3 years later...the laundry room

 The schoolhouse light was the first item I had for this room, I decided to add antique brass hooks but that is where the brass stopped...I am totally fine with mixing metals but knowing where to stop is a tough decision. I mean the sink is stainless and so is the faucet, I would have loved an antique brass faucet but that was not in my budget and I really like my current faucet. So recently I decided to switch over the knobs and hinges to brass. I also added brass plates to the basket area in the pantry closet. So everything is brass except the faucet sink and knobs on my washer and dryer. 

Are you loving antique brass?

 I also searched high and low for some rush baskets for the existing cubbies. I love the warmth of the wood tones of the rush baskets...I was able to find just what I needed at Target. I was really excited to have a main floor laundry room and it is as nice as I thought it would be. I have so much storage and organization which is a welcome addition to every house, We also use it for feeding the dogs and we let them outside from this room, they also stay in here at times when we go out for long periods of time. This room is also our main access to the backyard.
The wood counter I made has turned out very well , it was inexpensive and has provided a great surface for day to day use. You can see how I made this counter here or through the sidebar link , there are other links there for other projects.

 I took down a towel bar next to the sink and I have yet to sand and paint. I recently tried those laundry pods and I actually really like them , I keep them handy in the glass jar and dryer sheets in the little basket beside it, the containers that laundry detergents come in are so ugly...

 I had these little brass label holders for years and I mean like 5-6 years, I just needed to find the perfect spot for them...I got them at LeeValley.

 I somehow found these extra deep baskets that perfectly fit the cubby beside the dryer, they are toilet tank baskets..it was a very lucky find and took about 2 years of looking, this is why you usually buy baskets before building things. I added these simple antique brass handles I found at Lowes, I just cut a small piece of wood and screwed the handles into the baskets and they grip the wood on the inside.

 I was looking for a long runner for this room, one that would soak up some of the snow and wet from the dogs paws...I bought and tried a few other options but they were all so narrow...no such luck finding one long enough and wide enough instead I found these two at Homesense and they were perfect solution.

 This cabinet and door have held up beautifully over the last few years. I keep a garbage in there as well as my big mop bucket.

 Most days this wall is loaded up with clothes that I am air drying and a couple of backpacks...I struggle to keep this wall tidy, I am often moving things that should be in the coat closet back to their proper spot because this being a narrow room the last thing I need is to feel crowded in there, an extra 2 feet would have made all the difference in here. I can not wait to turn this door into a dutch door...the only issue and there is always an issue I find, is that the knob is on the upper half of the area where it would make sense to cut the door...lets just say its not ideal but I can work with it, I just need to get rid of the darn baby gate we currently use... we have to separate the dogs when we feed them now to avoid angry outbursts and when we do keep them in there separately they deal with it better when they can see out for some reason.

 This isn't quite the 100% before but it is as close as I have...all that was in this room was a bare bulb, a utility sink, laundry hook ups and those awful cheap slider closet doors...I chose a neutral ceramic tile to stand up to all the dog and human traffic, it's nothing special but it is very functional.
 I wish I had upgraded that and I wish I had roughed in lighting for under the cabinets...but that being said it really is wonderful to have this space and I am more than happy with it at this point, it's pretty and very functional.

This closet was intended to be a coat closet but since we have an ample walk in coat closet in the front wall there was no need for a second one a few steps away so I customized it into pantry closet to suit and fit all my needs.

This customization of this laundry room closet has been a great addition, there is no such thing as too much storage. This is a small project to tackle, a few MDF shelf sheets and some trim and paint...I say rethink your closets.

Let see if I can list all the improvements...

Painted the doors dark, switched out the door hardware to bronze, added wainscoting to the walls, added hooks to the wainscoting, installed school house light, removed closet sliders, customized the closet by adding a tower of cubbies for baskets and organization for utility items and an extra shelf above the standard shelf, removed the utility tub, installed a double cabinet relocated from the kitchen, added more shelving cubbies and bead board to the wall above washer and dryer, built sink cabinet and door and cubby, created wood counter and installed sink and faucet for base cabinet, tile back splash, learned how to install crown moulding, changed out hardware to mostly brass, new rugs, displayed decor above wainscoting, new baskets, brass label holders, of course I can't forget all the painting, almost forgot the bamboo blinds I think that is it.

*still to come is a dutch door conversion and two new proper doors for the pantry closet.

I have thought on many occasions about painting all that is grey white cabinetry and millwork white...but I do like the grey and I am not dumb enough to give myself another project when there are things still waiting to be done for the first time...gotta be reasonable.