Today, I want to take you along on my little garage laundry room makeover. I say “little” because our garage is little, and also because I wouldn’t classify this as a large-scale makeover (if you’re looking for that, check out this gorgeous post from Zevy Joy. So inspiring!). This is more of a “refresh on a budget” makeover. I’ve been dissatisfied with this area in our garage for some time, but I’ve put off dealing with it because there’s always more pressing things to do. Anyhow, I hope you get a few ideas if you’re looking at doing your own garage laundry room makeover!
I asked myself a few questions before getting started on this garage laundry room makeover:
- What is the purpose of this area? How do I need it to function?
- What do I already like about the space (if anything)?
- What do I dislike about the space?
- What are the “problem areas” in this space?
- What sort of “feel” am I going for? How do I want it to end up looking when I’m finished?
What is the purpose of this area? How do I need it to function?
Seems obvious, but the main purpose of this area is a space to get laundry done. However, as with many utility rooms, I also have other storage needs here. I store cleaning supplies, rag towels, and our mops, dusters, vacuum, etc. It needs to accommodate all of these things so they’re handy and accessible. So, this garage laundry room makeover needs to handle a wide range of needs.
What do I already like about the space (if anything)?
I love the cabinets above the washer and dryer. When we moved into our home, those were originally in a different part of the garage. My husband moved them to the laundry area and I LOVE having good storage with doors that close. No matter how much one may try and pretty them up, laundry supplies just aren’t attractive and I’d rather hide them away.
I also like the carpet on the floor. Again, my husband (are you seeing a theme here?) found a roll of carpet for free on Craigslist and cut it down to fit this area. It’s wonderful to not be doing laundry on the cold, hard concrete floor of the garage. I like the shade of the carpet, and this small touch makes makes a huge difference.
What do I dislike about the space?
I hate the dark paneling on the wall. True, it’s a garage, but the paneling just feels ugly and dated and oppressive. I would love to figure out a way to lighten it up. The carpet is light, my machines are white, and the cabinets are white. I don’t necessarily want to do something white, but something at least neutral.
What are the problem areas in this space?
Ugh, the dryer area. It’s a catch-all for anything and everything, whether it’s stuff that needs to go up in the attic, hand-me-down-clothes for our kids I need to wash, toys that are out of rotation, or gardening stuff which hasn’t made it all the way out to the shed.
What sort of “feel” am I going for? How do I want it to end up looking when I’m finished?
It may be a tall order for a garage space, but I want this area to feel airy and cheerful when I’m finished. Like most moms, I spend a lot of time doing laundry, and I want to enjoy this space and make sure it’s as functional and pleasant as possible. And hi! Yep, here’s me. You can see behind me we have a single-car garage, so it’s fairly narrow, but I’m excited to get creative with the space we have and make it work for us.
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