Design & Function Should Always Work Together
When you start any project, especially remodeling, redecorating, or organizing any room, it's always best to ask yourself all the questions; What are my preferences, How do I use this space, What would be helpful to my routine, What colors do I like? This helps you bring together the best ideas and plans.
Today, we're airing out the dirty laundry....There's something about a laundry area having the same attention to detail as the rest of your home. There's also something about doing a chore, and something about doing a chore in a beautiful space. Makes all the difference to the inner happiness. And oddly enough, now the "chore" of laundry isn't so bad.
Let's talk Function...
While many would say cabinets can improve aesthetics and hide clutter at the same time, I actually find them to be less practical. Although, I can't argue, they do certainly enhance the overall look, and I am known for my inclination to keep things organized, let's consider the practical side. Laundry detergents tend to be larger and bulky and ends up not fitting well. Adjusting the shelves becomes necessary, resulting in less storage space than anticipated. Plus where will you hang your clothes? So... Are cabinets the right fit for you?
I love so many strikingly beautiful materials; travertine, wood, marble, countless decorations, the dress that doesn't seem to work with any bra etc.
And sometimes these items are worth their "beauty hassles" but in most cases I strive to find beauty and practicality in one.
And in this case, I would choose a hanging rod over cabinets. I personally prefer folding and hanging clothes straight from the dryer with convenience. Add a shelf or 2 for added aesthetics, a little character and some storage and you have space that's very functional.
This Brings us to Design
A beautiful space engages not only the visual aspect but also the heart. It creates the love, for the art. It's what makes any room feel inviting and why you'd want to be in it.
I didn't want to just paint the laundry room.... Being a small area it needed some spice so online I went for ideas....Often ideas and reality need to work together. I often seem to find ideas that are a little out of reach sometimes. Even though my hubby and I are pretty handy together, there are still limits. It's good to make choices that work within your ability and your budget or they can become frustrating quickly.
I have textured walls, so wallpaper is not the best/easiest option... My husband would say it's not an option at all but.... never say never. It just requires more work. However I started looking at designs or patterns I could hand paint. Something reasonable and not to meticulous and I really like the chevron pattern and decided to give it a try.
It takes a little thought in measuring. How long is your wall? How many rows do you want? This will affect what size the pattern will be. I got started and taped out my measurements. Originally I tried using a card board cut out stencil, as many recommend. But in the end, I preferred to just hand paint the pattern without the stencil. If you're going for a more precise look than the stencil may be better but I'm more of a distressed, shabby chic, go with the flow type of girl.
I love the pattern! This certainly added just enough character without painting the whole room one color. But I wasn't done just yet. Felt like below the shelf would look fabulous painted in the same color as the pattern. So why not. It is just paint.
I had and extra piece of wood trim from a previous project and decided to frame out the plumbing for a more finished look and painted it all the same color. Behr- Dawn Gray.
Overall the Laundry Project was fun to do, creative and added a lot of pizzazz to the room!
These are just a few ideas for you to get started
decorating & organizing your own space.
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