I don’t know about you, but our laundry room ended up being the land all area for just about anything and everything. Along with the fact that we didn’t have a dedicated spot to throw towels and rags (they were constantly being dropped on the floor in front of the washer), made getting access to the garage very frustrating. Here is the before pic of our laundry room.
I just have to say, I LOVED this washer and dryer. This set was very dependable and good to us the last 11 yrs. Having the storage under the washer and dryer was useful, unfortunately though I felt the space could be better utilized without them. I didn’t feel right separating the drawers from the set and most definitely don’t have the space to store them so the set got sold. I really hope the new owners get to enjoy them for as long as we did!
First step was to pull everything out. After that with the help of my girls, we unscrewed the cabinet and raised it up to the ceiling.
Then I removed the all the trim and the flooring. I will NOT miss that linoleum lol..
In between coats of paint on the cabinet and the walls I put in a built in platform for the washer and dryer. I used 2×6’s for the base as you can see here..
I covered the framing of the platform with 3/4 inch birch and trimmed it out. The walls, inside the cabinet, and the finished platform got freshened up in Benjamin Moore White Dove. The cabinet (I’m still drooling over this cabinet color!) got made over with Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green in matte finish. I saw this color on a Pinterest post and let me tell you, it does not disappoint! It’s even prettier in person!
Once the paint on the platform was dry enough I started in on the decorative slat wall. I bought a bunch of pine 1×4’s and ripped them down to 1/2 inch pieces. The girls got put to work helping with all the sanding and also staining the darker pieces. I was able to get a custom blend (half Java, half Antique Walnut) of gel stain from my local Benjamin Moore paint store to match what I was looking for. I chose to space the wood slats at 5/8 inch apart so that the spacing would be even all the way across.
Close up pic of the slat wall..
With the paint all dry, cabinet doors got to be put back on and we got to install the new washer and dryer! Have you ever tried the lifting straps that go on your arms? If not, they are AMAZING! Two of us at only 5’2″ and little were able to pick up the washer and dryer and place them on the platform without a hitch. There’s no way we would’ve been able to pull it off otherwise without calling for help.
There’s still more to do before it’s finished. I want to put in a shelf over the top of the washer and dryer as well as a smaller floating shelf between that one and the cabinet. I also need to figure out exactly where I want the washers final resting place to be. I’m kicking around separating them so we could put storage in between them as well on the left side of the washer, might make it more functional for what we need. The new tile flooring has already been delivered and is just waiting to be installed. Then it’s just installing trim and the new light! Can’t wait! I’ll be sure to post an update as progress is made. 🙂
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