One Room Challenge
Before I even moved into the Color Filled Cottage, I started redoing the laundry room. It’s actually a laundry room / half bath, just off the kitchen and right to the left as you come in from the garage.
I got started, but never finished the laundry room. (Please tell me I’m not the only one that starts but then stalls when doing projects.) My goal for joining the six week One Room Challenge is to get me moving again, a personal challenge for myself. Fingers crossed!
Oh, and I love that Better Homes & Gardens, a magazine I’ve devoured since my mom subscribed oh, so many years ago, is the official media sponsor of the ORC. Thanks, BHG, for supporting the process, and inspiring both the Featured (the mucky-mucks) and Guest (everyone else, like me) Designers.
Here’s what I started with (from the MLS listing), taken from the entry door into the room:
Like most Realtor pictures, this image was taken with a wide-angle lens, so the room itself is actually longer and more narrow than it appears. It’s definitely a nice size room though, measuring 7′ x 12′ plus a small closet off the end not shown. For reference, the slate tiles are 18″ square.
Here’s the floor plan:
And yeah, those doors that swing into each other are a pain to deal with — but may be beyond the scope of this six week project. We’ll see if I come up with any ideas to at least lessen the problem.
Aging in Place Laundry Room Considerations
The primary reason I bought a slab house is because I’m in my 60’s, live alone (with my two cute pups) and anticipate this being my home for at least 15 years or longer. Protecting my back and anticipating further physical challenges are prime considerations when designing the updates for the laundry room.
The first decision is what kind of washer and dryer to get — top- or front-loading? Front-loading because over time reaching into a top-loader will become more and more challenging. Once I settled on a front-loader, do I want a pedestal for underneath or not? Yep, because it means I’ll be able to reach directly into the washer and dryer. Plus I can just lean over into the pedestal area for laundry supplies rather than stretching up over the units to reach the cabinets above.
Here’s the Samsung appliances I bought at Best Buy (no affiliation, just pleased with the prices, installation and warranty):
4.5 Cu. Ft. 14-Cycle Add-wash High-Efficiency Front-Loading Washer with Steam
7.5 Cu. Ft. 14-Cycle High-Efficiency Electric Dryer with Steam
27″ Washer/Dryer Laundry Pedestals
Oh, and I got them in Black Stainless Steel because they look SO cool with my mottled charcoal countertops.
Filling the Laundry Room with Color!
Now that the washer and dryer are selected, it’s time to develop the rest of the plan for the space. I’m going for a color-filled, feminine look so that I enjoy the mundane task of doing laundry. The room also serves as the storage space for my decorative painting supplies. I love painting furniture and small craft projects and while I have a garage, it is not climate controlled so paint needs to be stored inside the house. The cabinets above the washer and dryer are the perfect space for that – the pedestals under the units make those cabinets hard to get to for regularly used things, but the paint works as it doesn’t need to be reached except on occasion.
So here’s my plan for the six weeks of the One Room Challenge:
- Select appliances and create the plan √ – done!
- Paint the cabinets in a 2:1 mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence and Pure White
- Add “age in place” organizational features to cabinets and room
- Create a London shade for the window
- Add floral artwork, interspersing hooks between the art to hang laundry on (plus there’s a cool surprise I’ll be using as the bases for the hooks)
- Final Reveal!
I’ve created a mood board to keep me focused – if you like it, and want to follow along, sign up for my periodic e-letter and follow me on social media!
Have a wonderfully creative and color filled day,
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