I had no intentions of tackling any paint projects in the next few weeks, and certainly had no plans to paint a room this past weekend. After my original plans to take a ton of blog photos on Saturday were foiled by a rainy, overcast day (aka not suitable for indoor photos), I started to look at my laundry room and get the itch. The itch to paint.
I'm one of those strange birds who loves painting a room. (I also have bad design ADD and can't tackle just one room at a time, in case you haven't noticed.) I truly enjoy getting down and dirty with a paint brush. For me, it's the satisfaction of watching a room transform right before your eyes. In my opinion, paint is the base of what makes a room. It completely changes the way you see a room. Remember the before photo of Mila's nursery? You can use any rugs, furniture, pillows, wall art, but a smart paint choice sets the tone of your space. Paint determines not just how the room looks, but how it feels, and that is so important to me. I need our home to feel warm and comfortable. I love a good white wall and have seen so many inspirational homes that use them, but for me in our home it just doesn't feel finished (with the exception of planked walls since that adds dimension). I need the warmth of a painted wall, even if it's a color as light as the one we use in our house (Benjamin Moore 'Moonshine'). If you need a quick change but don't have it in your budget to do a complete room renovation, a gallon of paint will do the trick. Just the contrast of a good color against bright white trim gets my blood pumping.
Since Jordan was home on Saturday and could entertain the babes, I snuck out to pick up some paint. I arrived about 20 minutes before the shop closed, but the man behind the counter seemed relieved when I knew exactly what I wanted and was a quick, easy customer.
Here's the only 'before' photo I have and this was back in May when we swapped the light fixture in the laundry room. Like the rest of the house the walls were painted a neutral beige.
Even though the space is very small, it still took me a few hours to paint the room as I had to take breaks for dinner, nursing Mila, watching part of a movie with Lucy and bedtime routine. It took next to no time before we had things back together and looking normal again, only better. Instantly the room looked fresher, brighter, even bigger.
While this room hasn't been a huge priority, I've slowly been adding things here and there, piece by piece. I snagged a new ironing board cover from Target over the weekend thanks to some gift cards I received for my birthday.
This adorable little laundry caddy was a Homegoods find and replaced the wire basket we were using before.
This little mail/key station was another Target find. We decided to put it in the laundry room since we generally enter the house through the mudroom. Also it's a good place to stash things we want to remember on our way out the door (iPod, coupons, sunglasses, etc).
I recycled this rug from our townhouse. If I remember correctly it was a Pottery Barn find. I love the bold colors against the new gray walls.
We still desperately need some sort of storage solution in the laundry room, specifically above the washer and dryer, to stash laundry accessories - dryer sheets, stain removers, etc. We've tossed around the idea of building a stained wood counter similar to this one above the appliances. The only issue is that I don't want it to turn into a new place to toss all the junk that sits on them already. I'd prefer some sort of closed storage, but cabinets might look too awkward since the wall is open to one side. Maybe finding a few more caddys like the one from Homegoods or some baskets to stack in a row on the counter.
Next up for this room is adding some art on the walls. I already ordered a prints off Etsy last week that I hope to hang on the far wall that faces the hallway.
I love the Beverly prints from The Aestate and finally bit the bullet and purchased two of them. I'd like to possibly hang all 4, two on each adjacent wall, but decided to start with two and see how I like them. I like the idea of seeing them down the hall from the kitchen.
So while the laundry room isn't a room we're ready to finish right away, just giving it a fresh coat of paint helps keep the flow of our first floor going. It's a quick and easy upgrade that satisfies my need for a little change and makes this a place I might not mind spending a little time doing laundry inside.
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