Laundry Room: Before and After

When we purchased our home, we knew there would be a few things we would eventually change. Easy things, of course, like wall colors. (No, I was not one of those House Hunters folk who refuse to consider a house because a wall is painted bright pink.) 

And then there are some not-so-easy changes. The kitchen, master bath and the laundry room. The laundry room was the only thing in the home that wasn't finished. It ran the entire width of the basement and housed some old cabinets and a piece of carpet that smelled like a mix between an old basement and the year 1976. 

Don't get me wrong. I was thrilled just to have a laundry room. In our townhouse, the laundry was in the unfinished basement that was also home to a den of snakes. And I had to "crank start" my dryer for a while. I'm not exaggerating. Really. Just ask me sometime--preferably over a glass of wine.

We decided the laundry room would be a DIY project. The plan was to split it in half because of its large size and make one part a walk-in closet. Our master closet isn't huge, so I graciously agreed to give it to Scott and take the big, new closet in the basement.

Did we run into any snags? Yes. When gutting the laundry room we discovered an enormous crack. To make a long and very expensive story short, we had to have hydraulic pillars installed under our house because essentially, it was sinking. I'm sure there were a few other set-backs, but when you deal with one really big one, the rest don't seem so bad.

So, here you have it. Our laundry room "before and after." Huge props to my husband. I didn't marry him for his carpentry skills but they are certainly the icing on the cake.

BEFORE

AFTER

This painting was done by my husband. On the wall to the right, there is a wall-mounted stainless steel drying rack from Ikea. I didn't get it in the shot.

This is a built-in desk/work space. To the right, there is a custom nook for our cat's litter box. I'm still searching for an attractive rug to put down underneath it. Right now, there is a piece of scrap carpet.

I love knick-knacks. The shelves are great for displaying little items.

I'll plan to share a closet before and after post in the near future. We were really happy at how it turned out, too. Let me know if you have any questions about our laundry room process. I'm happy to share. You can reach me via e-mail or by leaving a comment below. Have a wonderful Wednesday evening, friends!

Chandelier Before & After

Cheap, easy and pretty. That about sums up this DIY chandelier makeover. When searching for a new light fixture for one of our guest rooms, I decided I wanted a chandelier. The room, when finished, will have a whimsical, airy, vintage look and feel.

Not only did I want a chandelier, but I wanted one that had whimsy and color. During one of our afternoon Home Depot runs, we spotted a rack of clearance lighting. Behold, the Williamsburg 6-Light Chandelier. List price = $99.97. Clearance price = $10.

Add a can of Rustoleum spray paint in a vintage green hue; a ceiling medallion; and some chandelier crystals ordered at Cristalier.com and you have a simple chandelier makeover.

First, I wiped down the chandelier with a clean cloth. Next, I covered the white parts of the lights (the bases) with tin foil to prevent paint getting all over them. We hung the chandelier outside and gave it several coats of Rustoleum (look for formulas recommended for painting metal). I ordered crystals from Cristalier and hung them on various parts of the light fixture. Finally, we purchased a ceiling medallion from Home Depot in order to cover up a "funky" spot on the ceiling left from the old ceiling fan light fixture that had been there before.

And there you have it--a super-easy, cheap chandelier makeover. I can't wait to share more of this guest room as it comes together. I plan to paint the walls, paint the dressers and hang artwork next. I'll post all updates right here.

If you have any questions about my DIY process, feel free to comment on this post.

Accent Chair: Before and After

This accent chair was passed down to me from my mother. And please note that the "before" photo below shows the chair after we stripped the fabric from it. If I'm remembering correct, it had a victorian-esque print.




















When we got married and I re-decorated our town-home master bedroom, it seemed like the perfect time to give my beloved old chair an update.

My husband removed its fabric, saving the old fabric as a guide for the amount (and size) of new upholstery fabric we'd need. He then sanded and re-stained the arms and legs to match our current furniture set.

Next, it was all upholstery tack and staple gun magic...adding the fresh, new fabric. I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out and I'm happy to report it still looks as good as it did the day we finished the project.




















These photos were taken in our town-home, before moving.