/white fabric in the door . . .it is standing up behind that. So it is between that and the wall. When I iron {which sadly is almost only when I sew} I pull it out into our bedroom or the hallway. Our laundry room is upstairs. Hope that helps a little.

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  41. Love the "wallpaper" idea! Perhaps you mentioned this somewhere...what did you use to adhere the wrapping paper to the cabinet? I once attempted to line the inside of a drawer with wrapping paper and mod podge which was a big FAIL! But I'd love to try again because you're looks great!

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  42. That looks great! Now for a while now I've been trying to find something to put my fabric softener in because the bottle I buy it in doesn't match. I actually didn't think about painting it. I really wish they made products more decor friendly.

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  43. Hey Courtney! Looking at all your posts and it just makes me want to reorganize my entire house all over again! Love your work!

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  44. Hi Courtney - I just came across your blog via a link on the Better Homes & Gardens web site. I love all the posts I've read so far! Your laundry cabinet looks great! I just thought I'd mention that household bleach does have a shelf life - 6 to 9 months for full effectiveness. I look forward to seeing how your storage space organization goes! It's next on my list once our kitchen remodel is finished!

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  45. I don't get it, now the things aren't visible. Sorry, easy trumps pretty in my book. More power to you if this floats your boat!

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  46. OMG the gold bleach cap is 100% something I would do, and my significant other would probably call me a nutcase... and she may be right, but at least I know I'm not the only one!!

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  47. Now that is my kind of laundry room! Touch of glam with the gold and a Tiffany box for button storage...can't get much better than that! Love the pretty dragonfly paper, too. Courtney has wonderful attention to detail and does everything with class. Love Courtney and her blog. Thanks Jen for the great feature.

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  48. Courtney, I'm a bit late to the party here, but can you share which gold spray paint you used? There are several and they really vary widely in their results. Looks like this one adhered to plastic without a primer, too. I'm in the market!

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  49. Courtney - I'm also curious which gold paint you used. I love the finish on it!

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    1. Same for me. I just read all of the comments thinking someone would have asked that question already.

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  50. really hoping to get the name and color of the gold spray paint you use.

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    1. I am not sure what Courtney used, however, Rustoleum makes my favorite gold and it looks pretty similar. :) http://amzn.to/1IE8ALq

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  51. What a beautiful transformation. This has inspired me.

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