$100 Laundry Room Makeover

Back in November I started getting the itch to change our laundry room up. With a tight budget ,holidays trips, broken washing machine, and more holiday festivities I was unable to make any head way. Over the past two weeks I kicked it into high gear though and I am excited to say that I have finally completed our laundry room makeover. The best part is that I only spent $100!

Welcome to our newly renovated laundry room. 

Sorry it is so bright but the lighting was a challenge. I could not turn the overhead lighting off and with it on it is really bright. I need to get lower watt bulbs. Let me start off by saying that I am NOT including our new washer and dryer in my renovation total. They were replaced on necessity and had no bearing on my decision to change things up in here.  After the new washer and dryer arrived the first thing I did was paint. To save money I picked out my color and then went to WalMart and had them color match it for me. I am the only one who uses this room so I did not feel the need for a $30 gallon of paint. Paint and supplies cost me about $20. The color is called Autumn Haze by Glidden. It is a great creamy neutral.

I was able to talk The Hubster into taking down our fluorescent light. I hunted high and low for a new light for in here to no avail. Nothing really jumped out at me. Last week I came across a french chandy and two matching sconces for just $86 for all three on the local yard sale site. What I ended up doing after bouncing ideas around and talking to my mama was to take down the chandy that was in our dining room and place it in here. To be fare I will say that it cost me $43 for a new light for in here. I just split the cost of the new chandy for the dining room and sconces in half. 

Back in December I won a $250 gift certificate to a local decor shop Laurie's. This architectural piece was one of the things that I purchased with it. I had no idea where I was going to put it but after I took down the vinyl saying I had on the wall up there this turned out to be the perfect spot for the piece. Cost to me free.

I painted our cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that I already had on hand from other projects. I used Country Grey and Vintage White. Cost to paint cabinets nothing since I already had the paint. 

I changed out the cabinet knobs which I already on hand as well. Whenever HobbyLobby has 50% off knobs I always snag some for a rainy day. If I had not already had them it would have cost me less than $7 for all four.

I made my own chalk board labels with supplies on hand.

I have had this decorative self feeder for awhile now just waiting for a use. It dawned on me that it would be perfect to hold my fabric softener sheets. BEFORE anybody points it out YES I already see that I spelled softener wrong!;) I just didn't have time to correct it. Once I do I will replace the pic.

I took down two of the iron pieces I had up here and replaced them with mirrors I had bought back in July when antiquing with my mama. They were just laying around collecting dust.

I love the detail on them!

I put back up my drying racks. These originally came from HobLob.

I already had this french linen looking table runner and decided it looked perfect in here. I bought it a few weeks back at HomeGoods for just $12. I did not include it in my $100 total though because I already had it on hand. 

My mama had bought me this vintage baptism gown back in July. It use to hang on the back of the guest room door.

I spent $13 on lumber to create faux wood beams.

The old window use to hang in our master bath and I had all the supplies already on hand for the wreath.

I already shared how I transformed this vintage dresser into a retreat for our Little Lady's kennel. If you missed that post you can see it here.

Cost for that makeover was nothing since I already all of the supplies on hand again. These knobs are from HobLob and are my favorite!

I spent $25 on iron brackets from HobLob and lumber to create the new shelving.

Frame from my frame collection and flowers I have had since our first home back in 2002.

Rustic bird cage I bought back in the fall.

Vintage cow I bought back in the summer. Can you tell I love cows!;)

Little gold frames my mama gave me for Christmas.

Vintage scale I purchased back in July.

Old washboard that I had in here previously. I just turned it around because I liked the black writing on it instead of the red that is on the other side.

Note that my before pic here is really awful. I could not find one where I had the new accessories and stuff in there from the previous makeover in 2010 so trust me when I say it did look much better than that. You can see more pics of what the laundry room looked like before here.

 $100 later and lots of sweat equity I have the laundry room of my dreams and you can too! Just come up with a vision for your space by browsing places like blogs, FaceBook, HomeTalk, and Pinterest. After months of browsing inspirations my final inspiration came from the blog Faded Charm. I fell head over heels for Kathleen's laundry room. You can see it here. Next just look around your house for items you already have on hand and hunt down bargains for the items you do not. It may take a little longer but trust me it will be well worth it in the end!

 Linking up to the following linky parties:

2013 1st Project of The Year Party-Whisper Wood Cottage

Metamorphosis Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Tabletop Tuesday
Creative Tuesday
Tuesday Treasures

Cowgirl Up
Tutorials & Tips 
Wow Us Wednesdays
Blissful White Wednesday
Tutorials Tips & Tidbits
Feathered Nest Friday
Be Inspired Fridays
Fabulously Creative Friday

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AN annie sloan chalk paint, budget makeover, farmhouse french laundry room, farmhouse laundry room, french country, hobby lobby, Home Goods, laundry room, rustic laundry room, shabby chic laundry room

Washer & Dryer Comparison- Front Load Versus Top Load

Now that it has been a week since the old new washer and dryer were picked up and the new new set delivered I thought that I would share my two cents.

I was completely and totally against getting a front load washer & dryer set even though the sales person insisted they were the best. After reading so many negative reviews on them in general those were a no go so we brought home this beautiful LG HE Top Load Washer & Dryer set. I was in love and mesmerized as I previously shared. Approx 12 loads later that completely changed and we returned them within a weeks time. Major issues where that the clothes only half time moved around from top to bottom in the washer. You could not do small loads nor large loads. The loads had to be perfect. You also can not wash water resistant or water repellent items in the top load. That was not known till after it arrived and we opened the lid to see the sticker. How are you suppose to wash mattress pads? I could only imagine the nightmare if we had little ones who still wet the bed. The washer never stayed balance no matter how it was loaded. I constantly had to stand watch and fix it even after it attempted to fix itself by draining all the water out and refilling itself. Clothes came out terribly wrinkled even after adding liquid fabric softener. Water staid in the bleach dispenser and fabric softener dispenser. It was advised that you leave the lid open to prevent mold. That was a huge issue for me because I did not want to walk by and see the washing machine lid open all the time. Lord knows what would have happened if one of the cats decided to jump in there!:( It took an hour or more to wash and then an hour to dry. The steam function on the dryer did not work nor did the dryer actually dry all the clothes. They would come out with damp spots on them. Huge problem again for me. I like my clothes dry! The set also had a smell to them and not like a new car smell.
Now don't get me wrong there were a few positives to this set. It would be unfair of me if I did not point those out. The set looks really pretty. Secondly this set was extremely quiet which we loved and well that is it on the positives.

 That left us with buying the LG HE front load washer and dryer set.This set right from the get go had three strikes against it. One they were front loads. Two they did not have control panels up top on the back so that left me with unpainted wall. Third the washer HAD to be on the left and not the right. The door is not interchangeable. My entire laundry life I have always done laundry from right to left. I am a major creature of habit. I figured what the heck though  we could always return um. After they were installed not only was my laundry world turn around but they stuck out almost and inch and half further. I had a semi bought of claustrophobia. Still I pushed on. During the test run we noticed how terribly loud the washing machine was compared to the previous new set. Probably just as loud as our 8 yr old set. We thought that would go away after clothes were actually put in it but no. This washer is loud. I however decided that it was not an issue when I saw that it actually cleaned our clothes in 40 minutes or less instead of an hour or even an hour and 20 minutes like the  top load. With the front load you can do ANY size load you want and if you need to add something after the fact all you have to do is hit pause and throw it in! Once the pause button is hit the door unlocks itself. You can also wash ANYTHING you want so no worries if God ever blesses us with another kiddo. The dryer also impressed me by drying everything and the steam function is amazing! Another plus is that our clothes are no longer beyond wrinkled.
Yes, I do have to wipe down the rubber seal but not an issue really. The door stays open but you can not tell. It has a magnet that props it open which is a plus. This set has a drainage hose so if for some reason your washing machine locks up all you have to do is drain it and the door will unlock. Major plus because we had read where people had their clothes stuck in their front loads for days till a repairman could come out. Now on older models it is suggested that you drain your front load washer once a month. This set does not require that but I am going to do it just to be safe. I drained it for the fun of it after just two loads and you would be amazed at how much water was in the bowl! I can only imagine it sitting there all the time. Ewww. Another major plus is that I now can fold laundry standing up. I use to sit on the floor and fold everything. 

So in the end I  got over my claustrophobia and we are keeping the front loads. I will update my thoughts on them  in a few months so y'all can see if I am still smitten with them. Since we decided they were staying that led to me having to paint the laundry room. I no longer had anymore Svelte Sage paint seeing as I had painted it three years ago and I could NOT just let the unpainted portion of the wall show. That would have driven me insane. 

The walls got painted and the cabinets completed with new hardware. This of course is an "in the process of" pic!;) 

Stay tuned for the reveal! It does not even look like the same laundry room!
Before I go I do feel I have to mention that this is just our experience. I know people who have the same top load and love theirs. It just was not for us. Oh and that new washer and dryer smell is present with the front load as well. Unlike the new car smell ya never want to go away, I hope it wears off soon.

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AN comparisons, dryer, front load, laundry room, LG, topload, washer

Hunting for The Perfect Washing Machine & Dryer

I started changing up our laundry room back in November just before Thanksgiving. It all started with that yellow dresser there. We had to make some modifications to it and well I just ran with it and decided I wanted to freshen up the entire space.

When I was suppose to be packing to go to Ga I was in the laundry room painting the cabinets. Note I am still not done yet. We had our trip and then getting ready for Christmas and then something unexpected happened.  

I was doing laundry one evening and oops! The water level knob broke completely off the washer. The entire compartment fell off into the the washer machine. I was not to pleased but then figured it was a sign. Our Maytag set was 8 years old. When we purchased it they told us that appliances are not made like they use to be and to only expect 7-8 years out of it. Well two years ago the washer started giving me fits. So many fits that we almost broke down and purchased a new set then but we didn't. We could not figure out what we wanted so I just dealt. It would constantly go off balance and was not washing as well as it should have been. After the knob broke off I washed clothes on the small water level for almost two weeks and then the machine just went bonkers so we HAD to break down and purchase a new one.

After much debate and lots of research we decided on this LG Top Load HE set. The reviews were fabulous and it is top on Consumers Reports. It did have a handful of complaints though like several other sets we were considering. Really it just seemed like a crap shoot on any of them but we were reassured by the 30 day money back guarantee that HomeDepot has. 

I was super excited when they arrived.

They were all shiny and new and a little too fancy but that is what ya get these days. 

We liked the fact that it has a stainless steel non rust drum. Right away we did a load of towels. We wanted to see just how much water actually went into the drum because we had read complaints that there was not enough and that clothes were not washed thoroughly. It took an hour and ten minutes. Hmmmm. Was not a fan of that but I was able to wash ALL of our towels in one load instead of two so I figured I could deal with the longer wash time. The towels flip and flopped and were fully emerged in the water so for us no issues there. When the load was done it does not buzz but sings a little tune. Call me silly but I really liked that.

A red flag did go up though when I lifted the washing machine lid and I found this sticker. This sticker was not on the display set at the store. To me this could pose a huge problem especially if we had smaller kids.
Loved the dryer on its first run as well. The towels came out fabulous and I was ready to wash EVERYTHING in the entire house. After the next load not so much.  

Major issue for me is how wrinkled the clothes came out of the washing machine. We tried everything from smaller loads, note you can not wash small loads with this set, to using liquid fabric softener and different settings on the machine to no avail. And yes I shake out all of our clothes before they go into the washer and after before they go into the dryer. We had hoped that the new dryer would get the wrinkles out but nope. It didn't not even dry jeans all the way. I washed some sheets and a blanket and the dryer said the load was dry. The sheets were but the blanket was still soaked. It took me three tries to get it to dry the blanket and only after I went from the bedding cycle to the normal cycle did it finally get dried.
Out of the 12 loads I did in a week I literally had to stand there and babysit the washing  machine for 7 of them. It constantly went off balance even though I loaded it as the directions said. If you do not put enough clothes in there it goes off balance and you have to add more. If you put too many they come out even more wrinkled. To try and balance itself out the washer drains all the water out and then fills the drum up with water again. Not sure how that is energy efficient. Only once did that fix the unbalanced issue. It will attempt to fix itself twice before it dings for you to come and move everything around.
I had had enough! We paid way too much money for this set for it just to be pretty so we went to Home Depot to see what our options were. Don who had helped us before was fabulous. We had no issues with the return and were told if the new set we ordered was not satisfactory to come back and they would take care of us. It was a nice surprise.

Source
So even though I was hell bent against a front load from the beginning we ended up ordering a LG front load. Several reviews had stated that they started out with the top load and had the same issues we had and went to front load and loved it so we figured why not. Again this set is top in Consumer Reports. We did not purchase the pedestals. I didn't want them to be too tall. They are actually the same height as a normal washing machine so I figure if I can bend to put things in a dryer than I can bend to put things in the washer too. speaking of which I a 5'7 and have normal length arms. Getting all the clothes out of the top load is a challenge. I have toe hand on my tippy toes to get to things in the very bottom. That and they have a funny smell to them. Not sure what it is and was hoping it would go away but so far it has not. I hope the new front load is smell free.

The new set does not arrive till Jan 3 so while we are waiting I am working on new shelving for in here!:) Crossing our fingers that the new set will be perfect for us.

Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on either of these sets! I am all ears even if you have something different just in case we have to start from scratch all over again.

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AN dryer, front load, HE dryer, HE washer, laundry, laundry room, LG Appliances, LG Top Loas, top load, washer

Top Post of All Time!

Hey y'all! Hope your weekend is going well! We are  suppose to have some severe storms later on today but hopefully they won't be as bad as predicted. Praying for all those in the path none the less!

We haven't been up to much around here the past few days other than a Costco trip.With that being said I really do not have anything new to post about so I thought that I would go back and see what post of mine has been the most popular since I started blogging in May 2009. Turns out it is our laundry room! I would have thought that maybe it would have been our floor reno or the guest bathroom but nope it is our laundry room!:)

I didn't include this pic in the original post so I thought that I would add it now. Here is what our laundry room looked like before we moved in. I had the builder move the cabinets over because I didn't like them right in your face when you walked in the room and because I thought that they looked better centered over the washer and dryer.
Now on to the original post which posted back in November of 2010!
  

Welcome, so glad you decided to stop by! I am joining in on several linky parties this week  because  I am soo excited to share with y'all my laundry room. Why my laundry room you may be wondering!? Because it is the keeper of a fabulous piece I just finished giving new life to! If ya wanna see how our laundry room looked like before you can go here. It is quite a transformation on a very little budget and with really very little effort involved.

This is my fave doorstop ever! I purchased it at HobLob in the clearance isle sometime last year. I think I paid all of $3 for it. 

These are my drying racks. The builder did not install any sort any hanging rod so I had to come up with my own. I saw this on another blog and a light bulb went off. I had to have them which again come from HobLob. 

The top of the cabinets are still being fluffed but I think I have a good start on it. My lil bird house came from Cracker Barrel back in the summer. It was suppose to have ended up outside but the tree it was going on was chopped down by the power company. 

Loving my lil' tray. I still need to make a label for the detergent though.

Here is what ya saw when you first walked in the laundry room that is after I kicked the cats to the curb. Well not really the curb! I would never do that to my furry babies. They relocated upstairs to a rarely ever used bathroom. I think all parties involved are much happier now. I was SOOOO tired of seeing the automatic pooper scooper every time I walked in here that I HATED walking in here.

This area I am still working on as well. I actually will be raising the shelf up some and placing two wrought iron hooks below it to hang extra hangers. And what is that at the bottom you may be wondering? 

Why it is this beauty that I purchased last week from the local yard sale site. I hunted for almost two months for a dresser that was the perfect size. It needed ALOT of work and even had some water damage but nothing a lil' ol paint couldn't hide!;) See those wooden knobs? I spent almost thirty minutes trying to get the one off. Needless to say I gave up and they all met the fate of a hammer which went much much quicker!

Here is what she looks like today!! I am soo thrilled to have this piece done! I actually set a record by having her done and back in the house within three days of buying her! Usually I hem and haw and debate on what I want to do with a piece but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with her which made the process go very smoothly.

At first I attempted mixing up some paint samples I already had to achieve a yellow. Well it came out more like butter and so the next day I went to SW and purchased a sample size of Midday. I used the dry brush technique and just brushed it  on lightly to give it a subtle two tone effect. After that I used an antiquing glaze that I purchased at HobLob for less than $2 with a coupon.

Even though the top shows sooo much wear and tear I decided to just sand it down and re stain it with some walnut stain. I wanted to keep some of its old charm.

I went to yes HobLob yet again in search of some knobs yesterday. I was originally thinking glass vintage looking knobs but some lady form out of town was literally grabbing up almost every knob she could put her hands on because one they were half off and two she did not have a HobLob. Part of me was soooo irritated at her cause every one I wanted she grabbed but then the other side of me completely understood and would have being the same thing! It all ended well because I am just loving the knobs I did come home with!

I decided on the bottom to do a contrasting knob. They are very heavy and a steal at just $2.50 a knob! Not quite sure why the lady was not grabbing these up but glad she left um alone!;)

So there ya have it y'all! A tour of my laundry room and newest revamped addition! I can not tell you how  much I am LOVING the dresser in here!! I literally do abt two loads a day now! Well okay I do one load and fold it while the next dries and waits to be folded till the next day. So I guess one and half loads!;)

Thanx for stopping by and be sure to pay a visit to the wonderful Linky parties I have joined in on! I am sure I will be adding a few more by weeks end!;)
Between Naps On The Porch-Metamorphosis Monday
Savvy Southern Style- Boring To Better Party
French Country Cottage- Feathered Nest Friday
Southern In My Heart- Inspiration Friday
Miss Mustard Seed- Furniture Feature Friday
Kelly's Korner- Show Us  Your Life Friday
Funky Junk Interiors- Saturday Nite Special

In case somebody may be wondering, yes our laundry looks just the same over two years later. I admit I am wanting a change but I have not decided just how to accomplish that yet. Some things I want to do are to paint the cabinets, repaint the dresser, take down the fluorescent lighting and replace with a chandy, and paint the room overall. Will it happen any time soon? Probably not because well it really does not need it. It is just fine the way it is but every now and then I crave change in here.

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AN laundry room, laundry room repost