I wanted to share with you another project that has been keeping us busy the last few weeks…our laundry room. When we bought our home, it needed some major TLC. It had a lot of great potential, but we had our work cut out for us.
Originally, this wall did not have lockers but a long 70’s yellow formica countertop with cabinets underneath. We really did not need all that storage since there were the other cupboards and two closets in the room as well. The countertop just ended up being a junk magnet where everything just got piled (everyone has one of those right?). So we ripped out the cupboards and put in some individual lockers for the kids to each place their coats and shoes, etc. The lockers were cast-offs from the Fitness Gym my husband manages the finances for, when they remodeled their gym.
The lockers did not go to the end of the wall which always bothered me. We had placed the trash can in the open space there, but I didn’t like that you could see it. So we built a cabinet to match the lockers and filled up the empty space. We used one of the locker side panels to make the door of our new cabinet and to our amazement and excitment, it happened to fit PERFECTLY! Then we added a handle and a long peice of crown moulding to the top of the lockers to finish it off. We are planning on removing the current hardware on the locker doors so they all match but haven’t had a chance yet. And best of all the garbage is now hidden away with the ironing board in that new cabinet. We also still need to paint the bottom strip of the new cabinet white to match the other lockers.
The flooring was originally an indoor/outdoor carpet that still makes me shudder to think about today. It was one of the very first things to go. My husband and his buddy laid the tile the very first month we were in the home.
The cupboards on the other side of the room were pretty beat up. The cupboard door had been broken when we moved in and we had to glue it back together. Then we sanded them, primed and painted them black.
Do you see the small cat door on the other side of the bottom cabinet through the open door? We have a cat and even though I love animals, I don’t like it to be obvious that we have one in our home. I can’t stand pet hair on furniture or seeing the litter box and the likes. So I had my husband a few years ago cut a whole in the side of the cabinet (which is hidden between the washing machine). The cat can fit between the cabinet and the washing machine and enter the cat door into the cabinet. Inside the cabinet we have his food and water and a litter box. All the mess stays hidden inside. To prevent the kids from playing in it, I placed baby cabinet locks on the cupboard door. Possibly my favorite part of the laundry room.
We also still need to replace the light fixtures with a more modern style. And see that yellow formica countertop? Well…we have some plans for that in the coming week or two. I promise to share it with you when we finish it!
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April Francom says
Please stop by my blog thepaintedcupboard.blogspot.com to get your Versatile Blogger award.
I had to copy the button and insert it as an image.
You have done an amazing job in this room I love it so clean and neat my Utility room is awful I am ashamed and I have a litter tray in the downstairs toilet ( never used by guests ) Thanks for sharing
Now I'm inspired to tackle our laundry room!!!!
yah,absolutely Great idea! And they do look fabulous!thanks for posting.
What an awesome room! I think I wouldn't mind doing laundry in a room that looked like that. Great job!
You had me at the lockers!!!!!!!
I love the storage cabinets!
Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com
party inspiration
Great job! I'm looking forward to seing what you do with the formica countertop!
You did a fabulous job – the cabinets look amazing painted black! I'm getting inspired to do something similar… and I think the yellow countertop is much less noticeable/offensive now. I wouldn't worry about it at all! Great job, once again.
I love it! What a big difference! The lockers are such a cool feature!
so cute
What an absolutely beautiful laundry room. I might actually enjoy doing laundry in such a lovely space.
Wow, your room looks fab. I'd love to do laundry in there any day!
OH my goodness, I love your laundry room so much, Amy! I wish I had something like this to walk into nearly everyday! It would make me so much happier to do laundry! This is also more of a mud room too, it seems…with your lockers and storage! That is so fantastic! Do the kids put their backpacks and jackets in their? Also, I love the cat litter box idea…all hidden away. Perfect! What a clever woman you are. Thanks for sharing your projects with us!
Wow! What a difference. Great job!
I'm loving your laundry room redo! You have so many great ideas! You always inspire me, so if you would like to pop on over to me blog tightwadmomsfrugalforum.blogspot.com I would love to give you the Happiness 101 award! Have a great day!
You did a GREAT job on your laundry room!! I LOVE it! Thanks for sharing such great ideas. Your site is one of my all-time favorites!
love your redo! what color are the walls?
I'm drooling!! Lucky girl!
I love what you've done….it looks amazing!
Wow, what a smart way to hide all your cat stuff! Great makeover!
I think it looks amazing. The black is so classic and sharp looking. I can't wait to see what you do with the counter
LOVE it! That is a very large laundry room, and the lockers are very cool!
That is so adorable!! Your laundry room looks great and it is so functional too! I am visiting your site and you have so many cute ideas.
Katy
http://www.kdbuggie.blogspot.com
I love what you did with your room! I'm really enjoying your blog too!
liz:o)
I love the paint color on the walls. Do you know the name of it? Looking to re-do the master bath and want to paint the vanity black and that color looks great with the black cabinets!!!
Oh wow! It looks so great! I especially love your genius cat door idea. That is brilliant! :)
It looks amazing! I love the jars with soap and coins, too cute! I ripped down the wallpaper in my laundry room for a redo. This gives me the motivation to finish. I just wish mine were big like yours. The lockers are great!
That is brilliance right there with the lockers. Awesome! Painting the cupboards made all the difference. I can't wait to see what you do with the countertops…I am thinking paint! Those are some dated countertops FO SHO!
I think I would like to live in your laundry room. It is completely fabulous!
I just found your blog tonight and I wanted to tell you how much I have LOVED your posts/ideas!! :) I think I bookmarked 20 of your posts for future ideas! :)
I love your redo, I am planning on redoing mine and right now I am just getting ideas. Can you tell me the color of paint on your walls? I love it! It looks awesome with the black cabinets!
I like what you have done to your laundry room but you asked for some help in deciding what else to do.. I have two ideas perhaps one or both would suit you.
1. paint the trim on the lockers black so it co-ordinates more with the cupboards
2. make some vinyl sheets like you did for what was it (the dining room can’t remember) that you just fit into the panel. you could alternate up and down and that would give some black on that side.
Beth
I am working on our laundry room and have enjoyed seeing yours How did you paint the wash, dry fold so perfectly? Is it vinyl? Any tips would be appreciated.
Also, did you make the laundry sign or buy it?
Love your blog. I have a question. You have the same depth cabinets in the laundry as I do. Now that we have a ,as dive front loader, I can barely reach the cabinets above. It appears that you have the same issue. I would love to either replace the cabinets with deeper ones or remove them and do shelves, but am scared to toss out custom cabinets. Wondering how you felt about yours and if you had any ideas.
It is a little difficult to reach the very top shelf of the cupboards above, but I just put stuff I rarely use up there. But my husband and I are both tall. I am 5 foot 9 and he is 6 foot 4, so it is not really a big issue with us. We did talk about unscrewing the shelves and lowering them, but in the end it wasn’t worth it since we could still get into them. If you are shorter, I can see that it would be an issue. Can you unscrew them and lower them?
Amy, Could you please tell me where you got the Two Decorative Corner Posts for your
Washer/Dryer Stand.
As I am in the process of remodeling, This is ONE GREAT LOOKING Project. It is built to perfection in my opinion and I would enjoy making it as perfect as yours. Thank You. Larry USMC Retired. Sempre Fi