Utility Room Redo

I always like to have a January project. Ok - I just always like to have a project going - but in January I have the luxury of not working until about the 15th and so I have plenty of time to devote to a BIG project.
Last year I did my kitchen and this year I chose the utility room. Up until late summer it still had the ugly backerboard for the flooring and the rooms potential was not being utilized (get it?? ha ha). When we first saw the house it was a small room with a pantry closet contained within it.In fact, there was no door way from the utility to the back hallway by our bedroom. Luckily Jadi realized that the hall closet could be knocked out and a doorway could beadded to make a larger room. Can you imagine the hassle of always having to walk from our back bedroom all the way around to the front, then cutting through the kitchen just to get to the laundry. Bless you Jadi!

So... we knocked out the pantry and the hall closet to make the laundry room. Early on we added the left over kitchen cabinets and a nice L-shaped counter. We've used this room for the buffet for many parties but I always felt uncomfortable about it being unfinished.
So during the fall I began to really consider what I needed this room to do. I wanted it to be pretty but functional and Teri just asked that it match the kitchen so it flowed.

I searched and scoured magazines and websites to develop what I needed, wanted and could afford. This is what I got...
First off I wanted wallpaper to make a statement. This plaid matches our kitchen perfectly and thus Teri was satisfied. I used the left over yellow paint from the craft room to save money.

Then notice the laundry baskets. This was once the kitty litterbox area but I added a shelf and it can hold 4 laundry baskets at a time, although only two are shown here.

For decoration I moved a picture from our hall and then bought some new flowers for the washing pitcher and vase of Patty's. I like the pitcher/flower vase. I think it fits in with the "laundry" but Teri thinks the flowers need to be reigned in a bit, she may be right but there's nothing wrong with "wild" flowers in there.


A close up here of the decor.

This room is also known as De Leon command central. I had an entire blank wall to work with and so I chose to put up
1. A stained glass window that I use as a dry erase board.
2. A dry erase calender to keep up with Teri's ever changing travel schedule
3. A bulletin board I made out of a $3.00 frame, a card board box and some fabric Dororthy gave me.

This is the bookshelf from the living room. It was originally in Grandpa Vincent's tool shed and it was our bookshelf for many years but now it serves three purposes.

1. (pictured above) I added a magazine rack to the side using larger hooks so I could utilize them for other things (pictured below). I've found it handy to hang my robe there when I get hot in the morning or I hang reusable sacks there after unloading the groceries.

On the shelves I used boxes with labels to help keep us organized. If I was a rich woman I would have used baskets, but they are soooo expensive so I used Ikea boxes, covered them in butcher paper and used a linen look paper label with orange polka dot or striped ribbon. Teri, Vin and I all have our own boxes so when mail comes in or random things are hanging around the house they now have a home.

Other boxes are labeled as -Mail, Library, Cards/Gifts, & To be Filed

These are subject to change as we adapt but for now they are working. Plus, Vin thinks it is a treasure box. Yesterday I stepped over a sheep in the hall and put it in his box. This morning he said, "Let's see what's in my box.... It's a sheeeeeepppp!!!"

The third purpose of the old bookshelf is to hold my ironing board and iron. There is a plug just behind and easily accessible.

Lastly, I added a hanging bar above the washer/dryer. I realized I was gathering clothes from several rooms, washing and drying them. Putting them in a basket, to take to my room to fold/hang then redistributing them to their home.

With a clean counter to fold on and this bar I've cut out two of the four steps and saved a ton of time. Plus, with the four basket shelf, I can hold clothes to be folded until I get time and therefore our bedroom is not covered in half finished laundry.