It’s done. And to me, it’s perfect.
Someone asked me what my favorite part of the room is….
….the answer is : the way I feel when I’m in it. It’s the happiest little room.
If I had to pick a physical feature of the room, I probably would say the monkey wallpaper.
Or the countertops. Or the giraffe painting.
It just makes me smile.
And yes, you can come and do laundry. I think every room should make you smile and feel good, even if it’s a room for chores. ESPECIALLY if it’s a room for chores. Paint it a fun color. Add some art. Whatever. Just make it fun!
The layout wasn’t what I had originally planned, which is why it’s always good to do a dryfit of the room. What I ended up with after changing the floorplan, was a longer stretch of countertop, AND the unplanned bonus of not being able to see the modern appliances when you are looking into the room from the kitchen – which I LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I spent almost nothing on this chandelier refinish. The medallion came from the old kitchen, and the chandelier from the entrance hall, where it was undersized. I had old scrapbook paper to make the candle covers, and I used leftover rose-colored crystals from the Jackson Street bathroom remodel. The only thing I bought was a can of spray paint and the milk-glass crystals, which I found for a steal on E-Bay. It might seems silly to put a chandelier in a laundry room, but if it makes you smile, then do it.
The display shelf features a lot of vintage items….
After I came up with a lot of ideas on my own, I went to Pinterest to find more ideas, and found that most of my ideas were already on there – so I knew they’d look nice, but I can say that I thought of them on my own. It’s true. Also, if I ever become that person who stencils “Laundry Room : Loads of Fun!” on my walls, tell me “No!”
This little vintage gem of a clock came from Franklin Heritage Architectural Salvage. Go there and buy things!!!
I love giraffes. Doug and I found this oil painting, painted by his grandmother Frances Heavilin in 1978, at his mother’s house. I figured : giraffes and monkeys work together, and the colors work PERFECTLY with the wallpaper. I found a frame that worked, framed it, and did a bit of copper faux-finishing to connect to the oil-rubbed bronze found throughout the room. It’s a fun family piece in an unexpected space.
There are some other vignettes throughout the room, like the Victorian Reproduction drying rack, washer board, and glass containers with laundry soaps and regular soaps. Even though it’s a modern, high-efficiency room, I like having things in here that you would have found in a washroom during the Victorian time period.
I’m dying to own THIS, but it’s not in the budget. YET.
The cabinet toppers look GREAT, and really tie all the cabinetry together. Vintage hats above are fun – I hope to build some hat stands in the future to showcase them even more.
The sink area is adorable. And super functional! The sink was salvaged from the kitchen when we moved in here. The mirror was a relic from buying Jackson Street. And the shelf was a present from my mom years ago. It’s amazing how lovely you can make a room by shopping among your own things, especially when trying to keep the budget down.
Some olde-timey soaps and valet brushes, and vintage hand towels round out the sink area.
The dryer side with laundry sorters.
The dogs have a cute new home, too!
Leftover wallpaper in the drawers!
It’s amazing how the right hardware makes the cheapest off-the-shelf cabinetry look like furniture.
So. So. Excited.
Tell me what you think! If you love this room (or hate it!), feel free to pass the link along. Because I’m super excited about it!
And if you’re just joining us, you can how the room progressed in the Martin Place Laundry Section of the blog.