Reader Space: A Pretty Place for Washing Clothes

When we started working on our updated laundry room, I had one goal in mind and that was to make it pretty!  Today's reader did the same!

I have always been a huge believer that we are more productive and just happier when we heart our surroundings.  And who loves to do laundry?  Maybe a few of you, but the last time I checked, it didn't rank high in the list of favorite things to do.  So creating a place that you enjoy spending time in, even if the room's main function isn't the most glamorous, is a great aid to getting chores done with a smile.

Shan shared:

For a family of five, we have a lot of laundry!  Our last home had a laundry closet.... just enough room to fit the washer and dryer.  I wanted to make sure our new house had a nice size laundry room since we spend an abundant amount of time in there.  Did you notice I said, "We"?  Yep, except for my eight year old, every member of our family {including my husband}, does their own laundry.

We used small slate tiles for the back splash and front of the counter.  We bought black granite tiles for the counter top, much more inexpensive than slab granite.  I chose the least expensive utility sink/faucet combo.  This is the first time I've had a sink in the laundry room and I love it!

This is how I sort my dirty clothes when they come into the laundry room.  It was my idea to have the builder build these cubbies for my laundry baskets.  I found the labels and idea of attaching them with clothes pins from Better Homes & Gardens.

 

I purchased Elfa drawers at the Container Store.  They work well and slide all the way out for taking to family member's rooms.  The chalkboard labels came from Pottery Barn Outlet.  I wrote my kid's initials on each basket.  They are responsible for putting away their clothes when they are clean.

To the right of the baskets is a thin broom closet where I keep my broom, mop and other cleaning tools.  I hot glued a table runner to make a pocket to slide by tension rod through and it made a perfect little curtain to hide the cleaning tools.

Isn't the space incredible?  I had to know more!

What is the main function of the space?

It is THE place for sorting our family's dirty laundry, washing/drying/folding and ironing our clothes.

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized? 

The ONLY way I can keep this room organized is by simply doing laundry.  If laundry is stockpiled then it overflows out of the baskets and on to the floor.  This is a huge NO NO for me.  There is nothing I dislike more than walking into our decent sized laundry room only to find it filled with dirty laundry all over the floor!

We do at least two loads of laundry Monday through Saturday.  As long as I do that and family members empty their baskets, it stays pretty organized. 

What items did you find essential when organizing this space and why?

After many years of doing laundry I found a system that worked for me.  I was ecstatic to be able to build our home and spent many hours figuring out how to set up this laundry room.  The essential ingredients for me were LOTS of storage, a sorting of dirty laundry area and an area to put the clean clothes.  I also wanted a place to store my broom, mop and other cleaning tools.

What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?

Never before have I tried to make my laundry room pretty.  I did with this one.  It is a room I frequent the most in my home, so why not make it pretty?  The blue on the walls makes me feel calm and reminds me of the ocean, my favorite place.

Where did you find your inspiration?

I found a lot of my inspiration from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine and of course perusing through many blogs.

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

I bought the mirror at Goodwill and repainted it.  I made the clothes pin mirror, used a table runner as my drape for the broom closet, printed out the labels and decoupaged the eggs in the vase with book paper.  {All of these DIY projects are explained in more detail on my blog}.

How has this update impacted your life for the better?

When my laundry room feels organized I feel like all is right with the world.  This room has been a huge blessing to me and my family.  I am very grateful I took the time to organize and decorate it.  A completed project such as this one has been a dream come true!

• I love that she took the time to plan everything out prior to installing and building, to ensure she was able to achieve all of her goals for the space.
• They stretched their dollar by selecting smart finishes that look like a million smackaroos!
• She put her personal touch on the space by DIYing projects and labels.
• I adore that she thought to use a table runner as a no sew curtain project!  Genius!
• I really admire the overall functionality of the system.  Dirty clothes in one area, clean clothes in another!
• The bins for the clean clothes are quite genius!  One for each family member to own and put away their belongings ensures clean clothes never get mixed with dirty.  We actually recently implemented something similar and it works amazingly well!
• The built in washer and dryer base is beyond fabulous and most likely far less expensive than the pricey store purchased options.
• The entire room is just one happy space, even if it means chores must be done.

A special thanks to Shan for allowing me to share her awesomeness today.  If you are looking for more details, you can find them on her blog here {along with oodles more organizing eye candy!}

ATTENTION!!  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 submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  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!