Who know that anything laundry could be life changing? It can be, I promise!
Today proves that the single powerful word, "ORGANIZING", comes in many different versions and formats and styles and meanings. It can be defined as reducing clutter to simplify our lives. It can mean containerizing the items we utilize, so they make sense and are easy to locate. However, it can also mean strategically placing things {big and small}, to save time and provide a great quality of life!
It's stories like today's Readers Space, that explain my severe crush on organizing! It's that special phrase, "Life Changing", that gives me an organizing high and makes me come back for more!
Laurie, who is also one of my incredible blog sponsors, wrote to share a game changing project that her and her husband completed in their home, to give them a better quality of life!
Today proves that the single powerful word, "ORGANIZING", comes in many different versions and formats and styles and meanings. It can be defined as reducing clutter to simplify our lives. It can mean containerizing the items we utilize, so they make sense and are easy to locate. However, it can also mean strategically placing things {big and small}, to save time and provide a great quality of life!
It's stories like today's Readers Space, that explain my severe crush on organizing! It's that special phrase, "Life Changing", that gives me an organizing high and makes me come back for more!
Laurie, who is also one of my incredible blog sponsors, wrote to share a game changing project that her and her husband completed in their home, to give them a better quality of life!
Hi Jennifer,
I love your blog! I love organizing, and I try to declutter our house on a regular basis. I’d like to show you one of the projects that changed my life:
When we first moved to our house, the washer and dryer were located in the basement. We have a two story house, and our bedrooms are on the second floor. This meant that I had to drag the laundry up and down two flights of stairs. I hated it!
We have a stackable washer and dryer. When we remodeled our upstairs bathroom, my husband made a closet that was big enough to accommodate our machines.
We have a stackable washer and dryer. When we remodeled our upstairs bathroom, my husband made a closet that was big enough to accommodate our machines.
There are also hooks on the wall for cleaning supplies; and a small rolling cart to hold laundry supplies. I love it! No more lugging heavy blankets and towels up and down two flights of stairs.
Thanks so much for all the inspiration on your blog. After reading your blog, I always want to go find something to clean!
Laurie, from Handy Man, Crafty Woman
It honestly makes me ponder, how does anyone get any laundry done, with a washer and dryer down in the basement, one or two flights of stairs away from all the bedrooms? Why do we create our homes this way? I realize that we all do it, and it's great for our cardio, but it doesn't necessarily make the most sense to place machines that are crucial in our daily lives, so far from the hub of the home. That's why IHeart this story so much! Laurie and her husband didn't settle. They organized their new space to ensure it was functioning better for them, and were able to move their washer and dryer to the "right" place in their home. While also creating additional storage for their laundry and cleaning supplies. So Super Smart!!
And a button for you:
Thanks everyone! And THANK YOU Laurie for letting me feature your incredible idea which makes me extremely gleeful for you!
Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition? Have an awesome organizing story to share? I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life. Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!! Photos should be high resolution and un-editted. Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better! Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice! Only love goes on at this blog!
** Unfortunately due to the increased amount of submissions, I cannot feature every project that is sent to me, however I want to encourage you to try!!
** Unfortunately due to the increased amount of submissions, I cannot feature every project that is sent to me, however I want to encourage you to try!!
our washer and dryer are upstairs and that was one of the big selling points for me when we bought our house! Although they made it super small right in the middle of the main hallway - BUT it's still better than in the garage! (no basements in Vegas ;o)
ReplyDeleteThey put them on the bottom floors to use the foundation to keep them from shaking. Even if you buy certain front loader brands, if you put them on upper floors they will shake your whole house when they spin.
ReplyDeleteWe currently live in an apartment and our washer and dryer is in the main hall - next to 2 bedrooms (and near the kids bathroom) right in between the 2 kiddos rooms. I really like having it so convient. Something I'm keeping in mind while we house hunt!!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Thanks for featuring our laundry space, Jen!
ReplyDeleteAs for machines shaking, there are stabilizing pads you can purchase that really work well in minimizing the shaking. My husband had to rip out the whole bathroom floor anyway, so he put in extra support for that as well.
Plus, if anyone worries about water leaking: we only run the washer while we are home; plus, hubby put in a switch where I can completely turn OFF the water to the washer when I'm done with washing, and/or if we are leaving the house.
If you'd like to go one step further, there are also sensors you can put under the washer so that they will sound an alarm if any water starts to leak/pool. Those sensors could work for a machine in any room or area of the house.
We took all of these things into account before we moved ours upstairs.
A washer and dryer in the basement make sense when you have a dumb waiter and a laundry chute. Even then, it seems like an impractical place to have them with bedrooms two floors up.
ReplyDeleteWhere we are right now, our washer is in a bathroom and our dryer is in the hallway. Why? Dunno. The other option they had was to put them both in the basement, but we had to run the water tubes from a nearby sink faucet. Huh?! In many ways, Europe is much less logical than the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI am so bummed that I cannot do any of these fun makeovers lately! My husband finds out where we are moving in a month or two and I've been itching to decorate the new place so much that I'm slacking on the current home!
ReplyDeleteYour binder project is keeping me busy though =) looove it!
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
Luckily we have a laundry closet on the second floor, but it doesnt function very well at the moment. Its actually one of my biggest problem areas. I am dreaming of a nice walk in laundry space one day.
ReplyDeleteMy laundry is upstairs which is convenient for carrying laundry but my whole house shakes during large loads. I also have to work it around my baby's naps or he wakes up from the noise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great organizing ideas!
Great article! I just discovered your blog while I was reading Handy Man, Crafty Woman. So glad I followed the link! I love checking out organizing blogs & I'll be back often! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCandice
http://candiscraps-scrapsofme.blogspot.com/
Four years ago, while our house was being fixed, we lived in five different places in three months.
ReplyDeleteOne had a laundry closet upstairs with all the bedrooms, just like the lovely one featured in your article, and just like I was certain I wanted (in our future dream house!) But I found it was just as bad as having it in the basement - I had to make special trips upstairs during the day just to switch loads of laundry. It couldn't be done during the evening, because little people were sleeping.
Another place had a huge laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. That was actually much better - I'm in the kitchen half the day anyway, and doing the laundry was a snap!
The last place we lived in before returning home had a laundry closet right in the kitchen, and I loved that too. It was noisy, but there was a huge table available for folding and sorting!
Now we're back home, and the laundry is in the basement... But I'll remember what you said about the stabilizing pads and shutoffs - just in case I ever get to move them! Thank you for sharing your awesome upgrade!
Lorna
Love it! My washer and dryer are right next to my kitchen, on the same floor as....everything else ha. I <3 single story floor plans.
ReplyDeleteWonderful blog! I found you over at Handy Man Crafty Woman. I'm you newest follower and linking up my cluttered surface - before and after post :-)
ReplyDeleteI heart my laundry shoot! It is located right across from the main bathroom which is in the same hall as our bedrooms. My kids LOVE using it and the clothes land in the basement right next to the washer. =)
ReplyDelete