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Wash, Dry, Fold, and Repeat: Our Laundry Room Stripped Down

DIY· Family· Ideas· Paint· Storage· Time management· Tips

19 Apr

Doing laundry is one of the chores to loathe, but if you don’t do it, will suck you in and drown you in a sea of dirty and/or clean clothes.  I have also been known to move piles of clean laundry from couch, to bed, to chair for several days only because I was hoping that the laundry fairy would fold it and put it away. Yep, that never happened. For the first time in about 4 years I finally had a real laundry room, but the functionality, not to mention the fashionability of this room, left little to be desired. Lets take a look at the after and I’ll tell you how we got here.

Laundry room, storage solutions

Done!!!

When we sold our house, our buyer wanted the washer and dryer and since we were not using a moving company, the thought of transporting those two items sounded like a nightmare.  I was thankful that the previous owners in the house decided to leave their set behind, I should have known something was up when they offered without us asking. While the washer and dryer “worked” in the new house, the washer put out hot water randomly even though I had it at cold. I even double checked to make sure the hot and cold lines were not crossed, they weren’t. Then the dryer, that took at least 2 hours to dry your clothes and even then could not promise they wouldn’t still be damp. We clearly were not winning any eco-efficiency ratings with this set. Oh and let’s not even get me started on the awful florescent ceiling light, the gross wire rack with mystery sticky substance, and the goldenrod wall color. Needless to say, this room needed some hard core TLC.

Before… so UGLY
Wire rack be gone!
U-G-L-Y….

We have used a front loading washer for some time and while we know that it’s not a crowd favorite, we had no issues with mold or the washer smelling bad. The washer that was in the new house was a top loader and even I didn’t mind it, I didn’t like having the agitator. Our clothing got caught around it and it just didn’t seem like I could fit all that much stuff in the washer. I looked at the agitator free top loading washers, but here’s the problem I found, I’m only 5’4″ and I had a difficult time reaching the bottom of the washer. Reviews of this type of washers said the same thing; it wasn’t just me.  Before we purchased anything, we decided to sit down and figure out what we wanted in the laundry room.


Shop World Market

For the longest time, my goal has always been to keep the laundry IN the laundry room from start until I could put it away. It was in that moment that we decided getting the front loading washer and building a counter to go wall to wall was the logical choice for us.

Hip hip hooray for a laundry counter!

Oh the dryer…

Purchasing the washer and dryer did not go as smoothly as planned. I made the mistake of assuming we had all electric connections and the day of delivery discovered when cleaning out behind the dryer, that our dryer is actually GAS!!! Where we purchased the set, they don’t keep gas dryers in stock, they have to be ordered from the factory. But before that can happen, a plumber has to come out to inspect the gas line to make sure it’s ok to have a new dryer installed and if not, fix whatever is not sufficient. THEN, they’ll order it and again, only the plumber can install the dryer because it’s a safety issue. Aaaahhhhh. Basically we ended up having a dryer sitting in our living room for about a month before it was installed. Which then dawned on us, we dodged a huge bullet by letting the buyers have the washer and dryer from the old house.

This is not happening! And ewwwww so dirty!
Seriously

This is the Maytag set we purchased, but with a gas dryer.

Next came storage and what we were going to keep in the laundry room. Upper cabinetry above the washer and dryer seemed like the typical logical choice. The more I thought about it, I realized there would be no easy way for me to reach the cabinet with how deep the counter needed to be. #shortgirlproblems  We actually didn’t need a ton of extra storage in that space, but if we decide we do down the road, we can always add cabinets. The last thing I wanted to do was add something that could potentially hold excess and clutter. I literally laid out the items that would live in that space, I discovered that maybe all we really needed was a rolling cart beside the dryer and the wall behind the door.  When we open the door to the laundry, you don’t see the supplies.

Laundry storage solution.

As for the other things to keep in the laundry, I didn’t need a big drying rack because honestly I don’t hang dry many things. I was fortunate to find a wall shelf with a single metal bar to hang items to dry. The ironing board and iron are stored on an over the door holder on the back side of the laundry door.

Decorative and functional

In trying to keep with the “coastal farmhouse” feel, we decided we wanted to try our hand at a pallet wall and keep things pretty rustic. You can read about how we completed that project here. Gray paint we had on hand made the horrific yellow wall color disappear. A light fixture with a coastal feel replaced the ugly florescent light, and completely brightens the space!

New light!

I used galvanized letters we already had and a few pieces from a local vintage shop to add a little decorative touch. My search for one final decorative piece landed me to the Easy shop for The Country Barn and this super adorable sign.

So. Cute!

After two long months of waiting and working on the space we were finally DONE!

Before… so UGLY
Laundry room, storage solutions
After…Rustic beauty

I highly recommend designing your spaces based on your family and on your flow. Think of ways that could help you achieve your tasks faster and more efficiently. Don’t forget budget. Aside from the cost of the appliances, the total cost for this space, including decor was just under $300. Even if you have to start small and just get the baseline, you can always add to your projects later.  As long as you start out with a well thought out plan, you’ll reduce the chances of making bigger costly mistakes.

Laundry room, storage solutions

Love this counter!

If you found this information helpful, pin it for later and don’t forget to share! Also, if you want to stay up to date, don’t forget to subscribe HERE!

XOXO,

Brooke

Laundry room, storage solutions, rustic, farmhouse

How to do a rustic laundry room makeover on a budget.

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Lover of DIY• Organizing Nerd• Chaos Coordinator• Momma of 2• Wife• Living the dream in Charleston, SC •
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Brooke Cribbs
From early in my relationship with Courtney, we lo From early in my relationship with Courtney, we loved going to open houses and parade of homes. Anything to get ideas and inspiration on what we wanted in our own home. Believe it or not, we’ve moved 10 times. Of those 4 were homes we bought and one of them a home we built. Needless to say when we saw the online photos of our “hopeful” future home plan, we agreed we had at least one more move in us.  What’s something you’re looking for in your next home?
In my lifetime of doing DIY, I’ve picked up a fe In my lifetime of doing DIY, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. #partner Check out the link in my profile for my first @homesdotcom article of the year where I share all my juicy secrets. 🙌🏽
I needed to take a long break after last week to p I needed to take a long break after last week to process all that’s going on. I’m still processing. One of my favorite things to do is take long walks through construction sites surrounded by plumbing and framing.  No lie. This is where we’ve gone multiple evenings over the last couple of weeks. This place has brought us a lot of peace and on the blog I’m spilling the beans on our secret.
I had to do it too and pull up my top nine from th I had to do it too and pull up my top nine from this year. And I’m not surprised by what’s there. The tragic helicopter accident that took Kobe, his daughter, and their friends rocked me in a way I didn’t know it would.  It was clear that y’all loved the bedroom renovations this year and our @wearewoodgrain accent wall was a huge crowd favorite. Kennedy’s diamond pattern wall is one of my most pinned on Pinterest to this day. I’m deep in planning mode for this year and can’t wait to bring more fun content. Hope that everyone had a great night and an even better weekend!!
Walking out of this year with a whole new perspect Walking out of this year with a whole new perspective. While this year was filled with so much uncertainty, I was still able to find some light and a more clear vision. (I’ve always said the best lessons come in the valleys of life.) I’ve spent the last few weeks with Court and the girls and I’ve come to some realizations that will change the vision I thought I had for the future. I thank you for being on this journey.  I’m blown away by the people I’ve met online and in person from this community.  The opportunities I’ve been blessed to experience.  I pray that everyone has a safe night and we all wake up tomorrow with hope that the new year will bring more peace.
Christmas is only two days away, but there’s sti Christmas is only two days away, but there’s still plenty of time to make one of the perfect handmade holiday courtesy of  the @homedepot! Home Depot doesn’t just focus on big DIY projects, they have all the supplies to help you with your smaller personalized DIY projects too! From stencils to wood shapes they can help you bring your handmade gifts to life. Looking for more holiday DIY gift ideas?  Don’t forget to check the link in my bio for other great DIY Holiday Handmade Ideas  to make the ones you care about most, smile.  #THDxHoliday #HomeDepotPartner #sponsored #thdxdiyworkshops
The holidays can be a stressful time of year, and The holidays can be a stressful time of year, and this year is no exception. If you’re looking for a last minute, budget friendly, and sentimental gift, the @homedepot has you covered! What better way to show someone you care, than with a thoughtful homemade gift.  Check out the link in my bio for all the other amazing DIY homemade holiday gift ideas. Also, be sure to check out my blog and how I took @_ashleighlaurn lazy susan tutorial and put my own personal spin on it. (See what I did right there?) 😉 #homedepotpartner #thdxholiday #sponsored #thdxdiyworkshops
Remember that sweet three tiered tray from Decor S Remember that sweet three tiered tray from Decor Steals? Here she is all decked out for Christmas! Speaking of Christmas, I some how misplaced my favorite Christmas t-shirt. I spent the better part of the night tearing my closet apart.  No dice. But at least my kitchen’s cute. 😉
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