Thanks so much for your input on my laundry room post a couple of days ago about whether or not to keep the cabinets in this room black or white. Today I am going to share with you some more insight as to WHY we have gone back and forth on what to do.
Directly across from the washer and dryer we have a row of lockers. When we first moved into our home there was a long harvest yellow counter top with some drawers underneath along this wall. It just was a spot that collected…everything. So we took it out and put it in the garage and use it now for a work area. My husband did the financial books for a fitness gym and when they moved into a new building they got rid of all their old lockers…which we were lucky enough to snag some of. You can see them in their original glory here.
In that older post I also shared that the lockers did not extend along that whole wall. But we were able to take the side panel of the lockers and turn it into a locker door to give us one more larger locker. And it happened to fit the excess space perfectly.
(Before)
Well, I didn’t love the color of the lockers and they were a bit beat up considering they were part of the boys locker room…(yes…I did scrub and sanitize them)! We finally patched them up and painted them white. We also got rid of the original hardware and added some “cuter” handles. And I LOVE them. But now you can see my dilemma…if I paint the cupboards on the other side of the room white…is that too much white?
(After)
If I painted the lockers black that (for me) would definitely have been too much black. So we tried to integrate the two…But I am still unsure about it. Maybe we should paint the cabinets over the washer and dryer white? And then leave the cabinets under the sink black along with the shelf that is hanging over the sink black too.
I am planning on putting some color in this room as well…maybe some blue or yellow…so it is not so blah…
Lots of questions right? ha ha! What do you think? What would you do?
I would really love some input as I really am struggling with this one. Thanks so much! You guys are the best!
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Nancy says
What about a black and white checkerboard strip across the middle panel (or maybe it’s a stile) of the locker doors. That would bring some black from the other side of the room over without it being overwhelming.
Staci D says
I Love the Black and would keep them.. I think it gives the room a rich look…
Tiffany Harvey says
If it was me I think I would have to paint all of the cabinets white to match.
Jessica @ Mom 4 Real says
I love the black with the white! I like that the rug connects the two. I think all white may be too much…wish this was my laundry room!
Jessica @ Mom 4 Real
Sara says
If you are worried about too much white…what about distressing the cabinets. It will give them some character but the white will still keep them light and airy.
Suzanne says
I don’t have any input on color but I’m blown away by the locker transformation. Those are just the thing I would have a hard time passing up but I don’t know if I would know what to do with them or how to beautify them as you did. Awesome. Truly.
ter@waaoms says
I wonder if that’s true for all WP blogs! I follow several of them. Hope they won’t all disappear from my reader! (may free up some time though, lol but I like wasting my time with blogs! :) )
Colleen says
Those lockers are amazing!! {curious what you store in all of them with so many endless possibilities!}
I personally wouldn’t do white or black- i may go with something in between and do a light grey {looks like the cabinets across from lockers are grey? maybe a shade lighter so the room stays bright} I thought of this when you mentioned wanting to add some pops of brighter color like blue or yellow, grey is a good contrast with those colors {I think! ha}
No matter which way you go – this room and its functionality is wonderful!! :)
(Colleen) @ PaRtY of 5!
Jen says
An idea would be to do some stenciling or design on the cabinets and/or lockers using black and white. That might tie everything together!
Melissa says
I say leave the cabinets black. I have some black furniture (that I painted black) and I LOVE it. I don’t think your cabinets are too heavy in the room at all! I love the way your laundry loom looks now, and adding a bit of color to the walls will make it even better. If you’re still on the fence about it, paint the wall color first, then decide about the black cabinets.
Rachael says
I think I would do one set of the cabinets gray.
robyn says
I think you’ve done a good job blending the black and white in a nice proportion. Leave it as is, and add a bit of color!
Tiffany Z. says
I like the black cabinets, they look awesome! I would add a dark glaze to the locker panels to help tie them in with the cabinets. The whole room is amazing and it’s giving me some ideas for my laundry room. Thanks!
Samantha says
I LOVE the look of upper cabinets being a different color than the lowers! If I was you, I would paint the uppers white it would help tie in the lockers. I still think the space looks awesome just the way it is. I can’t wait to see what you decide on!
I like all the ideas above, you have awesome readers! On second thought, I would add your color first then decide (like mentioned above). What about this option, paint the washer/dryer “stand” black, keep lower cabinets & shelf black, and paint uppers white to match the lockers?! Good luck deciding, I would definately struggle with this!
Would keep the black and white. Maybe you could bring a little more black to the locker side of the room with some black accent pieces or black storage baskets on top of the lockers. Wish this was my room. Love it! :) Good luck with your decision!
I think this is what all laundry room dream to look like! Keep the cabinets black, they look great. Your curtains do a nice job of pulling both colors together. I’ve seen two tones of cabinets in a lot of kitchen magazines in recent years and think your room brings that to mind. Just beautiful!
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All white for sure! It will give the space some consistency and make it look bright and happy. I think it will look good with the accent colors too.
What about painting the lockers a nice grey? It would hide fingerprints and not look so stark. I cannot tell what colors are in the curtains but you could pull a color out of the curtains and paint the cabinets that color. Just a thought. I like the crispness of the white but I also know it’s hard to have a family around white cabinets. Especially in a busy “work” area.
I like the idea of adding some color to the walls. I love, love the dark cabinets and think the contrast looks great! With the rug and curtains you have done a great job of tying everything together. I wish this were my laundry room as well! Of course, I have loved all of your home projects so I know it will look great however you finish it. Keep us posted. I am excited to see what you decide!
I like it the way it is. The black and white tie together nicely with the curtain and rug.
I love white, and I would probably just do all white myself… Maybe adding some vinyl decals to break up all the white. Damask patterns in the whimsical blue and yellow colors you talked about adding in? The great thing about vinyl is that is isn’t permanent! It can change as your style evolves!
Why not bring in the blue or yellow on the cabinets that are now black? There isn’t much wall space in there and you could end up with strips of color instead of a more harmonious flow. That is a lot of work of course but I think worth it.
I like that you have black in there. So I liked the idea by one of you previous readers to paint the pedastool black and the cabinets above the washer and dryer white. Then you can keep the black, but it’s a little more consistent. That was a great suggestion.
I love the black\white color combination; it is something that always appeals to designers. I think that what you have right now is a beautiful backdrop and to infuse color into the room, you should add accessories. Choose your favorite color (since everything goes with black & white). Buy a runner rug in that color or with tons of different colors…sew a ribbon stripe or two on your black & white curtains…Add accessories on top of the lockers (you used to have boxes and a sign on top). Buy an oversize cookie jar in your favorite color and fill it full of Tide & set it on top of your washer. And ART, don’t forget something pretty and inspiring to look at as you fold, sort, and hang up your clothes.
Harlequin! On the inside panel of the lockers…any color combo with the white…I think if you painted those lockers black, it’d be too much. Wish I had your laundry room!
I haven’t read prior comments so I apologize if this is suggested already. What about distressing the lockers and top cabinets with dark wax and leaving the bottom cabinets black? That will pull some of the stark white out while not adding too much black. I haven’t used it but I’ve read nothing but good things about Anne Sloans dark wax…
I say keep the cabinetry white. Add your pops of color through paint on the walls, the rug or the curtains. When you have a neutral main pallete (as in the big pieces in a room) it’s easy to change out colors that suit you at that moment without breaking the bank with accessories. i.e. the rug, the curtains, the wall paint.
For my style, I’d leave the cabinets white, get some color on the curtains, and get a fun pendant lamp. It would make the room much more fun to be in.
Amy your lockers are AWESOME! Your laundry room is looking fab. I might actually WANT to do laundry if mine looked like that! ;)
I *LOVE* your laundry room! I was thinking that maybe just painting the recesses in all the doors the opposing color. And I agree about painting the platform black but leave the cabinets above black. I love the idea of yellow in the room. It’s such a cheery color and in the laundry room anyone could use some cheer! Great work! Can’t wait to see what y’all do!
Thank you Tara. I have seen where the recesses of the cabinets have been painted. It does add a lot of interest to them. That is a good idea. I DO LOVE me some yellow too. It was the color I picked for my bedroom when I was a little girl…still one of my favorite colors.
I had a similar problem with some old hand-me-down furniture. I painted it white, and it was just to plain. I ended up getting some cheap contact paper and covered the sides and the front panels. Everyone loved it. The best part is the paper can be easily peeled off and replaced for a new updated look.
That is a great idea Ann. I especially love that it is not permament…as I obviously like to change things up :). They do have a lot of fun styles of contact paper now too.
I wouldn’t change anything , I aboslutely love the room. I always get inspired by your creativity and taste. I really like the colors, they all come together so nicely.
I know you like Mythic paints, have you used them for this project? What is the color for the walls? Very nice!
I was wondering if there were directions for the washer/dryer raise? I saw it on pintrest, & would love to make 1, but wasn’t sure how difficult it’d be. Right now, I can’t have 1, but when we move, if there’s room, I’d love to make 1 so my units don’t tear up the floor (plus I was wondering if the raise is mobile, or if its screwed/nailed to the floor)…..lots of questions :)
I like the cabinets painted as they are. Every designer we have talked to tells us that the cabinets should not be too matchy matchy. That wood and/or color should be different. The nice thing about white and black is that you could really use any color on the walls. Have you considered a darker warm grey? That is really “in” right now and would “tie” your white and black together. You have enough light in that room to pull it off. Thanks for the great blog!
I like the ratio of black to white, and think you’re on the right track with throwing pops of color into the room. If you go all white on the cabinets over the units, I think you’re going to have to ditch your paint color or you’ll end up with much less interest. Every home should have a real laundry room like this one!
You have inspired me! I love the turn out of your laundry room, it is beautiful, elegant and yet somehow still a luandry room. I am wishing for a updated laundry room…My laundry room is the main entrance to my home which every guests sees…it is gloomy, dirty because their is two doors in that room so alot of outside dirt enters in, and I would love to LOVE to do my laundry with a smile…I think brightening and updating that room would help! So please help me!!
Amazing how you turned a typical dreary but functional laundry room into a joy to look at, and I am sure, a joy to use!
Whatever really motivated u to write “to paint or
not to paint… – The Idea Room”? I reallycertainly adored it!
Regards ,Karina