Monday, May 31, 2010

Laundry Room Makeover from Discards for Susan's Metamorphosis Monday!




Laundry rooms are usually rather uninspiring.

They are necessary and useful but exciting?  Uh uh.

When the laundry room's location in a home is in the basement, it's worse.  It makes doing a required chore even more unappealing.

Before the makeover, when it was time to do laundry, I'd haul the overflowing clothes basket down the basement stairs, flick on an overhead bare light bulb, and fill up the washing machine. Then, I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.









When my immensely multi-talented husband helped a friend install a new kitchen, he asked if he could have the old sink and  counter top.  The answer was "absolutely."  At first, I was unenthusiastic, thinking the materials would just be more junk to add to the "someday" list but my husband surprised me.

















He got right to work installing the counter top and double aluminum sinks.  First, out came the horrendously ugly limestone sink that looked like something Dracula used.  My husband added a few decorative Mexican tiles behind the faucets for a special effect.  He then picked out some overhead lights at Home Depot and put those in above the washer and drier and another set near the counter top. He even hung up a big painting we bought in Central America so I could load the machine while looking at art!

The counter top has plenty of room on which to fold laundry, sort clothes, etc.

Then came black and white tiles for the cement floor and shelving under the counter top for detergent, bleach, etc. He used lumber he already had to make the shelves.

Today, guess what?  Doing laundry isn't such a bad task to have to do. I love my laundry room and it cost so little money to do it's not even funny. So check out used materials that are going to be dumped.  Who cares if they aren't new?  Add a couple of coats of white paint, some lighting, and they are good to go!

IS YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM A PLEASANT SPOT TO WORK IN?


17 comments:

The Polka Dot Closet said...

Love your laundry room. I love in Florida now and we don't have basements, oh how I miss them, I lived in Minnesota and the basement was so wonderful, storage, playroom, laundry room. I now have no room!!! If you get at chance take a look at my metamorphosis Monday www.thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.com Thank You Carol

Dena Pickle said...

Hello! Visiting from Met Monday!
I love your laundry room re-do and what a sweetie hubby you have too.
I used to do laundry in the basement and I remember the feeling to throw in, slam and run LOL!
Now I have a laundry "closet" just as un-inspiring but there is always hope for brighter days on the horizon.
Dena
Sweet Pickles and Chocolate

Dena Pickle said...

Susan, thank you for the visit and the cheering session!
I'm following you too.
Dena

Anonymous said...

How wonderful! Your hubby did a great job and I'm sure you're loving your new counter and sink!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Jenny said...

What a great husband! I love the extra touch of even hanging the picture for you.

I have a friend whose laundry is in the basement too. Her dh cut a hole in a closet floor. She keeps an open laundry basket in the basement under the floor & only has to open the closet door & drop dirty laundry into the basket. She does still have to carry the clean laundry back up the stairs though!

Jill said...

I'm glad to see that you have a laundry room you love! Right now I'm busy working on other rooms, but I do intend to tackle the laundry room one day. Thanks for sharing yours.

Lana Kim White Austin said...

This is a great laundry room re=do!
It must feel soooo much better doing laundry in there now!!

Blessings to you,
Lana in Huntsville, AL

Kathy said...

LOVE IT! What a guy! I too have a painting above the washer and dryer. It's a mite cluttered this morning - actually doing laundry as I visit :)
May post pictures soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kathy

Karen Lange said...

What a wonderful laundry room! You are probably the envy of your neighbors. What a blessing too, to have such a handy hubby! Happy Memorial Day:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Susan. What a super husband you have. How handy to have such a nice sink and way better lighting. Have a wonderful Memorial Day.

Rebecca said...

Sharing your happiness at having such a functional and attractive laundry room. Mine is just a stackable set in one side of a closet off our downstairs bathroom. It would sure be nice to have a folding counter....but I can't think of a way to make that happen.

Chatty Crone said...

No mine is not! What a great hubby you have! I love your room. Sandie

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Nice to have a big space like that. My washer and dryer are in our second bathroom. It's actually against regulations to put outlets in bathrooms. Go figure! Fortunately, this bathroom has one for the washer and dryer, and I can use my hair dryer there, too. I try to do as much as I can to hide the fact that the bathroom does double duty as a laundry room. Clothes are always folded on the couch in the living room. :) Have a great week. Tammy

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

He's a keeper. :) I'd love a laundry room. At this point, the laundromat is a weekly trip.

Blessings,
Susan

BECKY said...

Awesome job, awesome laundry room....awesome husband!! :)

marieDee said...

What a treat! My laundry room is ground level, but it needs some TLC. Thanks for sharing your new, improved, pretty laundry area.

nannykim said...

Cool do-over. I want to see, however, what an old limestone sink looks like---I don't think I have ever seen one! Nice picture. My post was about my laundry room too!

http://spindlecottage.blogspot.com

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