Ugly dismal basement laundry room

Sun2027669
by Sun2027669
I am an older woman w/limited budget but absolutely HATE my basement laundry room: concrete walls, formerly painted, but chipped concrete floor, bare wood rafters and shelves. SO depressing!!! Anyone have a basement laundry room they fixed up EASILY and INEXPENSIVELY??? I have thought about painting walls and repainting floor, but can't decide on a color scheme....ESP the floor color! (had thought about taping it off and painting bright blue and white squares (with sunny yellow walls), but wouldn't the white be dirty all of the time (workbench in same room)? Also thought of staining floor, but can't do that over the already painted parts. don't think I can handle a spray painter to paint rafters white....HELP!!
  9 answers
  • Pam Pam on May 21, 2016
    Try Painting your happy color in there. My is teal and yellow with a splash of lavendar. Also look at your lighting. Maybe brighter lights or LED would help.
  • Kathy Bitzan Kathy Bitzan on May 21, 2016
    I would paint, I had a drab laundry area years ago. I hated it. You can put in cupboards or shelves. I am limited also but do a lot of garage sales. Paint is always your friend and can give any space a lift....It takes me a bit longer to find some bargains but it gets done sooner or later. I just bought a new rug for my den, I've been looking for one big enough and what I could afford for two years. I paid 40.oo for an 8x10 and I love it.
    • Sun2027669 Sun2027669 on May 21, 2016
      @Thank You Kathy Bitzan ...I have an old cabinet I can paint in a cheery color (is currently in my garage)
  • Rocky Catt Rocky Catt on May 21, 2016
    Paint is the ticket
  • Liz Straughn Liz Straughn on May 21, 2016
    Paint the walls and shelves a brighter color. You can tape across the floor in mismatched sizes to replicate flagstone rock, then paint brown or gray. When you pull up the tape, the original floor color looks like grout. I would get some cheap sheer-type fabric, but not too sheer, and some brass tacks and tack the fabric to the rafters. The sheer fabric will make it appear airy down their. For extra pop, I'd paint the back of each shelf a light color.
  • MN Mom MN Mom on May 21, 2016
    I bought a bright rug for my floor. I also purchased a trouble light from the hardware store and hung it as the light fixture...so bright! Try putting your detergent, etc in nice baskets or containers. And remind yourself that you don't need to spend all day in the laundry room...get in and out ASAP!
  • Vicki Cain Vicki Cain on May 21, 2016
    paint everywhere and storage containers in your favorite colors. It is your laundry room. containers can be made with lots of household items add some paint looks brand new. I found picnic baskets at GW and a yard sale and they hold a lot of things. I make my own laundry soap and my friend saved kitty litter containers and coffee cans for me, painted they look great. I took napkins and watered down glue and covered diaper boxes that I got from a friend, added a little bit of rope on the ends for handles, they make great storage.
  • Ann Ann on May 21, 2016
    I think on a budget I might get some curtain rods and drop cloths and put on the walls and some stick on flooring tiles for the floor and maybe even staple a drop cloth to,the ceiling. Bright, clean and if somehow the curtains on he walls get dirty you can wash them and put them back up.
  • Becky P Becky P on May 26, 2016
    I just painted the dingy dirty basement laundry room a citrus color, and it is so much better and brighter now compared to what it looked like. We are going to add some cabinets we are getting for free this weekend to finish it off.
  • Sun2027669 Sun2027669 on May 26, 2016
    sounds fun! lemon or lime? :)
    • Becky P Becky P on May 27, 2016
      @Suniflowers orange! lol Then I found out orange is my new husband's least fav color.........too bad, so sad!