Functional Laundry Room Facelift

Sara Bates
by Sara Bates
When we first purchased our new home I was absolutely thrilled about the second-floor laundry room. After living here for a while, however, I was not as thrilled about the dark, dingy space that housed my washer and dryer. We replaced the original washer and dryer at the holidays, which inspired me to makeover the entire room. Now I'm happy to do a load or two in this cheery space!
Before: Dark, dingy and not very functional. The super-high shelf wasn't very practical for 5'3" me!
After: I painted the entire room, including the ceiling, in a sunny orange shade (Afterglow by Sherwin Williams). Since this room sees no natural light, I thought a bright color would help liven up the space!
I tore out the metal shelf and replaced it with a custom cabinet/shelving unit. I found the center cabinet at Habitat for Humanity Restore for $20! What a steal!
I worked with a local carpenter to design the shelving around the cabinet. Soft storage baskets from Target keep laundry supplies organized. Vinyl reusable wall decals from Wallpops.com add flair behind the shelves. See details on the decals here: http://embracemyspace.com/2014/03/27/laundry-room-updates-and-some-wallpops/
Using an old canvas print that had no real spot in my home, I created custom laundry-themed artwork using the wall paint and some painters' tape. I love breathing new life into pieces that I've fallen out of love with over time.
The best thing about the art is that it is functional! The canvas is mounted to a wooden bracket and folds down from the wall to serve as a table for folding laundry! See details on my hinged laundry table here: http://embracemyspace.com/2014/03/07/art-that-works-hinged-laundry-folding-table/
Tall, narrow laundry bags hang from the wall, keeping my laundry organized and up off of the floor. See more about how I decided to capitalize on the vertical real estate in my laundry room here: http://embracemyspace.com/2014/04/11/laundry-room-vertical-real-estate/
Sara Bates
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Kristin Kristin on Apr 04, 2016
    where did you get your laundry bags?
  • Colette Colette on Apr 09, 2016
    Where did you buy the laundry bags?
  • Sarah 'Sauvageau' McLeod Sarah 'Sauvageau' McLeod on Jun 11, 2018

    Is there another link to how to do the Art work/Hanging table? I can't seem to get the link to work?

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  • Linda Palmore Mullins Linda Palmore Mullins on Oct 29, 2016
    Where do you hang clothes? I always have a rod with hangers for hanging clothes, and also to hang some things to finish drying .
  • Bobbi Convery Bobbi Convery on May 30, 2020

    Your cheery laundry room and excellent storage ideas make me want to do it too! I will have to improvise, but certainly want to make a better workspace!

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