Farmhouse Style Laundry Room

 I woke up one morning after a dream about a garage sale at which I'd found a quilt for a dollar. 

I woke up, went garage sale-ing and there is was - the quilt for a dollar. 

It's not the best quilt and the other day it almost ended up in the give away box but I pulled it out when I thought about the dream. It's a little weird but I have dreams that come true.  

Usually, I feel it's the Lord telling me to pray about something. I'm not sure a quilt was something to pray about. 

I found two paintings that day. They were also a dollar. 

One of them has been hanging in the laundry room. 

This was painted on a piece of cardboard so it's amazing that it has survived. 

The other day, I felt it was time for a design reset. I removed everything from the surfaces in the kitchen, foyer, dining and laundry room.

Lately, I'd added some thrifted finds to my decor without doing any editing. 

It was time to edit and remove the Valentine's Day decor. 

At times the laundry room is a catch all for junk. It was also where I displayed some of my mother's and grandmother's antique toys. 

It was time to pack those away and clean things up a bit. 

The shelves got a good cleaning once everything was removed. 

The candlesticks in the corner hadn't be used in years. It was time to use them or give them away. 

When it was cleaned off and I had a blank canvas, I thought an old door or window would be cute.  We had the top of the old coffee table. Bill made this piece to look like an old door. I grabbed it and stuck it up. It kind of looks like stained shiplap to me. It got a couple of screws to keep it from slipping off. 

I made the wreath last year from a Joann's boxwood garland. It's attached to a grapevine wreath for stability. I think Joann's boxwood garlands are better than Hobby Lobby's. They look more real. The ice cream bucket came from an antique store. The pitcher is Marshall Pottery. It's signed by Pete Payne and dated '79. We can't remember where we got it. 

The brackets holding the shelves are from Hobby Lobby. These are so affordable when they are on sale. Tropical plants annoy me at Christmas time so these have been in here since then. They seemed to love it actually. 

The little shelves and watering can are from IKEA. The brass box, the clock and iron were thrifted. Bill brought the inkwell back from Philadelphia. 

Unfortunately, our dish towels have to be stored in here. It's a struggle to keep them neat and tidy but I adore the locker baskets.  

The galvanized tub holds seasonal dish towels and dog towels. 

I love how this little print is framed. We got it at an antique mall in Ft. Worth. 

My chalkboard collection is at the ready. For what? I don't know. Do you still decorate with chalkboards? 

The jars came from a friend. The coffee jar is from Brooklyn, N.Y. I love this jar since I'm from New York and our son lived in Brooklyn for a while.  

I didn't spend any money on this redecoration project. 

We already had everything and it was just moved around for a fresh look. 

There is still a lot going on in here but it has to function for us and it's right off of the kitchen so I need it to look cute.

Cleaning up and redecorating is alway satisfying. 

Do you decorate your laundry room? 

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all of you.
If you like it - Pin It. 

Katie

Linking with,
Between Naps on the Porch 
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Thoughts About Our Front Load Washer and Dryer

Good Morning!
We've had our new washer and dryer for about six weeks.

I thought I'd share some photos of our clean laundry room but also share some thoughts about these new machines.
They are so much prettier than our old set and they match!
We have never had a matched set before. I'm super excited about this.
They are bigger than the old machines so they have to stick out a little further from the wall.
There is a 7 inch gap between the appliances and the wall because of the gas line and the exhaust hose.

 

That alone might have been a deal breaker for me.
I'd like to have the utilities recessed into the wall so we could push these back but
I think that might be expensive.
My laundry room space is precious.
I wanted to use this room like a butler's pantry when guests come over.
Bill was going to make a pretty wooden counter to run the length of these appliances.
We won't be doing that now.

 I am pleased that our little skirted shelf still works.
I love having the plumbing hidden.
It means my vintage jar collection got to stay.
I adore this coffee jar from the 40s or 50s.

Remember my friend that gave me the spoons?
She gave me some jars too.
This coffee jar from Brooklyn is perfection.

I had to move the baskets of dish towels. I could no longer reach them over the washer.
I'm a shortie.

Bill could totally see why they sell drawers to go underneath these.
The access to the drums feels very low. It's taken me a while to not drop wet clothes on the floor.
The pull down door of the old dryer caught the soppy clothes I consistently dropped.

There is a learning curve concerning the size of the loads.
Water won't wring out all the way if the load is too big. You can't just spin it for a few more minutes.
My tendency to do fewer but larger loads has been curbed.
I like the dryer better than the washer because you can adjust the drying time.

My biggest pet peeve is having to leave the washer door open after the laundry is done.
We don't want to get a mildew smell.
I was notorious for starting a load in the washer and then leaving it overnight.
I can't really do that anymore.

The open machine mars my laundry room cuteness a little.

We usually do our laundry in the morning. This space gets wonderful morning light.

We still never have enough hooks even after my board and batten wall project last year. 
I'm thinking about doing this same treatment in another room.

I like the cheery tune that these play when the cycles are done.
It's more enticing to get laundry folded when greeted by a little song.

We had to move the cat food from the dryer to the little desk.
He is an old man so this is an easier jump for him.
He has me conned into thinking that he needs to be put up on the desk.
Naturally, I oblige.

Bill doesn't give into that false narrative.
He has to do his own jumping if I'm not around.

That is it for now.
I love having this cute space for doing laundry.
Have a wonderful day!
Katie

Source List:

Washer - LG 4.5 Cu. Ft. 12 Cycle Front Load Washer, White

Dryer - LG Steam Dryer 7.4 Cu. Ft. 10 Cycle, White

Wall Color - Glidden Grab and Go Flat White 

Door and Trim - Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Protective Enamel Satin White

Locker Baskets - Vintage, Similar

New Green Dish Cloths - IKEA

Desk- Vintage, Similar

Desk Chair - Vintage, Similar

Galvanized Wash Tub - Tractor Supply

Shelf Brackets - Hobby Lobby 

Board and Batten Supplies - Home Depot

Grandma Staege's Sewing Table

I showed you the shelf I put in above the washer and the dryer.  
I also did some furniture shuffling. If you are following this riveting story, you might have seen the white desk post. 
;) 
One of the changes I made by default was moving my great grandmother's sewing machine table back into the laundry room.

Emma Marie Emilie Staege Lueke was so proud of her New Home Sewing Machine.

That is a mouthful!

She took such good care of it that I still have some of the original accessories to the machine. 

I certainly couldn't use it as a sewing machine anymore but it didn't make a good end table either. At this point in my life I prefer to have things that I can use for something not for purely sentimental reasons. 

So I took off the cover and the sewing machine and stowed them away. 

I love using the laundry room as a makeshift butler's pantry during a party. I had to do something about the well in the middle of it if I was going to use this piece as a little serving table.

The well served a purpose when this was a sewing machine but not as a table for overflow food.
I had hoped that we had a piece of scrap lumber about the right size so I could make a top. There wasn't one so I asked Bill to cut one for me. 
He cut the piece and then put an edge on it so it will set securely over the top of the sewing machine table. He cut the top about three inches deeper so we could have more surface. 

I still wanted the cute details of the drawers to show.

I did however want to disguise the dryer hose that runs behind it.

I made a little flirty skirt out of drop cloth material and stapled it to the middle drawer. I don't notice the vent when I walk in the room and the skirt matches the paint on the top. 

I love having a lamp in the laundry room. 

We've gained some floor space in this tight room. 

I painted the top of the table with a coat or two of CeCe Caldwell chalk paint in Vintage White.
 

I love being able to use family stuff in a new way.

We already used this for two dinners over Christmas. 
It was great to have a place to set the desserts until we finished dinner. 
The challenge now will be keeping it free from clutter!
Stay tuned for the next spine tingling chapter in this story; the pie safe!  
Katie 
Linking with,
Savvy Southern Style   
Common Ground   
French Country Cottage