We literally worked on this laundry room this time last year and I thought that perhaps I was done with it… at least for a while. Well… we got new flooring on our first floor and once those floors were in I knew this space needed to change again. Now obviously, we don’t typically makeover a space with the intention of making it over again a year later… but things happen, people change, and so spaces may need to change and that is perfectly fine. Or at least it is perfectly fine to me! 

What I am learning is that as a person I am always evolving and changing. I am somewhat creative and sometimes my home becomes a canvas for me to experiment and figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Before I share what the space looks like now, let’s talk about what wasn’t working in our laundry space. 

What Wasn’t Working in the Laundry Room?

First, the billy bookcases that we were trying to use a mudroom cubbies was not working… at all. They were too narrow, too shallow, so basically nothing fit well. In my mind, the boys would be able to fit a bookbag and a large coat in the large part and a few pairs of shoes underneath. That did work when my kids were toddlers but for bigger kids with bigger things… it was just not big enough. I noticed that the boys were starting to use their bodies to quickly shove the door closed after putting their stuff in, just for the door to not stay closed as they walked away and everything fell out onto the floor. Who cares if something is cute if it isn’t functional?

Second, the pedestal just wasn’t working for me. We built the pedestal hoping we would somehow save our backs from bending over so low to load and unload the washer and dryer. And while we may have avoided bending over too low, we still had to bend over. I would have kept the pedestal if I was taller maybe. It was impossible for me to clean to top of the counter without literally climbing up on top of it. I also never had the option to be one of those people who fold their clothes as they pull them out of the dryer because the pedestal was so high. So I decided that the pedestal also needed to go. Once the pedestal and the bookcases were out the space looked so much bigger and more open and I knew there was no turning back. 

Third, the colors just were not working for me anymore. I love the look of the wallpaper in other people’s spaces, but it just wasn’t doing it for me in my own space. I also had a moment in 2020 when I painted everything Charcoal Blue, and that moment is definitely over with for me. I still like the color, but I am slowly removing it from my home. 

Our new laundry space makes me so happy. I feel like it is a good blend of my husband and I (I am also learning to consider him more in my design choices). I chose the Sherwin Williams’ classic Tricorn Black for the trim, mainly because I had some leftover from my garage project. You may notice that there is a difference in color between some of the trim in here because we unknowingly used two different materials to add on once we removed the bookcases. It bothers me, but not enough to go out and buy more wood…

This wallpaper is from Spoonflower and it fits us so well. When I showed my husband my mood board for this space with this wallpaper he got so excited and text back enthusiastically ‘YES!’ I went ahead and placed the order and have zero regrets. I also really think that the quality of this wallpaper is great compared to some other brands that I have worked with. I chose peel and stick and it is thick but it is also pretty easy to manipulate and work those wrinkles out that drive me crazy.

I decided to go ahead and add a few wall hooks for the boys to offload their bookbags and coats. I love that they fold up and out of the way when they are not in use. If you have been following me for awhile then you know that green is my color. So I needed to have some green in here which is easy to add with plants. I purchased these wall planters from Amazon that are basically modular and self-watering. Those two things are important to me because they give me the space to change my mind about placement and they give the plants a chance to survive my eventual neglect.

One thing I have learned throughout this process (in addition to the things I have already shared) is that I don’t like to have stuff in every corner of a room. I enjoy seeing empty space. It makes me feel like I can breathe easier when the rooms are less cluttered and more functional. I am not a minimalist by any means but I am also not a maximalist. I am still working to make our spaces both functional and beautiful in a way that best suits our family and makes me happy when I look at them. So far, it seems like the boys don’t really care either way!