Summer heat has set in so time for an indoor project.
When my boys were younger, they often complained as young boys will about having to do homework, pick up their rooms or make their beds. My answer was always the same, "and so you think I love doing your laundry?"
Thus started my attempt to try to help them understand that sometimes the best way to tackle a chore was to find an entertaining way to approach it. Basketball hoops over laundry baskets, the joy of bubbles while cleaning a tub, cool hose showers that came as you washed a car in the summer sun. I am not sure they always got the message but in trying to teach them I came to realize that sometimes the most important places in a home to beautify were not the public spaces, but the ones where the mundane chores of life take place ~
take the laundry room.
In recent years it has been nice to see laundry rooms come out of the shadows, some are complete with desks, gift wrap stations and china closets.
But if you are like me and have a run of the mill size space
just look at it as being small in size but big in potential.
My current laundry room is only 4' x 10' with the washer and dryer on either side of a walk in space and has an overhead cabinet and 1 shelf above a hanging rod. My previous one was a large room with cabinets, built~in sink and a utility closet. But no matter the size or configuration, I have been doing the same thing with every move. I have vintage travel posters featuring National Parks we have visited and pictures of our kids and family members we have traveled with on various vacations, this way as I am washing and drying I can think about those I am washing and drying for.
So why not create a personal retreat in your laundry room.
First, think about how you want your space to feel; elegant, cheery, bold, reserved. Once you decide, pick a color that reflects that mood. If your space is small, don't think you have to go light, dark colors can really give life to a small interior creating a jewel box effect.
Lighting has a huge roll in creating the mood of a space so find a fixture that is in keeping with your goal.
There are great options on websites like
Overstock.com and Lighting Universe.
Finally find some wall art and accessories that will make you smile every time you enter with another load of wash.
Here are two ideas for your weekend project,
the first one is called
Royal Wash
Start with regal walls in a deep purple like this one from
Farrow and Ball ~ Brinjal ~ rich and dramatic.
For a light fixture, why not a mini chandelier?
I am sure Cinderella would have loved folding clothes to the light reflecting off these crystals.
The mirrored artwork
give a creative solution to labeling laundry piles.
A metallic crown hook for hanging a laundry sack
and the elegant
complete the look.
For those with a small desk,office or shelves
and love of color, how about
Blue Bayou
This happy color is Benjamin Moore's Paddington Blue 791
The fresh, clear hue is bound to cheer all who enter.
And nothing looks better with bright blue walls than bright white accents like this white drying rack that is
not only decorative but functional.
If you have a place for pictures, why not some pretty frames like these from Maggie & Reese to
feature pictures of your loved ones
And if you have a desk, our
paperweight with it's vintage ad postcard adds a
touch of whimsy.
A glass pendant and Vera Bradley laundry bag add additional color to the room and the wall art of a
popular children's verse
keep things light~hearted as you fold your clothes.
The Zebra Wastebasket gives you a place to throw away dryer sheets and and laundry lint.
So there you have it, just a few ideas to lighten the load while you tackle those necessary chores and don't forget to whistle while you work!
~Maggie
