Laundry Room Transformation

When we moved to our new house, I was thrilled to finally have a laundry room that wasn't in a basement. Unfortunately, it was completely utilitarian and boring. It also lacked some functionality. It had a shelf that ran the entire length of the room, which was often too high for me to reach and didn't take advantage of the 10 foot height of the room at all. And let's face it, white on white on white on white is boring! So with not too much money and a little creativity, I changed my boring laundry room into something that was cheerful and comfy. Plus, it is pretty much where I spend most of my time so I may as well make it enjoyable, right?

Before: Builder white walls, less than functional shelf, cold tile floor. See how difficult it was for me to keep this place organized? Everything got shoved to the back of the shelf and then I'd need to get a stool to reach what I needed.

Boring hamper that didn't hide anything at all. Not that I don't love having our dirty underwear on display, but I wanted to go a different route!
Another shot of the main area of the room. It was just a dumping ground for anything that didn't have a home. Plus there was nowhere for me to put all the dog's stuff. Sitting on top of the dryer wasn't good, a three year old can feed the dog enough treats to make her puke. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...
After: I chose a fresh green color for the walls because I wanted the white of the cabinets and appliances to pop. The cabinets are from Ikea. Ikea is a great option for affordable cabinets. These two were $175 apiece and offer a much better way to store all my laundry and cleaning stuff that that old shelf did! Now all those things are organized and hidden from view. I also added the fun 'Laundry' letters from Hobby Lobby, an antique toy washing machine that belonged to my grandmother when she was a child, and a basket for all those lonely socks.
Here's the area above the sink. I put up a little shelf ($15 from Lowes) and put all the dog treats up high out of the reach of little hands. I also added a soap container I already had and a huge clothespin that I made in 8th grade shop class. Eventually there will also be a small drying rack from Ballard Designs, but it's backordered until February. Sigh...

And finally I replaced the old hamper with this one from Home Decorator's Collection. I had seen dozens of these for well in excess of $150, but this one was only $49. It hides all the dirty underwear, and because it's smaller it forces me to keep up on the laundry. I also added a throw rug to keep my feet warm on those cold tile floors.

So there you have it! A quick laundry room re-do. I also plan to add a countertop above the washer and dryer for a folding space, but haven't gotten to it yet. For now I'm done, and don't completely hate doing laundry anymore!

(Oh and for the record, that shelf will find a new home in the garage where it can store coolers and toys and be much more appreciated. Waste not want not!)