More Future Planning

More project planning today!

Much like our powder room that I posted about here, my laundry room hasn't had any type of update since I painted the walls the same shade of blue I painted the guest bathroom was when we rented the house. Also much like the powder room, the laundry room is SMALL. It holds exactly the washer, dryer, and a cat box for the length of the room.  There's also a door to the garage.  That's it! Lately, I seem to have laundry room envy for people who have these bright, airy, spacious laundry rooms with a sink, storage, and natural lighting. Ours is a windowless room stuffed between the garage on the one side and stairs on the other. I "suggested" putting in a cute round, porthole style window, since the back wall is the side of the house, but The Builder just laughed and promptly said no. 

Here were the updates I made back then:

I never got my Tiffany blue paint.  I do have the Ikea countertop and container for the liquid laundry detergent soap. There was one for fabric softener as well, but it got broken. I still have my Breakfast At Tiffany's artwork in there, but I'd like to move it up to new office space this summer. Also, I no longer have the white Whirlpool machines. They died within a week of each other!  Now I have this pretty red set from LG:

This room is more challenging than I want it to be. I need to add some storage. Despite having two adult kids and two teenagers, they somehow manage to spill detergent all over the room. We currently have the Ikea counter above my machines as a folding table. We foolishly cut it down to fit just the top of the machines.  The kids pile it high with clean laundry as they pull it from the dryer which then spills all over the floor next to the cat box. I don't think I need to continue. I realize no amount of storage will accommodate these issues. But I would like a better option to store cleaning supplies, the iron, extra detergent (you don't want to know how much laundry detergent and fabric softener we go through in a month!!) and have a little more room to fold the laundry.

So I'm going back to the drawing board!  Stay tuned...

Audrey Hepburn Laundry Rm

The laundry room is finally DONE!

You may be noticing my Audrey Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffany's theme.  Our home in CA had a loft space that we dedicated to a movie themed room for our family.  It was a great space with arcade style skeet ball and basketball, movie posters, and other memorabilia.  We sold the arcade games when me moved, knowing it was unlikely we'd be moving into a 3200 sq. ft. home anytime soon, but I kept all the movie memorabilia that I had used to decorate the room, including a Breakfast at Tiffany's picture that I had gotten on clearance for a steal.  I admit, I don't have any place to put most of the decor these days, but I really love Breakfast at Tiffany's and wanted to find a way to incorporate this picture in my home.  The family room was out, as was the kitchen and my master bedroom.  And while I love Audrey Hepburn, I felt she didn't belong in the dining room either (where my desk and office space reside as well).  And so she's moved into my laundry room!

You may recall I wanted to do a built in laundry sorter that I had found on Anna White's site.  I really need a place to sort laundry because the cat box is in here too.  If you have a cat, you know the litter inevitably tracks outside the box.  But you may notice the silver hose behind this laundry sorter.  It's the dryer vent and there's no way of putting the built in's there without smashing it and have them fit properly at the same time.  The Builder and I were at Kohl's the other night when we came across this set in the clearance section.  $20!!  It fits perfectly under the counter, has a spot on top to do ironing if I need something quickly, and let's me sort a few loads at a time (with a family of six, it's never going to hold all our laundry, I know this!).  It was an ideal solution for our needs.  Best of all, look at the perfect fit!  You'd think we had designed it this way.  Nope, we just got lucky!

This is on the other side of the washer and dryer.  The Builder put up a leftover section of the counter on the other side so we could all easily reach the soap, as well as to have a space to store the cat litter.  The washer and dryer stacked is a great space saver.  However, if you're not tall, it can also be a challenge to get in and out of the dryer easily!  My kids can't.  I see a folding stool in our future so they can grab things out of the dryer as needed (I'm tall, and it's a bit of a stretch for me!  My kids are short...).  I knew the wire shelf wasn't going to work for the laundry soap, so this is a good alternative.  The cat box is below, so the solid shelf keeps anything from falling through to the bottom.  Enough said on that.

I think I'll get one more cloth bin for the top shelf to hold miscellaneous things, but other than that, this laundry room makeover is officially done!

Laundry Room Updates

Small Laundry Room Inspiration

It's been awhile since I last mentioned my laundry room.  You may recall that The Builder had to re-do a portion of he ceiling after a leak from the toilet upstairs was repaired.  And then I conned convinced him to paint the laundry room the same color as the powder room that's right next to it.  We even stacked the washer and dryer after I found some inspiration on another blog.  And then...nothing.

Source: homebyheidi.blogspot.com via Elona on Pinterest

Her built ins are fabulous!!  But I rent.  So not practical for us.  The goal has always been to put in a counter for folding.  Right now, clean laundry is dumped placed on the sofa and we attempt to fold it while we're watching TV.  Sometimes this works great.  Other times, we end up with a pile of laundry left on the end of the sofa.  Which then gets dumped on the floor. Which is then mixed with the clothes my kids strip change out of when they get home and leave heaped on the living room floor.  So really, I needed to make my small laundry room more functional to include a counter for folding laundry.  And storing hampers. We are a family of 6.  We have a lot of laundry and a lot of hampers.  Somehow it all has to work.  

Today we took the first step to that happening!!

Ikea Pragel counter top

Ikea has an affordable, white counter top, for $59.  I knew when I saw it that it was what was needed for my small laundry room.  So today The Builder and I made a trip to Ikea.  The counter top is called Pragel and online the price is the $59 listed in the catalog as well.  When we arrived today, it was on sale for $39!! I really love a good deal, and for a 6 foot counter, this is beyond ideal.  It looks like this -->
Nothing fancy, but it is exactly what I was wanting.  My local Big Box stores had all these funky colored and faux marbled laminate tops that were heavy and not at all what I was looking for.  It's a small room and simple goes a long way.

The Builder has assured me can get it installed TOMORROW.  Hooray!!  I'm going to use some of my existing Audrey Hepburn decor items to add some design.  I figure it's the one room I can go completely girly, and the boys in my house won't complain (because let's face it, I do most of the laundry!!).  The fact that it leads to the man cave just gives me a good chuckle.

Ideally, I would like The Builder to do build the laundry basket holders from Anna White to go under the counter.   But that isn't in the budget for now.  Maybe by summer!

Updates with everything to come tomorrow...

2013 Home Goals

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  Not me!!

Look, my reality is, I'm a busy mom raising four kids, trying to balance a full time job with my family and my home life.  I've got great support with The Builder, but the reality is, we really wing it some weeks.  My days of well organized chaos (aka, when I was a stay at home and could plan better!) have been gone for some time, and as much as I would LOVE to go back to simpler times, it isn't an option for us in the immediate or near future.  So I have to work with what we have!  And I have no complaints about that.

Now that being said, my home is sanctuary.  I need it to be comfortable and inviting.  When The Builder and I were dating, he lived in an apartment.  With no color on the walls, a stack of tires in his bedroom for a night stand and a Craftsman tool box in his living room for...an entertainment center?  Who knows, he and his roommate didn't even have a TV, let alone a sofa.  My place was the polar opposite.  I can't even move boxes into my living space without curtains up!  Thankfully, The Builder quickly grew to appreciate my need for color and completed rooms. He readily admits he could never go back to bachelorhood when it comes to having a home decorated.

Since we plan to be in this house for at least another 18 mos., in lieu of New Years resolutions, I'm making 2013 Home Goals!  If I was really organized, they'd be listed month by month...but I'm not. So here we go, in no particular order:

1. The Laundry Room - surprisingly enough, this room is driving me CRAZY for months now.  I still need to pick up the counter top at Ikea for the folding counter, have The Builder complete the storage for the laundry hampers, hang the artwork, and put a shelf for storage.  

2.  The Entryway - another area that frustrates me quickly in my house!  I'm lucky that it's open flows into the main portion of the house, but my kids have a terrible habit of dropping their things as soon as they walk in the door - not good for clutter control.  There's a coat closet directly off the front door, but I Have the hardest time getting my kids to actually USE it - yes, even though they don't have to take more than two steps.  I have this crazy idea that if I offer them a little more storage, they might use it...I know, probably delusional, but maybe if they could hang their backpacks on a hook and dump their shoes in a cubby it would keep me from being horrified when I open the door at night...

When you walk in the front door, to the left is the stairwell, similar to the one in the photo here.  I love the photo's and the monogram inspiration.  My wall is shorter in the stairwell, but I think I could make this work for my area.  

The storage bench is a project for The Builder!  He'll have to do some small modifications to meet our needs so that it will hold four hooks for our kids, but it's an easy fix.  The bench lid lifts up so I can toss store their shoes by the front door.  Of course if I ever move, I'm in trouble - this is the only house we've lived in that could accommodate a piece of furniture like.  But I'm not planning on moving again if I can help it, so he's going to humor me and build it!

3.  My Master Bedroom - there are lots of things I love about my master bedroom!  The nightstands The Builder made for us.  The wrought iron scrolled headboard I bought several years ago.  The curtains with the pop of color in them, and the duvet cover.  But there are still a few things missing...things I keep meaning to get to them...sigh...but again, it's another incomplete project.  So it's on my list to complete - before summer!

1 - the satin pillow.  I don't know exactly how I'm going to duplicate it, but I have the fabric, so I just need to try!  2 - the dresser.  This is another project for The Builder!  I don't have nearly enough drawer space and we could use the baskets to store our small collection of non-cartoon DVD's!  3 - another throw pillow.  It's just crazy I haven't completed the two throw pillows because I bought the fabrics months ago.  I also want to put a pretty tufted club chair in my bedroom - ideally, this one:

Source: overstock.com via Elona on Pinterest

I love the tufting and the size.  I have two corner windows and I hope think it would be a cozy spot to sit and read in the afternoons (ha ha, like I don't think I actually have the time to do that, but it sounds lovely!)  The chair is a bit pricey, but it's one of those things I think would be a good investment.  So I'm saving my pennies, lol, and maybe I an order it by Christmas!

There are several more small projects that need to be done - the artwork for the hall bathroom and for the powder room downstairs (I'm seeing a common thread with artwork being needed for multiple rooms - note to self...) and I haven't even tackled the sun room!  But the sun room isn't something I'm ready to even think about tackling in the beginning of winter. Of course winter will be mostly over by the end of February here in Houston, lol...

PS - No year in reviews either - I figure if you really want to go back to a project that I did this year, you'll pin it on Pinterest!!  I seriously don't know what I did before Pinterest when it comes to saving all my favorite "stuff"!

A Tale of Two Rooms

Bathroom Decor

In the beginning there was a house.  It was a good house.  It had lovely tile, a large kitchen, and a open concept style that made it feel spacious.  All the rooms had good paint colors and it had an updated look even thought it was over 10 years old.

Every room that is, except the guest bathroom and the laundry room.  These two sad little rooms had not been updated.  They had their plain, off white walls and builders grade cabinets.  The bathroom had the original faucet fixture, even though the other two bathrooms had been updated and modernized.  The laundry room was small and dark, with an 80's fluorescent light box and a plain shelf for storage.  And while both rooms had the lovely tile, that was the only thing that been upgraded.

Then there was a family.  A fairly large family by today's standards.  They liked the house and the size was an improvement from where they had been living, and they quickly moved in.  They loved many of the features in the house.  They did not, however, love the guest bath or the laundry room.  And being a fairly large family, they knew both rooms would get used frequently.  So the bathroom upstairs sprang a leak, causing the ceiling in the laundry room to need a repair, they decided to do a "minor" update with a little paint too.  And maybe a new faucet.  And maybe a new light fixture.

Of course, it wasn't that simple...

What we budgeted for:

Paint - $34

Light Fixture for the Laundry Rm - $50

Bathroom Faucet - $30

Ceiling tape to repair the Laundry Rm. ceiling - $6

1 sheet of drywall to patch the broken ceiling - $10

Total = $131

What we also spent:

Mud to redo the bathroom wall - free (we already had it)

lumber for the mirror and frames - $18

new mirror to replace the mirror that was cut to the wrong size - $25

mis. hardware to put frames together - $12

Unfinished Laundry Room!

new soap dispenser - $9

toilet paper holder - $6

new counter top for laundry room - $40

frame work for laundry room $20

built in shelving for laundry room - $20

art work for bathroom - $8

bathroom sconces - $18

decorative items - $ 20

Sub Total - $196

Grand Total = $327

So now these sad little rooms will have an update.  And for $163.50 a room, even though it was more than we originally budgeted for, I still think we did a good job!

Catching up

No post in three weeks. UGH!

Week 1 - just normal family activity.  While there was a lot I wanted to get accomplished, I don't intend to kill myself in the process, thank you very much.

Week 2 - I had high hopes for this weekend! My husband and two oldest boys were off at camp, so I planned to get a lot done in their absence.  But then my baby was sick with a fever and a bad cold, and he just wanted me to lay with him.  And since it was a weekend, there was no way I was going to not spend time with him! :)

Week 3 - what's that saying about the best laid plans...?  So I had a fantastic "to-do" list for this past weekend.  I was going to knock out 2-3 projects, price a 3rd, and finish up some miscellaneous stuff.  But Saturday my hubby The Builder got called away to work (you know, something that pays the bills and for my projects!).  And then he ended up tweaking a muscle in his back.  Nothing serious, but painful enough to keep him on the sofa all day Sunday.  So no projects completed.  And all my "to-do's" needed some brute strength for assistance, lol.

Soooo, here's what's in the works:

First, I need to finish the ceiling in my laundry room.  We had a leak upstairs in the bathroom and it ruined the ceiling my laundry room.  Not fun, but relatively easy to re-do and I got to update the horrible florescent light box that was the light (rental house, so normally I don't get any options to update light fixtures, although this was the only ugly one in the house, so still not a huge complaint).  

Now the laundry room itself is a problem for me.  It's a very small box.  No windows for natural light.  It barely fits my HE machines with their pedestals.  While I really like the pedestals because they save me from bending over a billion times while doing laundry, I don't actually find them to be practical.  What on earth do you put in them?!

Heidi's Laundry Room.

So I was reading one of my many favorite blogs, Home By Heidi when I came across her post about her laundry room.  She had similar space issues (I think I actually have a slightly smaller space by about a foot) but look at what she did with her machines:

WOW!  I know logically that my machines stack.  I do.  But I guess I never contemplated what it would do for the space!  Now her final space has beautiful built in cabinets, which will not be an option for me in a rental home.  But what I do plan to add is a counter to fold laundry, as well as the space under the counter to store the baskets that the kids bring down and I use for sorting while I'm doing laundry.  To that extent, I'm contemplating another design by Ana White for her Laundry Basket Dresser.  Here's a quick peak at what it looks like:

I won't be using this exact design, my hubby The Builder will need to make some modifications because I have hampers that I use to sort laundry (there are 6 of us, we have a LOT of laundry!).  But then again this may work better for folding and sorting, with each family member having a spot for their clean things when they're folded.  I'll have to give that some more thought.

The Ceiling 

Of course, this now falls in line behind all the other projects that have been put on the back burner.  And really, I can't do anything until I get the ceiling finished.  But as you can see here, I'm in desperate need of space!  Both the washer and dryer doors hit another door, and then there's the cat box in between - NOT a good spot if laundry falls.  Plus the shelf that's there now doesn't have a space to hang up clothes on a hanger.  As you can see in these sad photo's of my laundry room.  Poor Holly Golightly, I'm sure she would not approve of being stuck in this room!  I'm thinking a fresh coat of paint may be in order too.  I really wish I could change the color to add some oomph, but that's one of the drawbacks of a rental property.  I'd love to do some bead board!!  But I'll leave that be.

Yes, cat litter is stored on top of the machine

I lock the dead bolt when I'm doing
laundry so no one accidently opens the
door while I'm doing laundry!

In case you forgot, I still need a media center for my living room, a floating shelf for each boy, picture frames painted, a curtain rod made for my bay window, and subway art for my master bath.  And I'm thinking about recovering my dining room chair seats. Because I'm crazy it seems....

That's it, the whole space from side to side...

But now that I know there's hope, and I have room to store my pedestals elsewhere, I'm thinking that some serious changes are in the works!  Maybe not this coming weekend, since my hubby The Builder still needs to take it easy until his back is all better, but this is definitely my spring project and should be done by the end of the month!  It is the saddest room in the house, although followed closely by the room directly in front of it, the powder room.  But that's another post for another time.  One major project at a time!