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From Drab to Fab: Laundry Room Renovation

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December 1, 2017 by Elizabeth 53 Comments

Ladies (and some gentlemen), we spend a lot of time in our laundry rooms. If you have at least one child, you know the struggle. Laundry is a daily ritual of wash, dry, repeat. So, a laundry room renovation should be on your to-do-list, if it’s not completed already!

With inspiration, motivation, free product and great customer service from Wallpaper Boulevard, I summoned up the courage to take a stab at renovating our laundry room. See, we bought a foreclosed home for a great price, and our intent is to live and flip the house. The laundry room was definitely on the to do list; with linoleum flooring, drab walls and builder grade built-ins, it wasn’t anything to write home about.

What We Did First

The first thing we did was replace the flooring. When we moved in, the floors were white linoleum. They were beat up and scratched, parts of the flooring were beginning to peel up and they looked very much 1997 (that was the year the house was built.) We replaced the linoleum with beautiful 18″x18″ white tile with grey accents. We got this tile for a steal, on sale, for $1 sq ft. The colors are much more on trend and the quality is nicer. Tile is not difficult to install either, it just takes some specific tools and a lot of measuring.

Laundry Room Tile Flooring

What Was Next

Second, we painted the walls a light blue. Specifically, the color is Behr, Icicle. Originally, the walls were going to be a shade of grey, but blue brightened the room up a lot better. Since the room is pretty small, I couldn’t go with anything too dark or it would make the space look even smaller. We also painted the ceiling white to, again, brighten the space and make it appear larger.

I always use semi-gloss because it allows you to clean your walls more easily. I hate matte paint, as it looks dull and I’ve never been able to clean it. Having that extra bit of shine also brightens up the small room. Even in the picture below, you can barely tell that the after picture is a light blue. The eggshell white matte paint it was before just wasn’t a winner.

Laundry Room Paint

Then Came the Wallpaper

The next step was to apply this beautiful wallpaper that was a courtesy of Wallpaper Boulevard. This particular brand is Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Home Shiplap. It is lovely. I chose this wallpaper because it’s light and bright, just like the paint. The long lines on the wallpaper give the illusion that the walls are longer and the room is bigger. I was also going for a more trendy farmhouse feel as we plan to sell in the next couple of years.

Wallpaper Boulevard gifted me this product in exchange for before and after pictures. They were an amazing company to work with and I hope to have the pleasure of working with them again. The wallpaper was pre-pasted, so all I had to do was get the wallpaper wet and apply it to the wall. There’s some measuring and cutting that is involved, but all in all, it was a pretty easy and pleasant experience. I would use this type of wallpaper again.

Wallpaper boulevard laundryroom challenge

Cabinets Were Next

Then, I sanded and stained the cabinets from the classic 90’s honey oak color to a more lovely deep walnut. The walnut went perfectly with the shiplap and light blue paint. I slightly distressed the cabinets to give it a more rustic feel. Cabinets and simple woodworking aren’t too difficult but they do take a lot of time and patience.

Laundry Room Cabinet Refinishing

Updating the Shelving and Hardware

This laundry room renovation included the removal of the builder grade wire shelf that came with the home. In it’s place I built an absolutely gorgeous shelf out of raw wood (my husband helped me mount it.) Again, staining, sealing, sanding, sealing and sanding some more, led to the glass like shine.

Laundry Room DIY Shelf

I added dark, wrought iron hardware to the shelf, wrought iron knobs on the cabinet and wrought iron hooks on the walls. These little details really add up when you look at the room as a whole. It gives the room a more rustic, industrial feel.

Laundry Room Hardware Additions

Under the shelf, we built a clothing rod to be able to hang-dry clothing out of the dryer. The hooks on the wall are also added for that purpose. This give the space more purpose so that you make the most of the tiny room.

On the shelf, we added baskets for esthetics and storage. Stuff just looks better when you have it in a basket. I also like to add a plant to every room. Green just looks great wherever you are (plus it’s good for your air quality!)

Laundry Room DIY Shelf and Rod

Adding Some Decor

I found these adorable printouts on Pinterest for free from SavedByLoveCreations.com. They are displayed on this empty wall. It’s too narrow to hang anything and there really isn’t much else you can do with it. Besides, artwork looks great in every room, even the laundry room.

Laundry Room Free Printable

The whole laundry room renovation set me back about $300. That was it. For the most part, the work on the room was pretty simple and easily budgeted. However, the return on investment is probably going to be higher than what I put in. Buyers love nice laundry rooms, and why wouldn’t they, women go into that room EVERY DAY! It’s a smart investment to create an updated, usable, and trendy space in your laundry room. Because of the average size of most laundry rooms, it’s not a huge undertaking either. Just like the kitchen and the bathrooms, the laundry room should be a priority before reselling your home.

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Filed Under: DIY, Home Tagged With: home improvement, Home renovation, home upgrades

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rigel Celeste says

    December 2, 2017 at 1:07 am

    I love the wrought iron details!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 3, 2017 at 3:57 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Chelsea Padgett says

    December 2, 2017 at 5:02 am

    Such a great makeover! It almost makes you WANT to do laundry…. almost!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 3, 2017 at 3:57 am

      Ahaha! I agree, but if I have to do laundry anyway, it might as well look nice in there!

      Reply
  3. Ericka says

    December 2, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Now your laundry room came out so cute. I love the bar to hang your clothes. Thats a life saver. And your budget is so reasonable. Im going to have to do my laundry room soon.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 3, 2017 at 3:56 am

      Thank you! What’s great about renovating the laundry room is that the project is pretty small, so you don’t have a ton of work!

      Reply
  4. Jamie says

    December 2, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    What a fab renovation! I love this laundry room- it would make tackling the piles of laundry a little more pleasant.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 3, 2017 at 3:55 am

      Lol, that’s the idea. Hopefully it’ll make the daily grind a bit more pleasant!

      Reply
  5. Kelly says

    December 3, 2017 at 1:55 am

    What a great change! Well done!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 3, 2017 at 3:54 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Rakhi Parsai says

    December 4, 2017 at 11:04 am

    Such a wonderful makeover and images of before and after images. I am sure doing laundry is more fun for you now.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 4, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      Yes! Laundry is much more fun now. It’s still laundry though, lol!

      Reply
  7. Melissa Parcel says

    December 7, 2017 at 4:19 pm

    It looks fantastic! It’s amazing what a facelift can do for a room!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:50 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Kara says

    December 7, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    What a fantastic makeover! I especially love the shiplap…really gives it a homey feel.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:50 pm

      Thank you! And, I agree, I love the shiplap, it turned out better than I expected.

      Reply
  9. Brittany says

    December 7, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    GREAT job! That wall ? and those ‘wash’ and ‘dry’ picutres- so pretty! You have a fantastic eye for design!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:49 pm

      Thank you, I really appreciate it. I wanted to add something interesting, and another blogger had a free printable!

      Reply
  10. Melissa says

    December 7, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    Great renovation! I love the look of the wallpaper!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:49 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  11. Brittney Semple says

    December 7, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Love it! My husband and I have redone our entire house by ourselves and we still have a couple more rooms to go. It is a long process but well worth it! The shelf and hanging bar are great, those are two things that I can’t live without in my laundry room!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:49 pm

      Home renovation is definitely a passion of mine. We are slowing working on the whole house. It’s just so time consuming! I agree, the shelf and hanging bar are must haves in the laundry room!

      Reply
  12. Maggie says

    December 7, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    What a fabulous laundry room! Envious!! xo

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:48 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  13. Nicolette says

    December 7, 2017 at 11:45 pm

    I love the darker cabinets & the hanging rack! A hanging rack in the laundry room would be fabulous!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:48 pm

      I love them too! And the hanging rack is a lifesaver! I’m so happy I added that.

      Reply
  14. Mollie says

    December 8, 2017 at 12:01 am

    Wow! This looks fantastic! What a great makeover!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:47 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  15. Verla says

    December 8, 2017 at 12:13 am

    What a beautiful result. The before and after photos show it all. Too bad you still have to do laundry. And what a lovely website overall. Great work.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:47 pm

      Ahaha! Yes, sadly I still have to do laundry. But at least it’s prettier when I go in there!

      Reply
  16. Heidi says

    December 8, 2017 at 1:28 am

    Such a lovely renovation! It looks beautiful!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:47 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  17. Kristen says

    December 8, 2017 at 1:57 am

    Wow that wallpaper is cool! It gives a neat effect.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  18. Kim Quint says

    December 8, 2017 at 2:49 am

    You inspire me to makeover my laundry room. I do like the pictures and dark wood. Very comfortable and homey looking.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      I hope you are able to get it done! It feels so good to have a room completed in our home!

      Reply
  19. Laura Belle says

    December 8, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    You after pictures look great.

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  20. Lisa says

    December 8, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    The wallpaper looks amazing! My laundry room definitely needs a facelift, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      I was so surprised at how well the wallpaper came out! I’m thinking of doing wallpaper in my master bath now!

      Reply
  21. Monica says

    December 8, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    Ahhh this looks so good. I would love to do over my moms laundry room as it’s so outdated. She raves about how her vinyl tile has lasted for forever but the print needs to be updated. Maybe it’ll be my winter project for her

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 5:44 pm

      Thank you! It was definitely a fun project. I loved giving this room a makeover because it was small and doable. Winter is the best time to get things done because you’re stuck inside anyway.

      Reply
  22. Semi-Crunchy Mama says

    December 8, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    Thank you! I love the wallpaper too!

    Reply
  23. Terri says

    December 8, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    Love the transformation! Changing the cabinet color makes a huge difference!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 11:27 pm

      Yes I agree, they came out looking better than I expected.

      Reply
  24. Diane says

    December 8, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    It’s so nice to have a pretty room to do a dirty job! Congrats on the outcome!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 8, 2017 at 11:26 pm

      It is, thank you!

      Reply
  25. Christy says

    December 9, 2017 at 2:09 am

    We only have a “laundry closet” and I’ve been wondering what I can do to spruce it up. I’m totally using your ideas of the new shelves with wrought iron hardware and hanging some artwork on the wall spaces. LOVE IT!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 9, 2017 at 3:32 pm

      Thank you! I love how it came out as well. And, I totally understand. I had a laundry closet in the last place and lived, the place before that, the laundry was in the garage. This is my first ever laundry room, which was one of the reasons this was so exciting for me! You should definitely do a shelf with a hanging rod for drying clothes and some wrought iron hardware. I think that could look great! There’s also a ton of storage ideas on pinterest for small spaces too!

      Reply
  26. Melina says

    December 11, 2017 at 3:58 pm

    This was a great read and inspirational! I definitely want to fix up my house, but am easily intimidated!

    Reply
    • Semi-Crunchy Mama says

      December 12, 2017 at 2:32 am

      Thanks! Renovations can be intimidating if you haven’t done it before, but most things are fixable! You should give it a try!

      Reply
  27. Semi-Crunchy Mama says

    December 12, 2017 at 2:33 am

    I’m sure you’re great! It just takes time. All the projects seem to take much longer than I ever anticipate.

    Reply
  28. Jen says

    October 7, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    Nice reno! Great site!

    Reply

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