ORC Spring 2023 - Week 1 | Loads O'Fun! Laundry Room Transformation
Wow! How Time Sure Flies
...and it's been nothing short of pure busyness since the last time I embarked on a One Room Challenge extravaganza!! While providing professional design assistance for other folks' dire decorating and design dilemmas, it becomes very difficult to tackle my own. You can bet that I have them too! Since last fall's deck renovation that I presented for the ORC, and some long overdue travels, it becomes very difficult to fit all of life's wants and necessities that the heart desires. And here we are!! One's home must function properly to carry out all of the day-to-day tasks. So, because 'necessity always is the mother of invention' I present to you my "Laundry Room Transformation" for this Spring's ORC.
As I am sure you have been following my journey in this ranch house's renovations, this will be my 6th participation in this wonderful event that was started by the founder Linda Weinstein some ten years ago. It has been sponsored by so many different organizations in the past and this time around the major current one is Apartment Therapy, among several others. You can be sure there will be so many wonderful interior designers, do-it-yourselfers, and design enthusiasts transforming their homes, so be sure to check them all out here-----
A Little Backstory...
A few months ago, our old dryer stopped drying. So, after a few repair call visits to figure it all out we came to the conclusion (my husband and I) that it was time to replace. Yayyy!! a new washer and dryer would be coming into our existence. I couldn't have been happier :) So shopping we went. All the while in the back of my mind I knew that we would be turning our perils into yet another exciting One Room Challenge. But spring was a couple of months away, and well, you know, our clothes were piling up!
We knew we had a very small challenging space to work with, with the original builder not installing many extras, so to the drawing board I went. But before I proceed to show you my plans for the future, let me shock you with the not so pretties of a tired, out of date, non-efficient laundry room--
A Brand-new Day!
I bet you're thinking what I am thinking, so don't worry...I wiped the slate clean and embarked on a fresh new outlook for our lives going forward. From here on in, I vowed to make laundry a more pleasurable task than the minuscule attention that was given to it in the past. Laundry of the past was a chore only to be reckoned with a few days a week by all the family members of the household. A responsibility that each individual was responsible for their own dirties and then close the door rightfully until the next session. I am sure not many folks would bare their design soul like I have, but here's why - I can liberate you as well from this kind of misery. Watch and follow me here to see how a small square space can function and please the inhabitants of all that live here so that it might motivate and inspire you to take action as well!
Here is the new clean space, freshly painted in Sherwin Williams 'Greek Villa' I'm working with and just the new washer/dryer staples that was purchased. I opted for the new LG Laundry Tower and have been pleasantly surprised how technology has come a long way since 2004! I am even enjoying the cute folksy melody it plays at the end of cycles. What a surprise! Also, since I am an earth-friendly designer, I aim to make most my purchases sustainable and eco-friendly with minimal environmental impact as much as possible. I was very happy that I was able to keep the older washer/dryer models out of the landfill and resold to happy folks that knew how to refurbish the old heating element for the dryer, and they got an excellent running washing machine in the process. Thankful and grateful they served us well!
Here's The Plan:
Purchase new washer/dryer.Paint thewalls.- Replace the entry door of the laundry room.
- Install cabinetry & line shelves.
- Fabricate countertop.
- Paint or stain reuse of wood bench seat.
- Wallpaper and/or use wall panel for wall feature.
- Replace lighting for efficiency.
- Purchase necessities such as laundry baskets & hampers.
- Hang shelving for art & decor.
It seems like I have quite a lot to do in the next 8 weeks. Small spaces can be quite the challenge. They require a lot of planning, designing and scaling to get all the elements to function with ease while providing an easthetique environment to perform, in this case, one of life's more mundane tasks. So why not add some whimsy in the process. That's what I aim to do!
...from the light of my home to yours,
Deb
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