In case you missed any of the other posts in the Laundry Room Makeover Series, you can catch up here…
Part One – Inspiration & Bead Board Installation
In this post, I’ll share sources for everything (well, as much as I can source) and will also talk through the functionality of this space.
I must say that organizing the shelves was my favorite part of the makeover. I love it when things that are useful and hard-working can also look pretty and be out in the open. It really doesn’t have to be form OR function. It can be both.
So, let’s talk about the shelf over the sink first, since that’s where I put the things I use most. Because the washer and dryer are so tall, it’s a little hard to reach the cabinets over them without a step stool, so I put things I don’t use as often up there.
On the first shelf over the sink, I have an ironstone pitcher I use for watering my house plants along with a jar of plant food. It’s now easy to fill the pitcher at the utility sink and add the plant food when I need it.
A couple of baskets from Ikea are filled with microfiber cloths I use for cleaning…
The top shelf is filled with the cleaners I use most. I put them into my favorite glass spray bottles from Grove Collaborative. I also have a stash of some Mrs. Meyers from when I ordered four bottles of glass cleaner instead of one!
I labeled the clear glass spray bottles with a label maker, so we know which one is which.
I also keep my extra in an ironstone sugar jar. When one wears out in the kitchen (and I really wear them down to stubble), I pitch it and replace it with a fresh one from my stash.
I spotted this shelf one day when I was at Hobby Lobby. (It was not on sale when I found it, so I used a 40% off coupon.) I was actually there to look for hardware for the cabinet doors that I wasn’t planning on removing, but I spotted this shelf and something about it made me think it would be perfect over the sink. I had considered corbels for the cabinets at this point and thought they might crowd out a shelf. I actually put the shelf away and then back in my cart twice. I finally decided I could just buy it and then return it if it didn’t work.
I am so glad I got it, because it’s perfect. It provides a little bit of extra space for things I want readily available, since there isn’t a lot of surface space surrounding the sink. It holds a jar that corrals brushes I use for cleaning along with some gardening shears and one of my favorite all-purpose paint tools.
I also have a mug with some twine in it and I made some “S” hooks out of wire to hang more garden scissors, a little broom, and some French soap. I do use the scissors, but the soap and broom are admittedly there just because I fancy them.
The Laundry sign is one of my own designs that was sold in Hobby Lobby.
In an , I keep my MMSMP brush soap. It’s the perfect size for whole bars or to smush remnants of full bars together and I can hold it in my palm and clean the brushes right in the jar.
I also have a bowl with brushes I use for various cleaning purposes. The old jar lid might seem a little random, but I use the inside as a way to scrub my artist brushes. Before using the MMSMP brush soap (which is the best brush soap ever), I give them an initial cleaning with Murphy’s Oil Soap to get the bulk of the paint off. I used to scrub them into a microfiber cloth (as opposed to my palm, since some of the pigments are toxic), but the cloth would get pretty gross after a while and looked sloppy hanging over the faucet. The lid works great as a scrubber, protects my hand, and rinses clean after each use. There are even grooves on the milk glass insert in the zinc lid that act as a wash board.
I have two soap dispensers by the sink. The larger one has hand soap and the smaller one holds baby oil scented with a few drops of lavender essential oils. I use the baby oil to wash oil paint off of my hands.
I put a faux sage plant from Ikea in an ironstone bowl next to the sink, so it adds a bit of life to the windowless room, but also blocks the view of the hoses and unfinished bead board. The corbels help with that as well. They distract the eye from really looking behind the machines.
Of course, we have some cleaners in bottles and containers that do not fit with “my look”, so they are tucked under the sink along with some more dish towels, sponges, etc.
The curtain is made out of antique toweling hung from a tension rod. I just sewed a simple sleeve on the back as a pocket for the rod. The toweling was exactly the right size vertically, so I only had to hem the sides.
On the rest of the shelving, I have some more hand towels, some cutting boards and wooden dough bowls, cloches, candles, twine, some stacks of ironstone, extra locker baskets that have yet to find a permanent home, etc.
It’s all stuff I was storing anyway, but it’s too pretty to hide behind closed doors. And, as I shared before, it was good motivation to clean out those shelves and keep them tidy.
Someone asked to see inside the closet, so here it is…
I used the bottom half of a wire shelving unit to hold baskets while I’m doing laundry. It’s been such a good use of the space, so I don’t have baskets all over the narrow strip of floor in front of the machines. I also keep the laundry soap and dryer sheets on the shelf. In addition, I use the closet to store my stash of paper bags (Anyone else hoard those?), light bulbs, furniture hardware, the “pool bag”, some more cleaners, and just random household things. I still need to comb through the closet to really get it organized, but I can at least find things as it is now.
Here is a list of sources for items I used in the room –
- Cigar Box Landscape Painting
- Faux Sage Plant IKEA
- Square Baskets (holding microfiber cloths) – IKEA
- Grove Glass Spray Bottles
Check out THIS POST for the tools, materials, primers, paint brands and colors used.
Now that I’ve been using the space a lot, I must say that it’s a delightful place to wash brushes and do laundry. As an added bonus, I’m more motivated to stay on top of keeping it clean and tidy! A laundry room makeover isn’t the most glamorous, but it’s certainly not to be underestimated…
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Do you know what I like the most in that room? The laundry sign. That is so beautiful and I love the whole set up, Marian:)
I love the way you did it all!!!
I turned out perfect! So organized and pretty!
I collect little Lane cedar boxes…perfect size for dryer sheets and allows me to keep them on top of the dryer in hands reach!
Amazing tranformmation! Love what you did with the cupboards. My one question is why the rug in front of the closet and not between the doorways? Can’t wait to see what you do next.
I purchased the metal Welcome sign from Hobby Lobby. Now that I know it’s your design it has special meaning to me. I’ve followed you for years and love what you do!
You gave me some good ideas about what I should have by my sink and how I can make it all look pretty.
Well done!!! Looks beautiful and well thought out.
Love what you did with the walls and how you left the cabinet without doors. Great idea. And when you mentioned about anyone else hoarding bags. uhum, mwah. I save the Bath and Body bags with the handles. That’s what I use when I give care packages to my kids to take things home and when I have an overabundance of vegetables from my garden to give away. lol
It is all so pretty! I would love to pretty-up my laundry room, but it is just part of the garage. I know I can anyway, but it is pretty far down on my list.
Every time I look at a sign at Hobby Lobby, I wonder if it’s your design!
My 2 favorite parts of this whole makeover are 1.-You made your own wire ‘S’ hooks! Very cute. 2. You actually save leftover pieces of soap to ‘smush’ together. THAT little tiny bit of frugality speaks so much of who you are.
I love the transformation of your laundry room! I’m going to get some of the “Boxwood” paint to use in my kitchen and laundry, which have been red for 21 years! Not ready to take the doors off my cupboards yet (lack of organization) . I love the little clothesline you have in your closet or “single socks”. What a great idea! It all looks beautiful!
One gray winter day I decided to organize the pine Ikea shelves in my basement. There was bag after bag of…grocery bags! I must have had 200 saved paper bags! What I thought would take several hours took a little bit of time to dump the bags of bags of bags in the recycle bin, organize the little that was left on the shelves and be done. My tea was still warm!
It’s beautiful! What a knack you have for taking a modern day home and making it unique and special!
Love your laundry room! Living in an apartment does not afford me such a luxury!
I never saw such a beautiful laundry room!! It’s gorgeous!!
And I just got finished sanding down an antique mirror (was originally covered in black glossy paint, yuck!) & am looking forward to using your hemp oil for this poor dried out thing.
Thank you for sharing!!
Would love to see your own fabric as the sink skirt! The pattern with the birds and bunnies in blue and green and yellow, etc. so cute and would tie all the colors together!!!
I love it. Maybe if I make my laundry room that cute I will keep up on my laundry? A girl can dream……
Love this make-over and love Boxwood. Our laundry room is off the garage and our back entry to the house. (no one uses the front door). I would love to upgrade it, but no time and energy right now. I know you are an amazing “wonder woman”, but how in the world did you move (disconnect/connect) the washer/dryer all by yourself?
Ha, I didn’t move them! I just worked around them. 🙂
I would love to know what Jeff thinks of it? I think it’s awesome!
thanks for being real.
I keep trying to get organized
love the lonely cow painting
You are my inspiration on in so many areas.. thanks for keeping me motivated!
Love, love what you have done with this room. Since my laundry room has become one of my favorite rooms (wine chiller!), I can see that I can take even further. Great job on a room most don’t like (not me). You are evolving in a most positive way!
I have sink envy. I would LOVE to have a sink in the laundry room instead of washing paint brushes (and etc.) at the kitchen sink… Maybe I can fit it in somehow… Thank you for the inspiration. Amazing how much interest this particular room has generated. Four posts so far and not even done!
Love it! I think I saw your laundry sign at Michael’s Craft Store. I’ll have to pick it up for my own laundry room makeover!
Another fun post! Marian….do you sell or have a source to purchase that wonderful bakers twine you had in the past?….I have a few rolls I purchased from you but am running low…..I do not see this quality anywhere ‘in the market’…..do you have a suggestion?
Yes! I bought it from Just Artifacts. You can find it online. Get the 12 ply bakers twine.
Just so beautifully organized. Just gorgeous. I bet you don’t mind doing laundry.. Can I bring mine over?
I love this room! Baskets, natural brushes, jars … and just a touch of whimsy. You have inspired me!
Thank you!
I love your laundry room!! What color is the green on your shelves and cabinets? Very pretty?
Hi Marian! Thank you so much for hanging out with us today for Home Style Saturdays. Your laundry room, like the rest of your home, reflects you and your family so well. Love the green!