Laundry Room Reveal

Ok... the laundry room is (finally) done.

I now have a PROFOUND respect for people who crank out DIY projects in a matter of hours, or even days.  (Is it just me or do all design blogs make home projects look SO easy and un-messy?)

As it turns out, I'm not a very good at this stuff.  In fact, I'm sort of a hazard when it comes to paint, etc.  What I had hoped would be MY project through and through, actually ended up being a lot of Jeff fixing my mistakes/ doing all the work himself.  I - honestly - would spend entire days painting etc., and then he would get home from work and offer to "clean it up."  It was frustrating, and - at times - not that fun.  Plus, we spent a lot more money than I had originally planned, and it took almost two weeks to completely finish.
 

THAT SAID, I am VERY happy with the final result.  Now - just in time for me to go back to work and have very limited free time - I have a place to go and feel inspired to "Clean & Create."  I love my new space and, if nothing else, learned a lot in the process of transforming it.  (Also, I could have not have done this AT ALL without my wonderful husband and dad... I have a long way to go in this department, but I am VERY grateful to have two talented men behind me!)

Anyways, here's the BEFORE, in case you forgot what a gem I was working with:

And, here's the AFTER:

Let's take one more look side-by-side:

Much better huh?

In case you are wondering, here's how the cost breaks down:

- The wall color is the same as what's in my foyer/office.  I started off using the leftovers, but we ended up having to buy another gallon - Lowes ($32.00)

- I simply PAINTED (no sanding or anything) over the laminate countertops with a high-gloss paint, and topped it off with FOUR coats of polyurethane.  It worked well, but the polyurethane is a MUST.  Lowe's custom made this color to match the storage cubes I had already bought.  We used less than a quart of both paint & polyurethane.  Overall, it worked well... But, I don't know how it will hold up; you may want to do something more professional for more "important" space like a kitchen. - Lowes ($20.00 )

- The stool, mason jars, and sewing machine all came from Poppy & Granny's basement.  I also already had the white planter, black frames, laundry sorter, and the wire baskets for wrapping supplies (FREE)

- Storage cubes, ironing board cover, & fabric covered organizers - Tuesday Morning ($40.00 )

- Floating shelves & dragon-fly hooks - Lowes ($50.00 )

- Rug, lamp, & monogram - TJ Maxx ($60.00 )

- Bulletin Board - Walmart ($9.00)

- I SPRAY PAINTED the monogram, the stool, and a piece of wood I already had (it looks hilarious - I know) green; and took an old floor tile and spray painted it with chalkboard paint for my "To Do" list - Lowes ($7.00 )

- Finally, the paper prints and green bucket holding giftwrap came from a little shop in Roanoke called Chocolate Paper ($30.00 )

- Labor courtesy of my wonderful husband and wonderful dad (FREE )

GRAND TOTAL = $264.00 *All prices are approximate... It was probably closer to $300 when all was said & done.

You live, you learn - right?

Now... I've just got to teach myself to sew and do crafts, and it will all be worth it! ;)