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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Laundry Room Reveal!

My laundry room was the saddest room in the house. There are no windows, it's pretty small, and and it's an entry from the garage. It was lacking any proper storage, so the top of my washer and dryer became a clutter magnet. Let's be real here, laundry isn't exactly an exotic chore and having a lack luster laundry room sure isn't a motiving factor either.

First thing I did was start scouring Craigslist for cabinets. When a listing popped up for $5 cabinets from a gutted farmhouse, my heart fluttered and I rushed to bring those babies home! Next, I just had to paint and glaze them to look like my inspiration cabinet finish...


I cleaned the cabinets and removed all the hardware. I applied three coats of Glidden's Cold Coast White and to create the glaze effect in the grooves I slathered on some brown acrylic paint and then gently wiped the excess off with a wet sponge. I finished off the cabinets with a coat of polycrylic.




After installing the cabinets and cutting, painting, and installing the shelves. I started work on my laundry riser. A year ago I bought my front loader laundry set but I told Joe Shmoe "NO!" when he tried to get me to drop a down payment on a Ford Focus to buy the riser drawers with the set! I just couldn't justify paying that much when I knew we could build something even better. I knew what I wanted to do once I saw the riser Sausha at Show and Tell built for her front loaders. I used materials I had on hand and with a few modifications, a coat of Gold Coast White, and an acrylic glaze, I had my riser.



I created the vinyl wording using my Poor Man's Cricut.

I painted the room, including the ceiling, a soft green (Glidden's Beach Sand) and then worked on installing the beadboard. I hadn't worked with wainscoting before so I was intimidated, but I had Home Depot make all the cuts for me. Luckily, I only had to cut out two holes for outlets by hand. Once the cuts were made, all I had to do is apply adhesive and press to the wall. All the rest is just icing. I created some pretty containers for my detergents and installed some farmhouse coat hooks.




Here's another Before and After shot...


Well, that's all folks! Did you notice I took these pictures with FULL laundry baskets? Hey, whats a girl to do while her laundry room is a war zone? ;) I guess I better go start some laundry now...

Comments (119)

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I love this. If I ever get that new house I've been dreaming of, this is something I would like to do.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Your laundry room looks GREAT! I wouldn't mind spending time in there!! : )
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
It looks amazing! I LOVE your idea with the separated laundry baskets! It saves tons of space and you don't have to have one of those giant laundry sorters! GREAT job!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
That is absolutely beautiful, inspired design and it keeps laundry tidy!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
It turned out beautiful!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Oh my.. lovely!! Brilliant work.. Loved the idea... and it looks beautiful!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I have a laundry closet and have great plans to build risers and a counter top for my front loaders. I also want cabinets instead of my builder grade wire shelf. I'm thinking it won't cost me too much, just a bit of time......

Yours looks GREAT!
2 replies · active 691 weeks ago
That is sooooooooooooooo cute!!!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Oh my gosh, this looks so great! A job very well done. Might even make laundry chores tolerable!
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
So smart & cute!
Gorgeous! If I had a laundry room as cute as this one I wouldn't mind doing the laundry! I'm so jealous! ;)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I think this would be the perfect room for waynes coating. It really adds a certain texture to any room of the house.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
LOVE IT!!!!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I love it! Perfection!! My next room to fix is the laundry room so I may have to take some pointers from you. Good job!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
This is amazing. Someday I hope to have an amazing room like yours. Great job!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
oh my heavens this is PERFECT
I love it!
thanks for sharing
xoxo
bB
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
GREAT makeover! It looks AMAZING! It must've been so time consuming!

I'm following via New Friend Fridays with the Trendy Treehouse!
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
Sooo cute. I also adore the charming yellow colour in your laundry. I'm a storage freak so I need to do this one day!
Kristine
xx
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Great idea! Those premade pedestals are sooo overrated!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
This is awesome I got the same mat for my laundry room make-over check it out!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I love it! But I have to ask...other than looking awesome and giving you extra storage space, is there a practical reason to put a washer and dryer on a 'riser'? I've never even heard of that but I like the idea!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I absolutely adore your riser! What a fantastic idea. I much prefer them over the store bought ones. :)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Love, love, love this! I am so motivated to make my laundry room look nicer now :) Thanks for sharing this awesome makeover.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
It turned out great! My dad just measured my laundry room for the same thing - after seeing your same inspiration pic. I looove it! Hope mine turns out as good as yours!!
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
This is AWESOME...we are building a new house, I hope you don't mind me using you as inspiration!!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
This is genius! I was ready to buy the "Joe Schmoe" risers and this is so perfect! Can't wait to show this to hub and to read more carefully later so that I can try and figure it out myself. THANK YOU!!!
2 replies · active 766 weeks ago
marie-andree's avatar

marie-andree · 766 weeks ago

I love that.. It's easy to made. perfect. Thank you
You kill me - I have the SAME inspiration photo hanging around my computer idea files and poor mans cricut? Ha ha ha!! Love it!!!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Wow - it looks great! I am about to start on my laundry room and hope mine turns out as cute!

XOXO
Jen
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I just found your blog though Domestically Speaking, and I love it! Great job on your redo! My husband just about croaked when he found out the price of cricuts, too :)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Incredible transformation!! LOVE it :) Thanks for sharing.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I just clicked over from Domestically Speaking and I am in awe. Your laundry room is absolutely beautiful! I can't believe all the work you did! Did you install the bead boarding yourself too?!?!?
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
Just beautiful! I love your cabinet colour choices. You've so nailed the right inspiration for this room! I've given your room SNS sidebar love this weekend. :)

Donna
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
Okay, this is hands-down amazing! I love EVERY THING! I am so impressed and inspired! Love the cabinets, the bead board, the wall color, and those risers~ WOW!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! :)

Blessings,
Jenni
1 reply · active 766 weeks ago
It's wonderful. I love seeing the inspiration and how you made it work for you. Great job! Lisa~
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Your laundry room turned out wonderful! I had seen the risers on the 'show and tell' blog before and thought it was such a great idea - they say great minds think alike ;) .
Wow, that's an amazing transformation and it's so cool that you did it all yourself! I'm new to your blog from Maryann's POPP. :)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Gosh, I wish my laundry room had that much space! Your looks so great. The risers are such a great idea.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
That's truly gorgeous, I just love what you did!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
What a fabulous idea! I have the same set of washers with the accompanying expensive riser storage bins. They were purchased a few years ago- on sale- and I really, really, really wanted them because the height increase is so much easier on me. I stand 5'10 flat footed. Soooo annoying that everything is so low. I do think, with hubbys help I could do this project for on top of the washer/dryer or flip/flop the bins to the top instead. That would work so much nicer in our small closet laundry room.

You got me thinking now :) Thanks for the inspiration.
Shanna
arevampedfrenchmaison@gmail.com
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I adore your new laundry room and I've enjoyed all the bloggy love your project is getting...Congrats!
1 reply · active 765 weeks ago
Umm how did I miss this post of yours?? Your laundry room looks amazing! Please come do mine!! :) Great feature over at Show and Tell. Woot-woot!!
1 reply · active 765 weeks ago
Your laundry room is beautiful! I just love it! Just happens that I am currently redoing my laundry room as well! Where did you get your cabinet and shelving units? Did you paint them a light, buttery yellow?

Great job!!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I linked to this post today from the new Home & Garden channel at Craft Gossip. :) My hope is to share many of the fabulous projects I see everyday with the vast CG audience. I hope you will not only stop by and subscribe to CG, but will tell your friends about the new category! Hope you see some traffic from it!

Your feature will appear in the main Craft Gossip RSS feed, on the main home page and can be found directly here http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/laundry-room...
1 reply · active 765 weeks ago
Emily - This looks fabulous!I really like th etreatment you did on the cabinets - simply gorgeous! You did a fantastic job on this room! Thanks so much for joining the Sunday Showcase. Hope you have a wonderful week! ~ Stephanie Lynn
1 reply · active 765 weeks ago
I am so inspired by your laundry room! Great job! And I love your poor man's cricut. That's what I've got too! :) Hopping over from Show & Tell.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Rachel W.'s avatar

Rachel W. · 765 weeks ago

This is fantastic Emily! Thanks for sharing! :-)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh My Goodness!!! I Loooooved it!!!
Congrats for so awesome work!!!

Bê =D
Santos- Brazil
Oh... I loved your blog.. I am carrying your bottom with me!!!

I am waiting for ur visit!!!

warm hugssssss

Bê =D
Love it! I have been looking for the "Soap" and "Softener" jars with lids all over. Where did you find these?
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I LOVE the idea of having laundry basket room under the front loading washer and dryer!!! I hope you don't mind if I link up to this post in my Friday's Linky Dinks. I've had fun peeking all through your blog--I just found you from Finding Fabulous.

Happy Friday, happy weekend! :-)
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I immediately LOVED this idea (we have the same set of washer and dryer). My dear hubby started this project and painting the laundry room last weekend. We are not totally finished with the molding on the front of it, but went ahead and put the W/D on top...I had to do some laundry!! It is 5 feet tall from the top of the machines to the floor!!! I am afraid of not being able to reach the shelf or cabinet (depending on what we put up there. Did you have that kind of problem???
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
How FANTASTIC are these? I am in the market for a new washer (as soon as we move to our new place) and have considered those lifts which are sooooo over-priced. I will borrow your idea!

The laundry room makeover is AWESOME!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
What a cute post! I was wondering if you'd be interested in sharing your post over at Or So She Says.... (www.oneshetwoshe.com) If you're interested, email Jessica at ladies@oneshetwoshe.com We'd love to have you!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Wow, I had to show my husband immediately. We didn't have $ for the base drawers but he knows how to make things with wood so I'm trying to convince him to build the risers. He likes the idea. Now to add it to the Honey Do list and see when it will actually happen. Thanks for sharing. Saw this featured on Tip Junkie.
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
Brandon Berry's avatar

Brandon Berry · 753 weeks ago

Emily, this is incredible. Great job on the pedestal. I do have a quick question though. I am thinking about making something similar, but I am worried that the weight of the washer and dryer will be too great. Have you had any problems with yours or any indication that the structure is weak?
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
ditto the question by Brandon Berry! any structural notes/tips/improvements to what you made?
TIA!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Hi I built a stand for my washer and dryer and have them all set up and I am having a problem with the washer shaking and the basket hitting the side. I have moved the feet to be level and no result. Did you have any problems like that with yours?
Thanks
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
I hope you don't mind but I am going to semi-copy this!! Just bought whirlpool steam washer and dryer and am DYING to do this! I hate hate hate bending over to do laundry!!! Mine is going to be a little different because I want it a little chunkier a la Show and Tell's blog. But I am in love with all things white and absolutely covet your laundry stand!
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago
This is a great idea! We are in the process of re-doing our laundry spot and I am so going to do this! My question: I see you didn't put your drain dish under the washer....our FL washer sits in a plastic drain pan that has an actual drain in the middle, probably in case there is a leak- the water can go straight out and not pool on the floor. I'm wondering if I should worry about the drain pain and figuring out some way to run the drain up to it, or just not worry about it....
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
This has got to be one of my FAVE laundry rooms ever!!! My laundry room suffers the same debacle... passage from garage into the kitchen and main living space. :( Doesn't leave much room for pretty-ing it up, but you did an inspirational job!!! I'm keeping this post in mind for my Re-Do!!! Thanks for sharing!

BTW... new layout is great! I am new to blogging and already feeling very limited by my layout. I might have to follow suit soon! How did you get your inspiration/figure out how to do it?
1 reply · active 691 weeks ago

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