This laundry room makeover post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TryMembersMark #CollectiveBias
As a military family, we have lived in seven different houses which means we have done our fair share of room makeovers and home repairs. Nothing, however, compares to the project we faced last year, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. It was summer, and my husband had just opened his landscaping business which meant our lives were busier than they had ever been.
What Inspired The Laundry Room Makeover:
John spent that summer working days with the Coast Guard and working until dark each night with his new business. To say we were all worn out would be an understatement. There’s never a “right” time to discover your washing machine has been leaking for over a year, but the timing was about as bad as it could be. We had no time in our schedule to repair all the damage, but like everything else in life we made our impromptu laundry room makeover work.
Looking back I guess it wouldn’t have been as bad if my husband would have pulled up the vinyl flooring to find minimal damage, but that’s just not how it works. Instead, as he pulled up the floor the situation worsened. He made it all the way to the hall before asking if I wanted to go ahead and pull up the floor in the bathroom as well (the flooring matched in both rooms) if we were going to replace the tiles in the laundry room why not go ahead and take care of both.
I’m sure you can imagine what happened next. It was like a scene out of The Money Pit. I was working on my blog when I heard my husband yell out “You’ve got to be kidding me!”. I ran into the bathroom to see that not only were we dealing with a rotten subfloor in the laundry room, but our toilet had also been leaking for what must have been years (before we even moved in I assume). Now we had no time and two rooms where the flooring had to be completely repaired and replaced.
We ended up hiring contractors to come dry everything out so we could get to work and then the decisions began. We enjoy remodeling and giving the rooms in our home makeovers, but we are usually more in control of the budget. We decided to make the best of a bad situation and gave both the laundry room and the bathroom full makeovers.
Laundry Room Makeover: The Fail
In case you’re wondering why I made such a big deal about how busy we were when this project began, you’re about to see why that played a huge role in this project.
My husband was coming home every night around 9 pm and worked until as late as midnight getting everything prepped to lay the tile I chose for the rooms. He worked so hard and was so tired. For the most part, I tried to stay out of his way only helping when he needed me, which is why I didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late.
That’s right… he didn’t stagger the tiles. Talk about disappointed. BUT we moved on finished and the job. Sometimes life just works out that way, and honestly, I still love my new laundry room.
Laundry Room Makeover: Paint
We painted the walls with Mermaid’s Song, laid new baseboards, and I even added some much-needed beach themed decor to the room. I told John I wanted to create a peaceful place where I might enjoy doing laundry!
While I can’t say my love for laundry has grown, I can say I feel refreshed every time I walk into my new laundry room. The colors are so peaceful, and I am proud of how everything turned out.
To add a little more color my mom and I made a new valance for the windows as a finishing touch. You can learn how to make them below.
Now that I am spending more time in my laundry room, I thought I would share a few tips with you that have made my life in the laundry room more enjoyable.
My Laundry Tips:
1. Enlist Help: My children and husband are all capable of bringing the laundry downstairs (or should I say throwing it down the stairs?). Every other day I have all the kids bring down the laundry.
2. Wash By Family Member: We are a large family, so this may not work for everyone, but when I do laundry now I sort it into three groups. The boys, the girls, and our laundry. This makes folding and putting clothes away SO much faster. If all of the clothes coming out of the washer and dryer are going to the same group of kids they all go in one pile (well two: folded and hanging) and it makes sorting a breeze.
3. Buy The Best: Use a laundry detergent that gets the job done. I use Member’s Mark® Ultimate Clean Liquid Laundry Detergent from Sam’s Club. This laundry detergent delivers superior performance at a great value. Patented with Ultimate Clean Technology, this detergent locks on tough stains like last night’s dirt from a home run slide and lifts them out in all temperature settings, which is great because I only wash on cold! I love that our clothes are always white and bright, because, after a remodel like this one, I don’t have the money to replace my kid’s clothes if they get dingy.
My favorite thing about this huge jug of laundry detergent is that it comes with a no-mess dispenser and a dosing cup which means I can quickly measure my detergent based on the size of the load, and I don’t have to worry about waste or clean-up. In case you’re wondering Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean is HE compatible and safe for all machines!
4. Enlist Help Again: Teach your children to put away their clothes. I have four children. I already do the majority of the work so having them bring the clothes down and then put them away isn’t asking too much right?
5. Vanity: Sure, the laundry room is a place full of the dirt and grime of daily life, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. Decorate your laundry room in the same way you would decorate your bedroom or living room. After all, you spend countless hours of your life in there, why shouldn’t it be beautiful?
Want to make valances for your laundry room? Check out this quick tutorial:
Supplies Needed:
Fabric (based on window size)
Sewing Machine
Matching Ribbon
How To Make A Valance:
Step 1: Cut fabric 20” wide X 6” longer than your window
Step 2: Turn fabric right side out
Step 3: Cut a dozen or so pieces of ribbon 7” long
Step 4: Iron seams under and pin ribbons in place every 5 inches
Step 5: Try hanging your valance while pinned before sewing to make sure it is the right size before sewing so you can make any alterations to your design before you sew.
Step 6: Once you are sure the valance will work. Sew the seams you pinned. Iron the valance and hang.
Congrats! You have just made a VERY affordable valance.
Don’t forget to pick up your Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean Liquid Laundry Detergent in Fresh Scent or Paradise Splash at your local Sam’s Club!
I hope you enjoyed our laundry room makeover. If you have your own makeover to share or would like to share your laundry tips with us, we would love to hear ’em!