20 years ago, when we moved into this house right before Thanksgiving, there was a TON of things that I wanted to do to make it OUR home.
It was built by my in-laws in 1963, so while the home had incredible bones, it needed to be updated.
Over the course of those 20 years we've literally revamped every room, sometimes multiple times as is the case when living in a home this long and having a decorator's heart lurking within.
However...
One sad and lonely little room got aa series of initial (read incremental) makeovers and stayed that way for the rest of its life until recently.
Introducing our laundry room/area.
Now, let me preface this by saying that there have been a few updates along the way.
3 years ago I removed the cabinet doors over the machines (machines which have been replaced twice over said 20 years), framed with craft wood and medallions, papered with paintable beadboard wallpaper, and then used to store all the laundry "things."
But for some reason, I stopped there.
Last year I added these panels that resemble tin along the side and back of the machines. We have them as a backsplash in our adjoining kitchen, so I wanted it to naturally "flow" from there as well.
But for some reason, I stopped there.
When we initially moved in, I painted the paneling and then stenciled a grapevine pattern in random areas. (Before you cringe...stenciling...it was 1999 and stenciling was still in.)
But for some reason, I stopped there. And that stop was a LONGGGGGG ONE!
At some point, I can't remember, hubby and I installed 2 IKEA cabinets on the wall.
This lower cabinet is actually a wall cabinet that is meant to go above the refrigerator.
I needed clearance below for the heat, recycle bin, and dog feeding area.
Plus, the top gave me a bit of a counter area without taking up valuable space between the wall and the machines.
Above, we installed a glass-fronted wall cabinet that's been used to store all my vases and bread baskets for years.
So, I guess you could say that I've done lots of things in this area.
But...
I never really finished it.
Until now.
I recently decided that I NEEDED to finally finish this room so that when we went to sell this house to downsize it would not disappoint, but excite, the next owners.
So I got to work.
I started with the major thing...
Painting those stenciled walls.
I used leftover paint from a guest room. It is a soft taupe (Sherwin Williams Outerbanks SW7534) and matches the wallpaper tones in the kitchen.
Although this laundry room is really an "area" of our kitchen, you cannot see it when you enter the kitchen unless you go all the way back and turn the corner. It's right across from the pantry that I redid in this post.
We replaced the lighting in there from a "boob" light to this spanned light. I like that it travels across the ceiling with multiple lights that can be directed to different areas.
I painted the main wall as well as the back wall. A bit of the taupe paint shows above the door when you enter the kitchen, so it's quite pleasing to see from that vantage point considering how it blends with the overall decor of the kitchen.
I made sure to paint the heating (it doesn't affect it) while working around the cabinets on the wall.
I also gave our recycle bin a little pick-me-up. I found Minglewood Trading on ETSY and for $6 I had the perfect label which shipped quickly and worked perfectly.
On top of the lower cabinet, I kept the piece of wallpaper I have had under glass. It was working and I liked the texture, pattern, and black base that it adds to the room.
The dog treat jar was bought years ago at Marshal's, but I've seen similar in there recently.
The picture is an internet printed 8.5x11 sheet in a Dollar Tree frame that I painted black.
I cleaned out the vases, thinning out the "herd" of them and keeping only what I really USED. I liked many of them, but I decided that if I didn't use it I couldn't keep it.
I cleaned this cabinet out well, washed the glass, and returned this hodge-podge collection to the shelves.
Next, I worked on re-decorating the shelves above the machines.
I used my label maker and some small Dollar Tree frames to create labels for my laundry needs.
These Dollar Tree small glass jars and the glass milk container (Amazon) are perfect for getting my cleaners out of their colorful (read "I don't like the way they look with my aesthetic) containers.
I simply attached the frames with command strips.
I used a vintage Ball Mason jar, a faux succulent, and a vase of collected wine corks as a small vignette.
An old McCoy planter was used to hold my laundry pods, and a Dollar Tree canvas was attached to the wall with a command strip as well.
Here's a great shot of how this area looks over my washer.
See my hand-made Pottery Barn inspired basket above? It's holding all my folded (yes, I said folded) plastic grocery bags that we use periodically for trash.
Side note: When I redid this area, I used peel and stick tile on the bottom of the shelves. This is a great way to have wipeable shelves that see A LOT of sticky detergents and cleaning supplies placed on them. It's great to also use these peel and stick tiles in the bottom of cabinets under sinks. It protects against water and spills!
Above the dryer, I placed a second basket that I had made along with my iron and some vintage Ball Mason jars with needed supplies tucked inside.
From the side, here's a better shot of the whole area.
And here it is from the pantry doors. (Actually, I was inside the pantry to get this shot!)
I FINALLY HAVE FINISHED THIS AREA.
It only took me 20 years.
What rule says it couldn't?
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