One of my goals in 2015 is to simplify and organize, so keeping with that theme, Brad and I decided to tackle our laundry room over the weekend. It’s a room we’ve been meaning to update for some time.
Now, let me warn you– this isn’t a fancy schmancy laundry makeover with crisp white cabinets, top of the line washer & dryer, detailed paint job, and a chandelier. This makeover is more about creating a functional, organized space in the matter of hours. And we love our hand me down KitchenAid washer and dryer so they aren’t going anywhere until they blow up beyond repair.
Why don’t I need a fancy laundry room? Because I try to spend the least amount of time as possible in this particular room. I throw laundry in the washer, move it from the washer to the dryer, and empty the dryer. And I’ll go in there to get cleaning supplies. That’s about it.
But don’t get me wrong, I’d love a fancy laundry room one day, but it’s not required, or expected, in this house.
Okay, let’s start with the before photos.
As you can see, it’s not a very exciting room.
There was a small, 5 foot by 1 foot wire shelf above the washer and dryer, and that’s about it for storage. Take note of the stellar organization and tidiness on said shelf.
The room also doubles as our utility room, housing our water heater, water softener, and heat pump blower system.
When we moved in in 2009, the water softener came with a giant brine tank that sat beside the dryer. A couple years ago we upgraded the water softener so we lost the brine tank and gained some extra space next to the dryer.
We also have a drying rack for our clothes that we hang to dry because clotheslines aren’t allowed in our neighborhood.
I wanted to utilize the vertical space, so we added another wire shelf. I also determined that we could add an additional foot of shelving if we replaced the original 5 foot shelf with a 6 foot shelf. We also upgraded from 12 inch deep shelves to 16 inch deep shelves.
Also, you can see that I didn’t paint the room. It would’ve been such a pain to paint around all the equipment in this room. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I should also add that our heat pump crapped out a few weeks ago so we were forced to shell out $$$$ for a whole new system. Yaaaay.
It was time though. The unit was 12 years old, and our HVAC guy said heat pumps typically last 10 years. Just stinks when you have to fork over a ton of cash for something that isn’t fun or exciting, like a vacation. Woo, homeownership.
Alright, here’s the after images.
We more than doubled the storage by adding the 6 foot by 16 inch shelf and 8 foot by 16 inch shelf.
I added the woven allen + roth baskets to give the room a little bit of personality and warmth.
I kept the drying rack because it works for us. But I wasn’t utilizing all of the space so I added a laundry basket to the bottom to hold towels that need to be washed. Once I fill up the basket, I’ll wash a load.
I also added another laundry basket on the side of the dryer for random things that need to be washed like rags or bed linens. There’s also a wastebasket for lint.
Our dryer comes with this handy rack for lay flat drying. I had it hanging on the wall before, but now it hangs from the bottom shelf with an S hook.
I’m a big fan of lingerie laundry bags. They’re my secret laundry weapon (read more about them here). I hang all of the bags on a different hook from the bottom shelf.
I’ve always stored our ironing board behind the laundry room door. The door moulding keeps it from falling over.
Though it’s not easy to see, we also upgraded the lighting. The old brass fixture was getting old and tarnished.
In case you’re wondering, I’ll share how I organized everything on the shelves on Wednesday.
How about a couple of side-by-side before and after photos?
You can find more DIY ideas from the other amazing Lowe’s Creators & Influencers!
Erin says
January 5, 2015 at 8:42 AMLove this realistic makeover! I have the exact same rug in my laundry room, haha! The baskets are great too. This makes me want to work on organizing my laundry room! Thanks for the inspiration!
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 5, 2015 at 9:16 AMTwinsies. Is it the rug from Haven ’12?
Erin @ How to Nest for Less says
January 5, 2015 at 9:27 AMMaybe….
Michelle | Birds of Berwick says
January 5, 2015 at 9:06 AMI wish we had a room for laundry! I don’t want anything super fancy either, but a nicer space even if we did upgrade our laundry area in the basement would be more pleasant to be in. I’m luck though, and my husband does a lot more of the laundry than I do!
We just made some small upgrades to our master closet that are along this idea; nothing fancy, but functional! This looks great – simple updates can go a long way!
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 5, 2015 at 9:18 AMLucky lady! Thankfully Brad will help out with laundry. He always does his own, but sometimes he’ll jump in and help me with towels. And I totally agree– simple updates can make big improvements!
Melissa G says
January 5, 2015 at 9:24 AMLooks so much better!! And so much more storage. Unfortunately, with 5 children, I DO spend a lot of time in my laundry room. However, aside from a few decorative touches, it’s pretty basic as well. I would like it to be a tad better, but not right now!! Where did you get the baskets and how was the pricing? I love woven baskets, but sometimes the prices just don’t allow them!!!
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:25 PMThanks, Melissa! The baskets are from Lowe’s. The large ones were $20 each, medium were $18, and small were $15. I agree– they can be pricey but I’ve found that they last a long time.
Casey Smith says
January 5, 2015 at 1:07 PMThis looks great! I would have done wire baskets instead of wicker so that you can see what’s in them. I tend to forget where I put things if they are up high and covered.
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:25 PMThanks, Casey!
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
January 5, 2015 at 5:45 PMThis is my kind of laundry room makeover. PRACTICAL. You did a great job of increasing your storage space.
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:26 PMThanks, Krystle! I’ve added so much storage I have nothing to store in the added space. Hah!
Kristine says
January 5, 2015 at 9:37 PMThank you for posting this! I love that it is simple and it is something affordable. I know I get caught up in the pinterest stuff so it is nice to see something real and achieveable. I’m also trying to simpifly and organize our house this year!
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:27 PMSo glad you like it, Kristine! I totally agree. A gorgeous laundry room with tons of space is my dream, but not really attainable in our current house.
Melanie says
January 5, 2015 at 10:42 PMI love how practical this makeover is! Some small changes really made a big difference! Thanks for sharing, I’m planning to do a small laundry room update sometime this year as well 🙂
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:27 PMThanks, Melanie! Best of luck with your laundry room update!
Diana Mattson says
January 5, 2015 at 10:42 PMSmall improvements make big impressions. Way to spend a minimal amount of money on a laundry room. I hate laundry, actually, thats an understatement. I used to love it but then I gained a husband and two children, and down the shooter that went. The never-ending story of laundry. Great job with this makeover. Simple, clean, and chic.
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 12:29 PMThanks so much, Diana! I don’t really mind putting the laundry in the washer and then moving it to the dryer. It’s the folding and putting away part that I absolutely hate.
Amanda F. says
January 6, 2015 at 6:36 PMI really like this – as other readers said, it’s practical and simple but will make a huge difference. It’s also something those of us who rent can get away with doing without raising too many eyebrows from our landlords. Thanks for sharing! (Also, very impressed Brad does his own laundry. Atta boy.)
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 7, 2015 at 9:35 PMAmanda! Thanks so much for stopping by my little corner of the Interwebs! Definitely– this is very renter-friendly. Hope you enjoyed your trip to London!
jenw says
January 9, 2015 at 9:44 PMLooks great! Have you thought of installing a pole (like a clothes rod for a closet) from the washer wall to the opposite wall and loosing the drying rack? You could hang clothes to dry on the pole, add a little curtain to block the view of the water heater, softener, etc and have more floor space! If you use the cups (like in a closet) the pole could still be removable to get it out of the way when service is needed.
Chelsea @ two twenty one says
January 10, 2015 at 10:58 AMThanks! Yeah, I tried selling the idea of putting up a pole to Brad but he turned it down. It wasn’t that high on my priority list so I let it slide. Darn marriage compromise.