Back to the room that literally didn’t exist a few weeks ago. Excuse the all-caps excitement, but in our world this is major progress. (Side note: I dreamed last night about a newspaper column called “Shellac This!”—a daily feature about shellacking a different piece of furniture—and everyone was obsessed. It even turned into a movie in the dream.)
We left off with a primed and ready laundry room in Monday’s post, so let’s pick up there. We used VOC-free Kilz Premium for the primer. The space is roughly 7 feet by 8 feet, so the prep and priming went quickly. Here it is ready for paint:
Before choosing paint, we selected the floor tile. It’s called Blast Anthracite from The Tile Shop. The tile’s deeper tone means it won’t show every speck of lint, and the subtle striations and veins are beautiful in person. We liked how it coordinated with the accent tile we chose for the area above the washer and dryer, and it will transition nicely to the hardwood in the hallway.
Once the tile was picked, I made a small mood board to visualize finishes and to help choose the wall color. Everything could still change as we go, but the mood board gave us a practical starting point.
- Warm wood elements will balance the gray tile and stainless appliances—think a butcher block counter for the cabinet next to the washer and dryer.
- Our washer and dryer will be a focal point of the space.
- We’d like to try a geometric ceiling light from our Shades of Light collection to add personality overhead.
- A woven colored basket will add natural texture and a touch of color.
- Coordinating prints would bring warmth and charm to the walls.
- A small wood letterpress drawer could display keepsakes collected over time.
- White cabinets will tie into the appliances and let the butcher block pop.
- Brass or aged-metal knobs echoing the lighting finish could be a nice detail on the cabinets.
- The accent tile above the washer and dryer will add visual interest and tie other finishes together.
- The Blast Anthracite floor tile anchors the room with depth and subtle movement.
- A Dash & Albert rug will introduce soft texture and another hint of color underfoot.
Seeing the tile and wood tones together made choosing a wall color much easier. Since the room is small and windowless, we wanted a light color that wasn’t stark white so the trim and cabinets would read as architectural elements. To avoid agonizing over dozens of swatches, we created an in-room, tactile mood board by placing samples and objects directly in the space.
We pulled items from around the house that represented the finishes and colors we envisioned: the shiny white of the appliances, tile samples, warm wood pieces, and even a terrarium whose colors and lines echoed the proposed light fixture. Holding paint samples up against these real elements helped narrow the choices.
Our favorite swatch ended up being Going To The Chapel by Benjamin Moore—the same color used in another room of the house. Repeating a few colors throughout the home creates cohesion, so this felt like a thoughtful choice. We painted the laundry room in an eggshell finish using Benjamin Moore’s Natura VOC-free line.
The photos don’t fully capture the difference, but the room transformed from feeling unfinished to looking polished and room-like. Painting the new end of the hallway to match also helped the new construction blend seamlessly with the original interior, making it feel as if the layout had always been this way.
We’re excited about the new glass door for the future bunk-room. After looking at several styles—frosted, single-pane, and multi-pane—we chose a 15-paned, clear-glass door that matches another door in the house. Using the same style upstairs will help the doors feel cohesive and original, and choosing clear glass gives us the option to frost it or add a shade later if privacy is needed.
The door is in stock and affordable, though we’ll need to paint it and install casing, hinges, and hardware ourselves. It’s one of those finishing touches that will make the upstairs feel complete. With that in mind, here’s our current to-do list:
- Move washer and dryer and remove old cabinetry (completed)
- Demo the old cased opening, side wall, back wall, part of the floor, and attic step (completed)
- Frame new walls and doorways (completed)
- Relocate laundry plumbing hookups and drains (completed)
- Move laundry electrical and update switches and outlets (completed)
- Move dryer vent and HVAC duct (completed)
- Hang drywall (completed)
- Add insulation (completed)
- Mud, tape, and sand drywall seams (completed)
- Prime and paint laundry room and adjacent hallway walls (completed)
- Tile and grout the new laundry floor
- Add baseboards and door casings
- Rehang the laundry door
- Install the new glass door to the future bunk-room
- Install upper cabinetry and crown molding
- Add a lower cabinet next to the washer and dryer with a butcher block countertop
- Tile and grout the laundry room backsplash
- Reinstall the washer and dryer
- Install the ceiling light fixture
- Hang art and an ironing board, and bring in other laundry room essentials
- Complete finishing touches and address minor repairs (garage drywall, attic step, etc.)
Before hanging doors, we need to install and grout the floor tile, which we hope to finish by Monday. Laying the tile will make the space finally feel finished and bring us one step closer to having the washer and dryer back in place. Laundry may not thrill everyone, but being able to wash clothes at home again feels like a small domestic triumph. I can already imagine a happy little dance while the machines hum.