Favorite Projects of 2009 Part 1

OK, so I know I'm a bit behind the times here. I had planned to kick off 2010 with a bevy of blog posts showing all the great things I managed to accomplish last year. Now it's almost February and I'm just getting started. Let's just say going out of town after Christmas, coming home to a houseful of decorations needing to be packed away, and then spending about 2 weeks with a stomach bug slowly taking its toll on each member of the family is not the best way to start the new year! My original plan was to show off each of these projects as they happened, but that never happened so now I'm falling further and further behind. I took all these pictures though so I'm determined to get some use out of them. So, without further adieu, here is a look at my first Favorite Project of 2009, (drumroll please...) the Laundry Room:

Here's a before picture. Despite what it may look like, this is not a picture of my work in progress. This is how it actually looked when we moved in. I guess the previous owners figured once they had a buyer they didn't need to bother finishing the paint job. I lived with this for quite awhile then one day just decided I couldn't take it anymore.



As luck would have it, I had a gallon of paint that I had originally purchased for my dining room, but changed my mind about, sitting in the basement just waiting to be used. It was "free" (depending on how you look at it) so I decided to put it to good use and save myself the trouble of staring at teeny tiny paint chips on the wall for a week and just go with it.

 

My dad hung the shelves for me (along with about 12 other things) when he was here for Christmas. Thanks Dad! I purchased these at Lowes. My parents gave me the 2 long galvanized metal bins on the bottom shelf a couple of years ago and my plan was always to find more to fill out the shelves for storage. Right after Christmas I stopped by the thrift store to kill some time and came across an abnormal amount of silver bins/buckets. It was like being on "X Files" or something. I spotted the first bin and next thing you know I was surrounded. I purchased the five remaining containers, including the beauty with the fleur de lis, and one other bucket that would not fit on the shelf for under $4 total! Don't you love it when you're just walking along minding your own business and then Cha-Ching! you hit the jackpot? I love them all.

 

But especially this one!

 

I was trying to figure out what to do with all of the kids' artwork one day when I walked in the laundry room and saw all the boring white cabinets glaring at me. Seemed the perfect place to show off their work and a good way to brighten up the room some. The container on the wall is where I stash all the dryer lent in between washings. I picked it up at the thrift store awhile back with plans to paint over it and stencil it with a fleur de lis, a la Thrifty Decor Chic.

 

Finally, here's a great way to deal with all the cleaning accessories cluttering up the house. You know, the broom, mop, Swiffer Wet, Swiffer Dry, feather duster, dust pan... I got tired of wrangling with them on the side of the washing machine and seeing them scratch up my beautiful new paint job so I got this holder. Since it's a tight squeeze there on the side of the washer, I tied pieces of twine to the top of some to make it easy to get them on and off the hooks.

 

Well, as with every project around here, I'm not completey done. Still need a curtain and I have visions of some vintage laundromat signs for the wall, but those will all come in due time.