Laundry Room Makeover

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

And some detail pics :)

My counter top is made from melamine - you know, that white plastic coated MDF? My counter area was WAY deeper than standard counters come, so we had to figure something else out. Melamine worked out really well and was very cost-effective! The giant sheet we bought did my big counter top (66x35) and 2 shelves in my closet (41x18) with some left over - and cost only $25! I added a strip of pretty molding ($9) to the edge and painted the whole thing the same white that I painted the board and batten
The room is so pretty I want to squeal every time I walk by!

Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions to my decorating dilemma post!  I used a lot of them :)
Linking up to DIY Day at ASPTL

Accessories

My laundry room transformation is almost complete - I have just a few items to pick up today while I'm out running errands. The plan is to post "after" pictures tonight - in time for Kimba's party, of course!

Over the weekend I put together the accessories for the room - one of the most important parts! And the most fun :)

WARNING - there are tons of pictures in this post!

First, a pretty tray.

She started off as a beat up frame that I found at a garage sale for a dollar - a steal because of her (huge!) size.

There were some gaps in her corners - I just pounded those back together with my hammer and used my staple gun to make sure she'd stay nice and tight.

Then I added handles to the sides and a piece of hardboard to the base.

Totally transformed :)

When I posted my Design Dilemma for Amanda's party, I got lots of fantastic suggestions. One was for a lamp. Brilliant! I took a sad, blah $10 lamp from Wal Mart - identical to this one, except the base was white, not green...

and turned her into this gorgeous thing.

 

I found this darling metal planter and this artificial plant at a moving sale this weekend and combined the two. 

I also scored this silly "laundry" sign, which I thought would add some character :)

I picked up this basket at the thrift store last week.

Spray painted it Espresso, 

then brushed on some black craft paint and gave it two coats of clear sealer.  

LOVE it now!

I also found this mirror - attached to a metal box. 

so. very. heavy!

I taped her off and sprayed her black. 

Now she's beautiful!

and very functional - keys hang inside, and this is where I put things that Matt needs to take to work or drop off somewhere (like letters to be mailed or CDs that I've borrowed - which he forgot today)

Last, I took this window frame - which I bought for $5 at a barn sale earlier this summer - 

and gave it a good scrubbing with a wire brush.  I thought about painting her, but decided against it. 

The woman that sold her to me said that she was from a building in New Yok. Not sure how true that is, but she sure is pretty now!

I can't wait to show them to you all together! I'm SO happy with the way it's turned out :)

Laundry Room In Process

Wow! Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions to yesterdays Design Dilemma post!

I got started on the laundry room today :)

I stopped into the Home Depot this morning on a whim. While I was there I decided I was going to board and batten the laundry room.  Woo! 

I also decided I wanted the wall color to be a blue green, and I picked out a color so I could get started today.

I kept it fairly light, because I didn't want to close the space in...

But that was WRONG.

As soon as I had it on the walls I knew it wasn't going to work. But I finished it, figuring it could act as a primer if nothing else.

I also decided that I want less blue, more green.

I've got hubby stopping by the Home Depot on his way home tonight to grab something more suitable.

Did you know you can look at Behr colors online?  How cool is that?!

I ripped the molding off one wall so I could install the board and batten.  THAT was a pain in the butt! I've installed the bottom piece on just one wall now.

I'm also painting the door white again - the "wood" is actually a faux technique I was trying out. For a moment, I thought about doing it to my front door - but now it makes me want to vomit. LOL

Anyway, the plan so far...

Paint

Board and Batten

I also picked up some accessories at the thrift store that I'm excited to make pretty :)

Laundry Room HELP!

While cruising the DIY genius over at ASPTL last night (my favorite weekly activity!) I learned that Amanda over at Serenity Now will be hosting a Decorating Dilemma Party tomorrow.

This is perfect timing for me.

Normally, I begin my room re-decoration projects with a pretty clear idea of what I want. My vision often changes throughout the process, but I do normally have a vision.
Not so this time.

I'm tired of my laundry room.
so. very. tired.

When we moved into this house (3 years ago) the laundry room thrilled me. On the main floor, right off the garage, with a mud room aspect to it, it was a MASSIVE improvement from the "laundry room" of our old house - which was actually more of a deep, dark hole in the basement.
I celebrated by purchasing this gorgeous washer/dryer set. Front load, high efficiency...so pretty!

I also bought a "stacking kit" which allowed us to put the dryer on top of the washer.
I thought this would give me a lot more room in the laundry room - allow us to use it more as a mud room..
It did...and it's been fine for the past few years...but suddenly I'm tired of it.
I think it's all Lorie's fault (over at Be Different, Act Normal.) She kept showing off pretty laundry rooms, and they got me thinking. Thinking is so dangerous for me.

I kicked the idea of a laundry room re-do around in my head for a few days.  Then yesterday, when I was feeling lazy and tired and trying to avoid a workout I said to my husband "what would it take to unstack the washer dryer?" and he said "not much. You want them side by side now?" and I said yes, and proceeded to empty the laundry room.
One of Matt's best qualities is that he never asks too many questions, and he never tries to talk me out of anything. Instead, he pulls the washer/dryer stack away from the wall and says "can you get me a phillips head screw driver?"

So yesterday began the laundry room makeover...
which has no clear direction.

Help!
I know I want to put a counter in over the washer/dryer. I know I want shelving or cabinets of some sort on the wall.  I know I want a cute drying rack, and a pretty paint color...but I need some suggestions!
The room is small. To be honest, it's not nearly the cause for rejoice now that it was 3 years ago, but it's still a decent laundry room.
There's a large coat closet that I'm planning to put shelves in, but I also need to put some type of laundry sorter in there. Ideas???

Here are the Before Pictures (it's a complete 360)