Laundry Room

Ahh, the Laundry Room. I do A LOT of laundry with two active teens - it is also the garage access, so I am  in and out of there constantly throughout the day.

Before - dull! and OLD washer/dryer set that needed to go!

I was fortunate enough to be handed down a stackable washer& dryer combo, so I had to re-configure the shelf/hanging bar that was existing.  Since I don't have a "hubby" I just figure out how to do these things as I go...

Once I had the shelf and bar down I gave the shelf a quick coat of fresh paint and went to painting the room and hanging the shelf back up. Note to self and others - when changing out the dryer plug from a four-prong to three-prong - DO NOT put the plug into the outlet before it is attached to the dryer!  I got it too close when I was making sure that it was the right one and the sparks flew!  Thankfully I wasn't holding the end they came out of!  Better safe than sorry with electricity so if you don't know how to do it - find someone that does...

I'm so glad to have the stackable w/d, and the extra height of the bar is perfect for hanging pants now.

When I first moved in, there was an empty nook that was calling out for some shelves. I painted some mismatched TV stands I had around the house a great aqua color to make them uniform, but I knew eventually I wanted something a little more permanent. I must have really loved the color because when I went to buy the paint for the room, I ended up with a nearly perfect match! 

Those shelves need some organization!

I picked up a stainless steel shelf to fill in the space left from where the dryer went (and cover up the dryer vent), and to give me some work space, cost $30.00 - I used laundry baskets I already had for the boys' clean clothes and a set of baskets, also already on hand, to hold dish towels, trash bags, and room freshener extras.

Back to the nook...I wanted something that would be versatile that I could change when I needed to, so I picked up this system, approximate cost was $50 for the four shelves and mounting brackets.

 Although I needed versatility, I did not really want to see the rods that the shelves hang on, so I took a trip to the fabric store and scored!   The fabric I found was half price, so I paid $7.50 for three yards!  I wanted a punch of color, so I purchased a poppy colored ribbon to cover the edges of the fabric. I used a staple gun to hang the fabric and hot glue to attach the ribbon to the fabric, so this could be a great option for living in an apartment as well - little damage to the walls!  I love the new look!

To install the shelves, I cut small slits in the fabric - if I want to move them I will simply seal the edges with some mod podge to keep them from fraying. They are small enough that they won't be seen unless someone is really looking for them.

 

Now I enjoy going into this room. The bright color and pattern on one wall is perfect for me, and the painted shelves give the garage some color.  Total cost around $120.00.

Home Office

Update - a cute little accessory I made...from cans and remnant fabric

B4

After - green beans, baked beans, and tuna cans never looked so good!

 The beginning...The house I purchased was already in great shape, so luckily there was no rush to change anything.  The first room I completed the decorating in was my home office since I spend so much time in there.  I re-used things I already had, and purchased two accessories (the cute little birds on the candle sconces) - a total budget of $16.00!

B4:

Photo from previous owners

and After:

A nice place for visitors to sit while I work (or a cozy place to take a break!)

My favorite area in the space

I made the board by buying 6 frames, the were buy one get one of course, adding cork to three and photos from a New Orleans visit in the others, and the striped boxes on the bookshelf are shoe boxes covered with wrapping paper to hold my paint supplies.