When we moved from our almost perfect house, into our new house, I was (still am) a bit overwhelmed by all the projects that needed to be done. Pretty much every wall in the house, including baseboards and doors, needs to be painted. It’s a lot to take on but I figured I’d feel really good if I could complete one project right away. I decided to tackle the laundry room first because it’s a small room and it’s the first room we walk into when we come home so it sets the tone for the rest of the house. Here’s what it looked like when we moved in.
Warning, this is a picture heavy post.
It’s kind of hard to tell from the pictures but all the walls, the door, the trim and the switch plates are PINK!!! Yep, pink. Light, fluffy, cotton candy pink.
There are also a ton of cabinets, which I’m thankful for, but they were all this dark oak color which was just too dark for a small space with no natural light.
Oh and there were, not one, but two of these awful crystal and brass globes, and this one didn’t even work.
Overall a very underwhelming space that was begging for a makeover! (Can’t you hear is just crying out to be pretty?)
I found this pin on Pinterest and loved the bright and cheery color scheme so I decided to do a red, white and teal laundry room makeover. I started by painting the cabinets white, because there is no natural light in the space I felt like that would brighten it up a lot.
Because I loved it so much in my office at our old house, I used the same color, Opera Glass by Sherwin Williams.
Just painting those two things made a HUGE difference in the space! Now that the walls aren’t the same color as the door, you see just how very pink everything was before! Adios pink door!
After everything was painted it was time to accessorize! I got these bright red knobs from D. Lawless Hardware and I love them! The red really pops on the white cabinets and I think they are so fun and playful.
I found these bright red shelves at IKEA that I thought would coordinate with the knobs and fit perfectly in the space above the sink. They are a great pop of color and much better than the empty bar that was there!
I also found this great red and white rug at IKEA that’s perfect for in front of the washer and dryer.
Before the makeover I had a very plain, green ironing board cover, which totally didn’t match once everything was painted. In need of something much cuter I ordered this adorable one from Etsy. I think it ties all the colors together well, and it’s super cute.
Clearing off the countertop was important too because I have longed for a laundry room with a space to fold laundry, and now I finally have one! I added my baking soda printable at the end of the counter but the rest of the space is clean and ready for our laundry!
Overall I think it’s a HUGE improvement from what it was! No more 90’s pink!!! I would still love to add wainscotting around the room and add updated countertops but I love how bright and cheerful it is, and I love being greeted by this room when we walk in from the garage.
What do you think of the transformation?
Kim {plumberry pie} says
September 4, 2013 at 4:47 amSuper cute! Love the red and teal combo! Painting the cabinets made all the difference!
Michele says
September 4, 2013 at 4:49 amWay fun! Love all the special touches. These are the things that making over a new to you house gratifying. Nicely done!
jenny says
September 4, 2013 at 5:39 amI love the sweet red touches! And painting the cabinets makes the room so light and modern!
Tonya @ Love of Family & Home says
September 4, 2013 at 7:02 amIt looks fabulous Anna!! Painting the cabinets white made such a big difference in the space!! Love it!
Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says
September 4, 2013 at 7:32 amOh my goodness – what a difference! Such a bright and happy space now! Great job!
Anne Haun says
September 4, 2013 at 7:46 amLove your laundry room – that ironing board cover is the cutest ever.
Mimi says
September 4, 2013 at 8:09 amI love the “baking soda” framed right where you can see it. I tend to forget some of the simple hints I have learned and what a great reminder as well as a conversation starter when guests get a tour of the house.
Crystal says
September 4, 2013 at 8:19 amIf I had a laundry room like yours, I would decorate it exactly like yours!! Love it all!!
Suzy says
September 4, 2013 at 8:30 amoh my, that turned out super cute. I love the white and red.
Emily Humphries says
September 4, 2013 at 8:38 amthis looks fabulous!
Renee says
September 4, 2013 at 8:46 amI LOVE it!!! It looks so warm and inviting with the red, but so clean at the same time! Good job!
Karlie says
September 4, 2013 at 8:59 amIt looks great, Anna! I LOVE the color scheme and those red knobs are perfection 🙂
Vanes says
September 4, 2013 at 9:10 amLOVE IT!
Vanea says
September 4, 2013 at 9:11 amHaha… “Vanes” is not my name!
Jennifer Szarejko says
September 4, 2013 at 9:17 amI love it!!! Making me want to add more colors to my laundry room 🙂
Lisa says
September 4, 2013 at 9:35 amI am in love with the colors you picked, The red shelves really pop and the ironing board fabric is perfect ~ Lisa
Sandi says
September 4, 2013 at 10:25 amI love your room! It has given me a couple of ideas for my laundry room. Thank you.
Kim says
September 4, 2013 at 1:29 pmJust lovely Anna! I especially like the red knobs and ironing board cover. Great finds!
Becky@OrganizingMadeFun says
September 4, 2013 at 4:04 pmAnna – It’s beautiful! I love the colors, too! It certainly is different than what you had in your other house, but you have great taste! Becky B.
Michelle says
September 5, 2013 at 7:58 amI love the color scheme and the little touches that add so much character to your space. Fabulous laundry room makeover!
Kristy says
September 5, 2013 at 8:00 amSo bright and cheery, I love it! Especially when doing laundry can be so dreary for me!
detta says
September 5, 2013 at 8:14 amI love it! absolutely brilliant!
Did you paint the doors without sanding it? Just primed it? Looking for ways to do my doors. thank you
Anna says
September 5, 2013 at 9:02 amI used chalk paint and just painted right over them without any prep. I’m too lazy for prep. 🙂
lisa says
September 5, 2013 at 8:17 amso cute love how you painted the cabinets
Rachel H. says
September 5, 2013 at 10:12 amadorable. love the red knobs!!
Terri Robertson says
September 5, 2013 at 10:28 amYou are very talented!
Colleen Mahannah says
September 5, 2013 at 10:57 amLove it. Your cabinet doors are exactly like mine -same style. Mine are currently brown too. But I love the white-I may have to think about painting mine. And I love the red knobs! Thanks for sharing.
Derrick Lawless says
September 5, 2013 at 11:32 amWe’re so glad you loved the knobs! The whole project looks great!
Anna says
September 5, 2013 at 11:48 amThank you! They look fabulous and if you read through all the comments you can see how much my readers love them too! 🙂
Carolyn says
September 5, 2013 at 12:46 pmWhere do you keep your laundry basket?
Anna says
September 5, 2013 at 12:47 pmBehind the door. 🙂 We each have one in our room too so there isn’t much laundry left in the laundry room.
Elizabeth says
September 5, 2013 at 4:33 pmWhat kind of routine do you have with the laundry baskets in each room?
Also, does the lamp on the shelf above the sink actually work? Do you have an outlet for it up there? 🙂 Thanks!
Anna says
September 5, 2013 at 7:36 pmThe lamp on the shelf does work but the outlet is down by the washer and I didn’t want to have the cord hanging down in the picture. 😉 I normally have it plugged in. I have a laundry basket in everyone’s room so that when we take our clothes off we can throw them in the basket, I’ve just always found that way is easier for us. On wash day I collect the baskets and sort the clothes.
Christine S. says
September 6, 2013 at 11:57 amVery fun!!! Have you thought about one of those kits for painting over your counter top? Cheaper than a new on and it’d be another check mark on your list…haha…Some friends have used them (We rent and can’t change much…) and have been really pleased with the results. I think they bought theirs at Ace, and I don’t know the brand or anything but could be worth it to look into!
D. Lee says
February 5, 2014 at 6:48 pmLove this! Wondering what art you put under the hanging cupboards – they look perfect there. Who wouldn’t love doing their laundry in that room!?!
Anna says
February 5, 2014 at 6:59 pmI Googled laundry images and then printed them out and framed them in IKEA frames. 🙂
Diane says
May 31, 2014 at 9:49 amLove this….what size is your laundry room
mreynolds says
August 18, 2014 at 6:23 pmHey Diane,
Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Anna guesses that her laundry room is 5 x 8. Hope this is helpful!