5 Steps to Creating Your Dream Laundry Room On a Budget

From Country Living

Whether you love or loathe doing dirty laundry, we at Country Living have a feeling this blogger's renovated laundry room will inspire you.

Leslie from Paper Daisy Design shared steps on how she remodeled a boring closet into a busy mom's clothes-folding paradise. With little money to spare, Leslie managed to make an organized laundry haven that just so happens to look like a million bucks.

Here's the closet before the renovation:

After listening to a motivational speaker suggest turning the process of doing laundry into a time to be thankful, this mom (who was never a fan of washing dirty clothes) took the message to heart to create a functional space for herself during this time of reflection. She didn't add all of the bells and whistles you would see with more upscale laundry rooms-like chandeliers and elegant backsplashes-but she did create a gorgeous room that almost anyone can achieve.

Here are some smart design tips we picked up from Leslie's simple laundry room makeover:

1. Start with a clean slate.

After demolishing the shelving from the prior closet, Leslie gave this small space a fresh coat of Sea Salt paint from Sherwin Williams to start her budget renovation off as a blank canvas.

2. Recycle an old cabinet (or find one at a thrift store).

Rather than throwing it away, Leslie opted for a beautiful piece of cabinetry that was being taken out of her current kitchen for renovations. She loved the heavy bubble glass that covered this cabinet.

To install the cabinet, this blogger suggests hanging a temporary (and level) cleat with studs at the bottom of where the cabinet will hang. The wooden strip will help hold up the cabinet as you install it on the wall. Make sure you have two helpers for the hanging process since Leslie used her husband and son to drill the cabinet into place.

3. Hang a shelf made from scrap wood.

In the space that remained above the washer and dryer, Leslie added an adorable little shelf made from scrap wood and held it up with two "functional, yet decorative shelf brackets." Then she added a small hanging rod to dry clothes on.

4. Don't forget about Fido! Create a rustic dog feeder and attach it to the lower wall.

Made from scraps of high quality plywood and rough cut walnut, this DIY dog feeder is perfect for bigger dogs who are prone to stomach flipping. The wooden backsplash above the metal bowls protect the wall from messy bits of food or water, and it's even cuter when you add your furry friend's name in paint! Get the tutorial here.

5. Add a few detail pieces.

Leslie added a fresh coat of paint to her "dingy" cabinet and added a piece of art to one of the walls for a nice pop of color. She then added a soft, multi-colored rug, which covered the newly added beige tile. To conceal the items in the cabinet, she used Artscape Window Film to make the glass appear frosted. For organization, she added wire and wicker baskets, along with glass jars for dog treats and laundry soap.

Now that's how you renovate a laundry room on a budget! See more photos and get more makeover tips at Paper Daisy Design.

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