I loved the washer and dryer themselves; I bought them from Lowe's in 2016 after my washing machine, which was original to the house, finally gave out. These front loaders worked so well and were wallet-friendly, since they use less water than the old style top loaders. But I was constantly having to clean them because of all the dust in the garage. I knew in my new house I would want both a garage and a washer/dryer, but not together.
Thankfully, I was able to get just what I wanted in my new house. Sort of...
Down the hallway next to the kitchen, adjacent to the dry bar, is the a/c unit on the right, the master bedroom straight ahead, and on the left a laundry closet. Not a room, just a closet, but it's not in the garage so that's a plus.
It has a working washer and dryer (though older models), and wire shelving above it for storage. I was very thankful for it, but I didn't love it. Heck, I didn't even like it. It was very dirty. The laundry closet is a forgotten space; if, like the previous owner and myself, you don't have a need to do laundry daily, you don't give it a second thought. It's a utilitarian space and nothing more. Until you're moving in your stuff. That's when you start to notice things. Like how sticky the wire racks are because of years of laundry and humidity in the room. Or the amount of dust inside the brackets when you try to clean said wire racks. Then there's the washer and dryer themselves, covered in sticky dirt. I tried to clean them; I used soapy water and microfiber cloths on everything. The washer and dryer I was able to get fairly clean, but those wire racks were a whole other story. No matter how much I tried to clean them they were just as sticky and gross. This needed more than just some basic cleaning. This closet needed a makeover.
I took the wire racks down and replaced them with wood racks that I found at Home Depot for $9.99 each. They aren't solid wood; these are covered in laminate, which is why they're so inexpensive. The brackets were the most expensive part of this makeover. They were $7.47 each but I needed 6 of them to make sure the shelves were secure. They look so good! And they're much easier to keep clean. On the wall I put up hooks to hang my mop, broom, and plastic bags.
Outside the closet I put up this cute Laundry sign that I picked up at Hobby Lobby for just $9.99. It gave color to this otherwise neutral space.
I changed the light fixture here in the hallway in front of the laundry closet. This was one of those white glass ball fixtures that contractors use in new construction, except this house is over 30 years old and so was the light fixture. I picked this one up from Walmart.com for $16.34. I wanted something in oil rubbed bronze and that wasn't closed, since those tend to get dirty and full of bugs. Can anyone say yuck?! I don't have that problem with this light fixture.
Just recently I made a few more changes to the laundry hallway. I had this picture on the wall that I got years ago from Kirkland's:
This has been a favorite of mine for years, and I knew I wanted it in my home, but I had to admit it looked small on this particular wall.
I thought about maybe doing a gallery wall here, though I'm not fond of gallery walls. Thankfully my daughter offered me this gorgeous painting:
She had bought it for her bedroom but decided on doing a different color scheme so she asked me if I wanted it. I knew the colors would work with the master bedroom so I said I'd take it. When I saw it, I knew it was perfect for the hallway just ahead of my bedroom.
The size is much better on this wall. I added the runner, a steal at $14.97 from Costco. The colors work beautifully with my decor.
Most of the makeover was done back in March, right before quarantine. It's been a great improvement, but I knew there was more I wanted to do. For starters, the smoke detectors in this house are so old they've yellowed. I don't even understand why there are 2 smoke detectors in this small hallway, but both are dingy looking. I want to get those replaced or at least painted. The bifold doors are another project on my list; they're metal which makes them creaky, and they also have yellowed. I want wood doors, or at least something that looks like wood.
This is the wall behind the washer and dryer, just below the shelves. I didn't realize how stained the wall was until I put the new shelves in. I thought about painting it, maybe even in a contrasting color, but I've decided on something else: wallpaper. I found some on Amazon that I've ordered. Hopefully I can start on this next week. I think it'll give this laundry closet a boost. That, and the flooring...
Again, no one looks at the dingy laundry closet floor but the homeowner, so it's never a priority. But I look at it and I hate it. This linoleum has been here for over 30 years. I took the washer & dryer out and tried to give it a good cleaning, but it's just too old. The color has yellowed and the dirt is encrusted into the grooves, so it won't come out. To take this out and put in ceramic or porcelain tile would be tedious, expensive and unnecessary; only a small piece of the flooring actually shows. Instead, I've found a better and easier alternative: peel and stick tile. I looked at Home Depot and Lowe's but ultimately found what I was looking for on, you guessed it, Amazon. I'm excited to get this project started and to see my vision come to life.
I'll try to remember to take pictures this time as I work on this area ;-). Next up in the home tour: the master bedroom. I can't wait to share this special space!
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