Where do I even start with laundry rooms. A whole room in the house dedicated to washing everyone’s clothing. A chore room.
And it’s never, ever, ever done. Am I right? I mean you can wash every single item of clothing in your hampers, but you and your family are still wearing clothes (at least I hope so).
But for me, the laundry room means a little more. It’s a room where I can help serve my family, keep them clean, and help them feel comfortable and loved.
It’s a room that gives back to us as much as we give it. And rooms like that should really be celebrated.
But the truth was — I wasn’t celebrating that room at all. In fact, it was the room that got stuffed with every extra box, appliance, donation pile, and random gadget we thought just maybe we’d need again.
IT WAS GETTING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF
We were giving this room everything, but in the very worst way. We were taking advantage of it. And that needed to change!
So when I was looking for a room to give back to. One to really breathe life back into. The laundry room was the obvious choice.
Now’s the part where I’d love to show you this awful before photo, but sadly… the space was so jam packed with stuff that I didn’t even snag a good one. Mistake #1.
But picture a small space with a large table piled high with boxes and bins and appliances shoved underneath, builder-grade faux-stone laminate tile floors, and plain beige walls.
The space as cramped, dust was collecting on everything, and there was no love. You’re picturing it, aren’t you?
So this was the room I was going to love. It needed it, bad. But I had one huge rule and challenge in mind — don’t break the bank. I wanted to transform the space while spending as little possible.
And when I put my mind to something, I can get pretty determined! So that’s what I set out to do.
HOW I TRANSFORMED MY LAUNDRY ROOM ON A TIGHT BUDGET (AND HOW YOU CAN TOO)
Cue paint. Paint is my go-to DIY item of choice. Why? Because it’s cheap and it really makes an impact! So I set out to paint the walls and add something I’m a huge fan of – shiplap!
STEP 1: TRANSFORM THE WALLS WITH PENCIL SHIPLAP
But meanwhile, back at “don’t break the bank”, I had to come up with an alternative. So after painting the laundry room white, I decided to try my hand at pencil shiplap (and boy did it pay off — check out my entire blog post on how to pencil shiplap here)!
STEP 2: TRANSFORM THE FLOORS WITH A STENCIL AND SOME PAINT
Next, something had to be done about those floors…
See what I mean?
So what did I do? Paint! (See a trend here?)
I grabbed some of my favorite chalk paint and a stencil and got to work creating that custom farmhouse tile look for way less!
It took some patience, but luckily that doesn’t cost a thing (except some sanity here and there), and in just a few days, I had brand new flooring!
Check out my blog post on how to stencil your tile floors with chalk paint!
STEP 3: FURNISH THE SPACE WITH CUTE AND FUNCTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Then what was left but to furnish the space and create a truly functional laundry room that would never turn into clutter-central again.
I found the perfect little utility table to fit back into the little cove our laundry room has — perfect for folding clothes.
Then I found the world’s cutest Rae & Dunn laundry baskets on wheels that fit right underneath the table! It was love at first sight, and I bought three. No regrets.
And I know what you’re thinking right this very second, and yes, I agree – you need them!
And for good measure, I found one more vintage laundry basket to round out the space and add the cozy charm the room needed!
Last but not least, I added a little shelf with wood I cut from Home Depot and industrial metal brackets to tie the space together.
Once I styled the shelf with a couple amber jars from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target and a cute little succulent (because if I ever design a room without a touch of greenery, something is terribly wrong), that was it!
A completely tranformed laundry room space on a tight budget. Not to mention one I could move into and stare at forever. And one with functional space for days!
STEP 4: STARE IN AWE AT YOUR PERFECTLY TRANSFORMED SPACE
It’s amazing what a little determination, some elbow grease, and some paint can do! And it’s important to mention that I’m an ameteur DIY-er, and most of the time a DI-TRY-er, so if I can do it so can you!
When we give to our spaces, they can in turn give back to us. Love your spaces, and they’ll love you!
I have to say that I enjoy doing laundry now more than I ever have before. I find joy in it where it was previously lacking.
Do you have a space in your home that could use some budget-friendly love? My advice is don’t wait — choose one thing you can start doing right away to begin transforming your room into a space you’ll love!
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