Extreme Makeover: Laundry Room Edition
Date: Tuesday August 19, 2008Posted in: Honey, Photography, renovating
Those of you who know us, or who have been reading this site for a long time, know that we have been renovating our house ever since we bought it. SEVEN YEARS AGO.
(Helpful hint: Do renovations BEFORE you have kids, if at all possible.)
Our house is about 90% complete. In each and every room. The only projects that are 100% complete are the exterior of the house (Flickr set here), my craft room and our ensuite bathroom. Emily’s room is done except for the big girl bed and the light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I’m still pulling for a chandelier but Honey wants to use a boob light (not a literal boob, just one of those dome lights with a center circle).
This summer we made the commitment to get rooms FINISHED.
(We also decided to redo our great room (Kitchen/Living Room). It was the first room we finished. Fast forward seven years and our tastes have changed. Figures.)
The most recent room that we can add to the “completed” list is the laundry room.
Last fall while doing a Foto Friday post about White Balance, I used a photo of our laundry room to illustrate the different White Balance settings.
Nothing says “clean laundry” like a concrete floor and drywall dust.
Fast forward to today and the room is FINISHED. As part of the “finishing” process in our house, we are trying to hang photos on the wall. So that our house looks like some people might actually live in it.
When Matthew got the room completed I asked him what photos of mine I should develop. Some photos of scenery? Or maybe of some pretty flowers?
He had an idea that was far more brilliant than I could come up with. He thought it would be cool to get the kids to have a mud fight and take photos of it. Let me show you the end result of the room itself along with the photos we hung on the walls.
The photos on the wall:
(Is it me, or does he look sixteen in this photo?)
See? BRILLIANT. I married up.
More laundry room:
As I was taking the following photo I thought that it might be a good idea to clip a piece of fabric around the shelf to hide the stuff underneath. I’ll get on that. Give me a year or so.
The photos:
Our nasty deep freeze (Hey! It was free!):
The photo:
There are more mud photos that I plan on hanging in the kids’ bathroom. It is the next room on our “to complete” list.
I am pretty happy about how it all turned out. I am also happy to be married to a man who can renovate like none other and can make pretty much anything out of wood.
I am also happy to have one more room done. For now.
50 Comments
I LOVE the mud fight pictures!!! They are PERFECT for the laundry room!
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Comment by joyce on August 19th, 2008 @ 5:06 amYou’ve just inspired me to get our laundry room finished. Looks great! And don’t think I won’t be stealing that messy kid picture idea for my laundry room. That’s such a cool idea.
Comment by Jen on August 19th, 2008 @ 6:34 amLove it! And I am repeating to myself, “Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet…” as I think of my awfully terrible laundry room.
The pictures turned out awesome. Nice work to you both.
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Comment by Amanda Brown on August 19th, 2008 @ 7:20 amMessy kid photos in the laundry room? Awesome! Now all I need is a laundry room. (My washer/dryer are in the garage at this house.)
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Comment by bethany actually on August 19th, 2008 @ 7:20 amI’m not just blowing smoke up you ass [cigarettes are the devil!] but that room looks AMAZING. It makes me want to go tackle the pile of laundry hidden behind my bedroom door. Like seriously, I’m about to go do it.
And if the mudfight pictures aren’t the perfect fit…you are so creative. It’s sickening. I would have never thought of that.
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Comment by Maria on August 19th, 2008 @ 7:25 amI LOVE the mud photos idea! So brilliant!
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Comment by SAJ on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:02 amWow. That is the most beautiful laundry room I’ve ever laid eyes on. And great ideas for the pictures! And all the wood is so nice.
I’m going to show my hubby, and then one day when we actually have a laundry room- I’m totally going to copy yours.
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Comment by teresa on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:05 amThat is an excellent idea for photos in the laundry room! I bet the kids sure had a good time playing in the mud too.
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Comment by K on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:06 amWhat a great idea. the photos are amazing and yes he does look like he is 16 or something. Love the wood on the ceiling, and the new washer and dryer. I am so jealous of your laundry area. I won’t show you mine….it is embarassing.
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Comment by Heather on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:21 amnew laundry room? awesome
a man who can make you a new laundry room? awesome.
the pics in your new laundry room? PERFECTION.
Dude. I think the last time I was there it still looked like the first pic - awesome job!
And those pictures of the kids are genius!
Comment by dayna on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:25 ami love it ALL! so creative! i wish i could do something like that to my laundry room- but, its in the GARAGE. love the photos too!~
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Comment by gymbrat on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:43 amI love the mudfight photos. Also - how cool are you guys? My parents would never encourage a mudfight!
Your laundry room looks great. I think that it is larger than my entire condo. Now I am sad.
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Comment by hills on August 19th, 2008 @ 8:51 amI love all your renovations - so much work but so worth it. Thank you for showing all the pics, they are so fun to look at. My favorite of all was the idea to put the mud fight pictures in the laundry room. That is such a good idea! I love it.
also, I am very very very jealous of your bathroom. I never thought I would say this of a bathroom but it seems so peaceful. Sigh.
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Comment by Elizabeth on August 19th, 2008 @ 9:06 amThe room turned out FABULOUS! I am totally jealous and hate my evil dungeon of a laundry room even more now.
And the pictures?! So. Awesome! What a great idea.
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Comment by sam {temptingmama} on August 19th, 2008 @ 10:23 amLaundry. room. envy!
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Comment by Rachel Joy on August 19th, 2008 @ 10:32 amWhat awesome pictures of your children. Great idea.
Also, I am so jealous of your laundry room I can hardly speak.
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Comment by Janssen on August 19th, 2008 @ 10:37 amIf my laundry room wasn’t the size of a pea, I’d love to snag your photo ideas. All we have on our walls are hooks for hats and such. The laundry room is the room we go through to get to the garage. BORING and so CRAMPED!
Can’t wait to see the kids bathroom!
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Comment by little miss mel on August 19th, 2008 @ 10:53 amAngella, I have a very important question to ask you. Can I live in your laundry room? Because it’s awesome!
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Comment by Karla on August 19th, 2008 @ 10:57 amTrès très cool!
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Comment by Elizabeth on August 19th, 2008 @ 11:00 amWow. Your laundry room renovation is amazing. We just bought a lake house (but it’s a manufactured house- nothing fancy) and we plan on doing some work to it… I wish we could pull something off like you guys did!
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Comment by Jen @ The Cubicle's Backporch on August 19th, 2008 @ 11:28 amQuite nice! All your pictures are hung far too high! Lower them a couple inches and your room will be perfect! I guess if you have no pictures hung in your house, that would be why you’re not very good at hanging them!
Comment by Sheri on August 19th, 2008 @ 11:46 amWow!!! I never thought of pictures in the laundry room…might have to steal that idea.
I hear you about renos BEFORE kids. My living room/dining room was only half painted for 2 years. Finally completed last week. Mind you I started painting at 5 months pregnant with TWINS!
Nice progress….
Comment by Lee on August 19th, 2008 @ 11:47 amThose photos were an AWESOME idea. I am so impressed! And the room looks great.
Now I wanna talk about how you got your own craft room and how good that looks too… I NEED one! : )
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Comment by Elaine on August 19th, 2008 @ 12:15 pmWould you lend your husband and send him my way? I have a bathroom that was supposed to be finished 1.5 years ago.
Comment by gorillabuns on August 19th, 2008 @ 12:25 pmOH MY WORD. I want to come to your house and just drool over the magnificence for a couple hours. I LOVE it. It’s GORGEOUS.
My husband is not sure which end of the hammer to hammer with. Okay, not literally, but he is NOT AT ALL sure what to do with wood. But? I also married up. In every way except the handyman way!
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Comment by Mrs. Wilson on August 19th, 2008 @ 12:33 pmI want to come do laundry at your house!
What a perfect bunch of pics for a laundry room!
Comment by Kristin on August 19th, 2008 @ 1:21 pmYour husband is a genius (as are you!)
And?
I want your washer and dryer.
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Comment by Loralee on August 19th, 2008 @ 2:00 pmUm, can I please have your laundry room?
It’s freakin’ awesome! And gorgeous! I could live in there!
I’m totally impressed. Nice work.
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Comment by flickrlovr on August 19th, 2008 @ 2:01 pmLaundry rooms shouldn’t be so COZY!
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Comment by slynnro on August 19th, 2008 @ 2:20 pmCool photo idea. Nice renovations! Looks great!
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Comment by kaili on August 19th, 2008 @ 3:01 pmLove the mud pictures!
And it figures that you post about your beautiful laundry room the day after my dryer dies. *grumblegrumble* Heh.
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Comment by Marianne on August 19th, 2008 @ 3:16 pmYour renovations are beautiful–remind me of being at a fancy vacation lodge somewhere in the mountains! Where’s my hot chocolate??? And fireplace?
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Comment by Camels & Chocolate on August 19th, 2008 @ 5:18 pmoh my gosh….how super cool is all this…and the pics of your kids….you’re good woman!
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Comment by lylah ledner on August 19th, 2008 @ 5:57 pmnot sure where my comment went…but LOVE the pics….got to see what camera you’re using…and LOVE LOVE the new git up for laundry.
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Comment by lylah ledner on August 19th, 2008 @ 5:58 pmI LOVE the pictures. Unbelievable. Props to that hubby of yours for the great idea, and props to you for making a mud fight look like pure art.
When I have kids, I’m totally stealing that idea. If I’m still blogging when that happens, I’ll be sure to give you the creds. 
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Love the photos! You may have married up, but so did he:) You two were God matched!
Comment by Heather on August 19th, 2008 @ 9:46 pm[...] had someone leave a comment yesterday making fun of the height I hung my photos in our laundry room. I blocked her IP to save her eyes from bleeding due to my apparent lack of skills. (Side note: [...]
Comment by Dutch Blitz » This N’ That on August 20th, 2008 @ 12:38 pmLOVE IT!!! What a great laundry space and such a great idea to do pictures of a mud fight! The kids must have had a blast!
Comment by Michele on August 20th, 2008 @ 10:19 pmI’m pretty sure that you’re the only person I know with a laundry room that people would like to live in. It’s lovely and warm and Slynnro’s right; it’s cozy.
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Comment by Heather B. on August 21st, 2008 @ 3:17 amWow … you actually have a laundry room big enough to hang pictures! And you can see the floor! Not in my laundry room …. mine is so small it should be called a laundry closet. Sigh.
Great idea about the kids covered in mud.
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Comment by dognutmom on August 21st, 2008 @ 7:05 amAwesome!!! Love the photos and the room turned out great.
”Marrying up” you are funny!
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Comment by Anna on August 21st, 2008 @ 9:49 amThe mud pictures are brilliant. Especially because they are in the laundry room… You guys are such FUN!
The room looks beautiful! I love the wood on the walls - gorgeous!
-Andrea
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Comment by Andrea on August 22nd, 2008 @ 1:02 pmUm, your laundry room puts all other laundry rooms to shame!
It’s beautiful and the mud pictures are perfect and at the perfect height too… sheesh on that comment.
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[...] highlighted our laundry room a few weeks ago and now that another room is pretty much complete (Go Honey!) I thought it was time [...]
Comment by Dutch Blitz » Finally Living Up To Its Name on September 7th, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
Wow, cool idea to do the mud fight pics!! I love your laundry room - it even looks like it might be a nice place to be (despite the fact you’d have to be doing laundry in there). Mine is just a closet at the end of the kitchen (which I quite like, but I’m jealous that you have ROOM to hang pics in yours).
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Comment by Hannah on August 19th, 2008 @ 4:02 am