Home Tour: Laundry Room

   {These posts may be more for family who live states away and are interested in seeing our home, but perhaps there may be some ideas here and there that could be useful or interesting to others as well. :) }

      I'm continuing to find ways to decorate and organize our townhome one room at a time. I previously shared our Entry, and now our Laundry Room Closet is complete.  Even though it's just a little closet, I wanted to add a few touches that add cohesiveness, organization and some fun. 

   Since this space is the first seen upon entering the living area of our home, keeping the cluttered look to a minimal was one of my goals. I'd rather not look up to see a mess when entering my home in the event I neglect to close the closet doors. 

     There's not a whole lot of fancy smancy decorating going on here. My goal, though, is to be able to add touches to each room without a lot of expense or permanence (ie wall painting). I didn't take a "Before Picture," but you can imagine bottles and other laundry supplies just sitting scattered along the shelf, no soap/softener dispensers, or wall art. It was the standard storage/laundry closet. 

 The Details

      I purchased two 2.5 gallon drink dispensers for my laundry soap and fabric softener. I make our laundry soap and use diluted apple cider vinegar as fabric softener, and these containers are perfect for the quantities made in each batch. (You can find the recipes and read more about this homemade approach to laundry on the "Laundry Management" post). 

     

     I've had a tendency to neglect to flip the pour spout back down (off) in the past and the result was a messy soapy floor. This time, I've learned my lesson and positioned the bottles directly over the washer so just in case my mind wanders mid-task the liquid(s) will simply go into the washer. Perhaps one day I'll catch onto the greater lesson of being a little more attentive and a lot less distractible...ohh..shiny. Oh yeah, so anyways. ;)

    On the left side of the shelf is all of the laundry supplies. Instead of a collection of bottles, mesh bags, stain remover and other supplies scattered along the shelf, I purchased two canvas storage bins to contain everything. The bins add some color and permit a more cohesive look by decreasing visible clutter.  

     The long shelf offers much more storage space than I have laundry supplies, and so I utilize the right side for some kitchen items. The kitchen is a step away from the laundry closet, and so it makes a great spot for storing large items like our juicer, ice cream maker and fondue pot. I also have all our reusable shopping bags (the black bag in the picture) stored here. This makes it convenient to grab some bags on our way out the door to the store. 

     

     The sides of the washer and dryer are great spots for storing slim items like the ironing board and drying rack.

     Finally, I wanted to add some kind of interest piece to the space at the top of the room. I saw the phrase "Laundry Today or Naked Tomorrow" in vinyl lettering online, and thought it was pretty cute. I had debated between this phrase and another one, and the responses I received on the Reviving Homemaking Facebook page indicated this one was the winner. I rather enjoy the comedic effect it has. However, to purchase the vinyl lettering in the size I needed I would have had to pay around $20-$25, which was not exactly what I had in mind in terms of budget for this space. Instead, I found some canvas at a local discount store and added some paint to create my own take on it for only $7. (yay!) I chose to use the colors of the canvas bins, and rather like how painting my own has brought additional color and fun to the space. 

    And so, room number two is complete! Now, on to the next room which will be the dining room. I have several DIY projects going on in that room, and am really excited about how it will all turn out. (It looks fantastic in my imagination! haha). 

Looking for more ideas?

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Home Tour: Entry

     My husband and I are now settling in our third home (and state!) in the last two years. I had previously decorated a bit here and there in our homes, but remained hesitant to really commit or invest too much with knowing that we would potentially move. This time we are here for at least the next several years which means my creative self gets to add all those lovely touches that I've been imagining for my home. I'm still working with white walls and a small budget. Nevertheless, I'm excited to tackle our little townhome one room at a time! These posts may be more for family who live states away and are interested in seeing our home, but perhaps there may be some ideas here and there that could be useful or interesting to others as well. :)

     First room completed is the entry. It's the first impression to our home and so I wanted to start there. The front door actually opens into this hallways and staircase which then brings you to the front door of the main living area. There's nothing too special about it, so I wanted to add some fun and function to this small space. 

      

Before decorating

Picture on left: Front door looking up towards door that enters main living area. 

Picture on right: Door at main living area looking down towards front door. 

After decorating

Picture on left: Front door looking up towards door that enters main living area. 

Picture on right: Door at main living area looking down towards front door. 

The Details

We added a bar with hooks (Ikea) to serve as our coat rack. The rack is also a handy place to keep our umbrellas. Below that is an idea that I implemented from my Pinterest boards (see links below for the sources of inspiration). The shoe trays were super simple to create. Just pour large rocks (Walmart) into the trays (Ikea)! Snowy or wet shoes can be left here before entering further to keep the floors from getting messy. 

     Along the side of the stairs is a little shelf feature in the wall. This space could be ignored or it could be used for fun seasonal decor. Currently, I'm loving the look of the leaf garlands (Hobby Lobby)! In just a week I'll switch it out for some Christmas garland with scented pine cones and cinnamon sticks. There's also a little hook on the door, which is great for a little door hanger. It's fun having the wreath outside and something a little more whimsical on the inside. I may have too much fun decorating for holidays and seasons in this little spot!

I then decided to add a welcoming quote or saying somewhere in the entryway. I found vinyl letters (Hobby Lobby) that said, "May all who enter as guests, leave as friends." I thought this conveyed the heart I hope my home to represent. It also is the saying that is hanging outside my Grandmom's door, and so seeing the saying also reminds me of her. 

My hubby has been amazing at patiently listening to my ideas through my creative excitement, and then wonderfully helps me put it all together! 

 

      So, so far that is our little home. I think the entry looks so much more inviting and cheerful now than it did before. Next, I'll focus on sprucing up our dining room! Wee! :)

Sources of Inspiration:
DIY River Rock Boot Trays
Pebble Boot Tray
Creative Solution for Messy Winter Boots 
DIY Rock Boot Tray

Looking for more ideas?
 

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