The Elegant Laundry Room

View from the doorway leading into the laundry room.

By Elle
Take a look at how we transformed our 1970s laundry room into a place of wonder and elegance for washing and drying our clothes.

Before. Note the 3Hs: Heinous floor, Horrid wall color and Hideous cabinets. I’ll give extra credit to the person who can spot the 1960s pencil sharpener! The countertop here is the same that was in our kitchen. Take a look at how we solved that problem.  We thought we’d salvage the cabinets by painting them with cabinet paint, but when we opened one of the doors, it flew off its hinges. So we tore them out.

Another before pic. (We painted the gas pipe in the back the same color as the walls so that it would “disappear” though none of my “after” photos show it. So it really did disappear.) Only in posting these photos did I notice that I never removed the yellow Energy Guide sticker from the washing machine. Oops. Need to fetch the Goo-B-Gone!

With the dark, heavy cabinets gone, the space has room to breathe.

We uncovered a remnant of wallpaper, circa Nixon presidency. We settled on a grey/yellow color scheme for the laundry room, I think in part as a homage to that fun, freewheeling wall covering.

New floor: yes! We chose a vinyl tile that you can grout (which we did) to make it look more like real tile. Wall and ceiling color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter.

The chandelier we rescued from the dining room. See the “before” photo in this post. I removed all the bling, spray painted it yellow and added brand new candle covers. Voila!

After months of searching, we found this piece of furniture at the Kraftmaid outlet in Warren, Ohio, for a song. It was the perfect color, size and style. We cut a hole in the bottom so the deep sink would fit, and covered it with a custom top.

We wanted to use this sink, even though it was a little deep for the space. Nothing a saw and a little muscle couldn’t fix.

Bought this grey countertop from Kraftmaid, cut a hole in it and then coated it with a high-gloss finish to prevent nicks, scratches and any water damage. You can see the outline where we cut the bottom to fit the sink.

A perfect fit! We also bought matching trim to trim out the front and side edges.

We used this product to cover the sink countertop. Measure, mix and pour! The trick is to make sure your countertop (or whatever you’re covering) is completely dust-free because those tiny particles will show up.

Using a blow dryer helps it to set. Abby made the glass piece on the right when she was a kid. We incorporated it right into the countertop; it adds a splash of color and an interesting personal touch.

Chandelier, you make doing laundry fun.

These Toulouse-Latrec posters are from a calendar my mom gave me. They actually were the inspiration for the room’s color theme. Thanks, Mom!

Scooped up this unique coat/hat hanger from Goodwill in Shaker Heights. Had no idea what we’d do with it, but it’s found a perfect home in the laundry room.

Its bawdy decoration is right in line with the Toulouse-Latrec posters hanging in that space.

Found this rug at Marc’s. Inexpensive and perfect! (And a nod to that bright floral wallpaper we uncovered in this room.)

Found this at Marc’s, too. We think it’s for boiling clams, but it makes the perfect laundry basket.

The metal containers are from Salvation Army and Goodwill. The yellow bucket was white when I bought it; nothing a little yellow spray paint couldn’t fix.

The wood panel is also from Kraftmaid. What’s it hiding, you ask?

All our stinkin’  junk, what else. A mad mix of cleaning, laundry and painting supplies, and cushions for the    pallet furniture we made.

This darling table was homeless until I thought to tuck it into the laundry room. It now holds another laundry basket, in my beloved yellow.

Found the perfect switchplate: Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Night. Just the right colors and vibe.

Brightened up the original shelf by sanding and painting it. The print shows alcohol pouring out of an illegal Detroit distillery during a Prohibition-era raid. Seemed appropriate for a laundry room.

Brightened this towel rack with yellow paint and two matching grey hand towels.

Found these two grey baskets at Aldi. They now hold paper towels and rags.

The curtain is made from a Ralph Lauren fabric. Fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Has a nice French vibe to it, which complements the rest of the room.

Dang, there’s that pesky Energy Guide sticker again. At least it’s yellow.

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