Reader Space: A Rockin' Laundry Room Renovation

This world works in crazy ways sometimes.  My friend, Jessica from Four Generations One Roof, is no stranger around here.  She is constantly wowing me with her home makeovers and projects.  She is handy and has a beautiful sense of style, which to me, is a winning combination.  Naturally, I gush over any project of hers that boasts any type of organization and storage.  We initially built our friendship through the blog world, and this summer fate finally brought us together in person.  Let me tell you, this girl is a hoot!  She is full of life and her personality goes right along with her incredible style.  I truly wish she was my neighbor, I just adore her like crazy.

Today, she is back again, because I stalked her recent laundry room makeover and I just had to share it!

Sure, it is full of darling baskets and that makes my heart do somersaults, but it is SO much more than that.  Her updated space is efficient, pretty, practical and smart.  She redesigned the initial footprint and built in incredible surface space and storage.  Here she is now to answer a few of my questions about her stellar space.


What is the main function of this space?

"To do laundry!  My arch nemesis.  Also to store laundry and cleaning supplies."

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Buy or create cute containers to keep stuff in one place.  I cannot believe how having a simple basket or box for items makes me {plus my family} put things back in the right place!"

What items did you find were essential when organizing this space, and why?

"Creating the DIY floating shelves and purchasing coordinating baskets/boxes for items was key. We never had enough shelves to store items and the cleaning supplies along with other random laundry items were always just stacked and buried on the prior shelves. What a mess it was!"

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"Well, I did budget $200 for pretty baskets and plastic boxes.  For me, I like pretty things and am more inclined to stay organized if I "like" being in the space. I tend to avoid spaces that are a mess, hence my dislike for doing laundry.  I am actually keeping up with it now which is amazing!  If I didn't have the $200 to buy new stuff, I would have purchased inexpensive fabric and recovered existing boxes that we already had."

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"The DIY floating shelves and folding station. My dad and I spent an afternoon making the shelves and that saved a bundle!"

How has this space changed your life for the better?

"Well, I will never like doing laundry BUT I do like being in the space now AND because we have a folding table right there in the room, I fold the clothes right away and it's SOOOO much better then piling the clothes on a random chair or couch.  My stress level is definitely down in the laundry area."

OK.  I have shown you the pretty after photos, but let's take a look at what Jessica started with and the side by side awesomeness of the transformation.

Don't you just love the way she updated the use of space?  And the before and after photos are pretty incredible right?

• By removing the shelves to the side and building them in above the washer and dryer, she really opened things up and it allowed her to completely reconfigure the use of space.
• Purchasing custom shelving and counters can be costly.  By building them herself, Jessica not only saved a few pennies, she was also able to customize them to fit her space perfectly.
• By DIY'ing some of the larger items in the space, she was able to save her budget for purchasing storage.  
• Similar baskets and bins really give the space a streamlined and fresh feeling.  As Jessica mentioned, if the storage budget is less, DIY'ng storage in cohesive finishes such as paint or fabric will also provide that feeling of unity between the storage containers.  
• Now that she has added a folding station, her process has because much more efficient.  Laundry can be folded right out of the dryer, instead of being taken around the house in baskets.
• Small touches such as trays and decanters really take the makeover to the next level.  Paying attention to the little details really impacts the overall feeling of a space.
• Although she will never LOVE doing laundry, she does love being in her laundry space.  That makes such a difference come time to do chores.  That is why I adore these types of makeovers so very much.  They result in elevated moods. 

Jessica doesn't have a huge laundry space, but it sure functions big.  She did a great job utilizing the vertical space, and all of her personal touches really brought it to life.  You can read more about this incredible transformation on her blog here.  Want to see Jessica's other IHeart features?  You can find her mudroom here and her DIY magazine rack here.

Does anyone out there really LOVE doing laundry?  If so, what tips do you have to getting through chore time with a smile?

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!