Laundry room
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Nikki Wills on Feb 02, 2015You have great space in there! Paint--of course--is a fabulous way to spruce up a space without spending much money. What kind of budget is "cheap" to you? Under $50? Under $200? For under $50, paint is really your best bet. You could get a few baskets for the shelves, but not enough for all of them, and you'd still have the wire shelves. I'm all about budget and bang for my buck, so I'll tell you what I would do if I could do anything in there (bearing in mind that I'll ALWAYS be frugal and looking for the best deal around, as well as looking for ways to maximize space and efficiency). First, I'd rip out those wire shelves, all of them. Above the washer and drier, I'd install cabinets. I got the beautiful new cabinets for our laundry room for $30 from Cabinets to Go. Normally they'd cost more, but they almost always have a large collection of various cabinets in stock in the warehouse that were returned for some reason. They'll cut you a great deal on fabulous hardwood cabinets from the warehouse stock. Second, I'd paint. Third, I'd install new, tall baseboards. It's amazing how switching out those mop boards for tall ones (6 or 9 inches tall) immediately makes a room look SO much more elegant than builder grade. In the space next to the washer and drier, a freezer or fridge. Or if you get lucky at Cabinets to Go, tall pantry cabinets. Storage galore, and either way, it's behind closed doors and looks nice! If you did your research and got a little lucky, the dream scenario I outlined shouldn't cost more than about $400 max. And you could do it piece by piece.Helpful Reply
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Marion Nesbitt on Feb 03, 2015Just a suggestion - think your shelves are a great idea but look too shallow for current use. Paint as suggested is a great pick me up.Helpful Reply
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Leigh Anne @ Houseologie on Feb 03, 2015Oh I love a good laundry room makeover and I'm working on mine right now too! First off I'd buy a gallon of paint in a color that makes you happy. I don't see any natural light in here so a light color would probably be best. If you can't afford to change out the wire shelving find some cheap baskets/bins (think Dollar Tree or Dollar Stores!) to put on them so that your clutter isn't showing. Next, if your budget allows, I would put a folding table where the bottom wire shelf is, preferably with some sort of closed storage underneath it. You could find a used sofa table or something similar to fit the space, or spend about $50 to build your own. This way you have a place to fold laundry and storage underneath for unsightly clutter.Helpful Reply
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Annie Medic on Feb 03, 2015@Theresa Campbell Build in wooden shelves or pipe shelves, paint and fabric hangings.Helpful Reply
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Home on Hidden Oaks on Feb 03, 2015Pretty wicker or wooden baskets to hide all the necessities like detergent, clothes, etc. Goodwill often has a good selection and is very affordable. I'd get a rug in whatever colors you like, but not a mat. Get the biggest one you can fit in your space. I'd add some artwork that is color coordinated with you rug. Good luck! Your space has tons of potential!Helpful Reply
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Cat on Feb 03, 2015I would paint too. Your favorite theme in a stencil border can give it some interest. Then carry out the theme on stenciled containers or a wall decoration. I would look around for an old short dresser that would fit in your space....paint it to match or contrast. I did that with an old cabinet my mil had in her basement to make more kitchen storage. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/526358275173102330/ Here's also a cheap idea I found on pinterest for storage containers. http://www.surprisediy.com/diy-109.html Of course you could make these containers as big or small as you wanted and choose fabric that would coordinate with your room. (You could stencil on plain fabric too) Best wishes with your project :-)Helpful Reply
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Shari on Feb 03, 2015If it were me, I'd first pick a pretty rug to place in front of the washer/dryer. From the rug, I would choose a paint color--something cheerful and fun. Nothing refreshes a space like fresh paint and the laundry room is the perfect place take chances and play with a little more color than you normally might in other parts of the house. I'm not really loving that wire shelf to the right of the dryer. It looks like that is the first thing you see when you walk into the room. I think I would remove it and if you need a place to hang up clothes from the dryer, you can probably find a more attractive rack with hooks for not a lot of money, or if you are handy, you can DIY something. Since that wall is the first thing you see when you walk in the room, I would make it a "feature" wall by hanging a piece of art, or stenciling the whole wall in a tone-on-tone design, or even using some type of laundry room saying in vinyl decals. Wire shelving is functional but certainly not pretty. If you can find some used cabinets on Craigslist or at the Restore, it would be nice to replace the wire shelves with cabinets so you can hide stuff behind closed doors. If it is not in your budget to replace the shelves, I would at least suggest using matching storage baskets to give a cohesive look. Unfortunately, pretty storage baskets can run into big bucks so if your budget is super tight you could possibly use open cardboard boxes of the same size and cover the outsides with wrapping paper. You might also want to consider placing your laundry detergent, softener etc. in pretty containers, and maybe setting them on a tray on top of the dryer. If you are really handy and can build, that long wall across from the w/d looks like it would be a great place for a drop down counter for folding clothes. Prop it up when you need to fold clothes, fold it down when not in use. (See picture of example.) There are lots of great laundry room makeovers here on HT and on Pinterest you can also browse for inspiration.Helpful Reply
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Shelley Paul on Feb 03, 2015I'm about to redecorate my laundry room too. You could cover up your shelving with some lovely print fabric hung from the ceiling (buy 1 and 1/2 to 2 times the length of the shelf and gather and sew it to make it curtain-like). And I'd suggest paint and a rug (will help your legs too) and ad decal or stencil. for that, go to Etsy.com and see many options. And have fun :)Helpful Reply
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Stephanie (Sandpaper & Glue) on Feb 03, 2015I might recommend you not just paint the walls, but maybe stripe them or stencil them so they're a little more special. Then just 1x8 stained pine boards on spray painted cheap brackets to add nice looking storage :)Helpful Reply
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The 2 Seasons on Feb 04, 2015I recommend painting and maybe stenciling the walls. Remove the shelves to the left of the washer and try to find a used hutch or cabinet to put there. Paint it and add shelves. That will provide nice storage for your laundry products, iron, etc. I hung an old-fashioned wash board on my walls. A grouping of them would be nice on the far wall after that shelf is removed, and they are easy to find and cheap. Replace the wire shelves over the appliances with wooden shelves. They would look nicer. Hope this helps!!!Helpful Reply
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Maria Gonzalez on Feb 04, 2015This is a great space! I recommend painting which will immediately change the feel of the space. Make your biggest investment in decorating the wall that you see when you walk into the room. Maybe add some pretty bins to that shelf that is currently there. The bins can hide the items that are unsightly. You can purchase less expensive bins for the opposite wall that you don't see when you walk in. Those can be matching inexpensive plastic bins. You can label them with the contents that are inside. Also, I recommend clearing out the fourth shelf (by the door) and just placing your empty laundry basket there. That clears out the top of your washer. Here are two laundry room posts that I have done and hopefully they can help! http://gracefulorder.com/category/top-navigation/laundry/Helpful Reply
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Pamela Golden on Feb 04, 2015Paint the room in your favorite color. Search thrift shops/yard sales for an inexpensive dresser (without the mirror) to give you drawer space and folding area to fit beside the washer/dryer. Paint the shelves same as walls. Wicker baskets to hold supplies to round up the clutter.Helpful Reply
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The Everyday Home/Barb Garrett on Feb 04, 2015Not long ago, we did a DIY Remodel of our oh-so-ugly Laundry Room. We did all the work ourselves, and it included adding beadboard to the walls, ceiling, adding more shelving with doubles as my pantry, and other decorative touches. You can see it here on my Home Tour. :) Hope this inspires you. http://www.everydayhomeblog.com/2013/07/hometour.htmlHelpful Reply
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