Renno ideas — Blog 1

That’s right folks, laundry doesn’t do itself and, to my dismay, there is no Laundry Fairy either. Oh, wait I guess I am the laundry “Ferry”, CRAP!

It has become pretty fashionable to have a beautiful laundry room now. And I am not normally one who cares about following trends. Before moving in here I was just fine with my laundry machines being tucked in a tiny little closet. I would only do the wash once a week for myself and my kids and then we would either sit on the floor in their room and fold and put everything away together or I would wait till they were fast asleep in bed and take the basket to the living room so I could tend to the wash and watch something salacious on Netflix. But now I seem to always have something on spin or needing to be put away and this space is also connected to our main floor washroom. It needed some help or I was going to have to blindfold guests before they used the loo to save myself from embarrassment.

Function is the most important thing Ryan and I always consider first. This room needed to be able to be used at all times and work well. But it also could not be a dumping ground any longer for craft supplies, cleaning products and equipment, recycling, dogs’ needs and anything else we need off the counter in the kitchen or the floor in the Livingroom when people stop by. So, we decided to make a list of needs:

1. We needed to pare down what lives in this space. Cleaning supplies all needed to stay, so we organized the shelves he had installed before I came around. We hung all the mops, and brooms. We bought bins for the recycle $13/each from Walmart that fit under shelving.

2. Counter top needs to be clear all the time so laundry can be folded straight out of the dryer and its owner can come collect it to put it away.

3. We needed to make it attractive so whoever was doing the laundry didn’t dread being in there.

Once the space had been cleaned and reorganized came the task of making the space pretty but not breaking the bank on a space that is not meant to be a show stopper. The budget was $500.00

We decided we functionally needed to replace the counter in this space. The old plywood laminate covered white counter was starting to sag in the middle from having life piled on top of it, so it had to go. On a romantic afternoon at Lowe’s we came across stock sized raw butcherblock counter tops. The two options were traditional butcherblock or a butcherblock herringbone pattern. As pretty as the herringbone pattern was, it felt too fancy for the utility of the space. That day we nabbed the traditional pattern counter top for approximately $260 dollars. Once cut and installed it needed to be oiled or cured in some way. We both really like raw materials and wanted to show off the beauty of the wood so we opted for oil, Odies’s Oil to be exact. It is non toxic, safe to use on all wood and food prep surfaces like cutting boards and platters and a 9oz can cost approximately $54. With scraps, Ryan fashioned a wood box to match the counter that could be placed over the water shut off valves for a cleaner, more finished look.

The wood colour really brightened up the space but after a few days of folding towels and shirts staring at a wall of cleaning supplies I realized I really didn’t want the reminder of my janitorial duties. We needed to maintain the easy access but conceal the obvious product placement that this room screams. Cabinet doors were the first solution we considered but the dimensions would have meant that they swing out wide past the counter top and directly at face Height. We like to avoid unnecessary visits to the Stollery, so a low impact option needed to be the priority. Little modern farm house is the theme we are going for here and growing up I remember my grandmother using curtains to hide the dish soap under the sink. If we used a curtain and rod, we could utilize the space above the shelving for our bulk toilet paper and paper towel supplies without them being an eye sore. This motivated the purchase of 1 package linen gray curtains from Ikea, approximately $30 dollars, heavy duty iron-on hemming tape $4 and 7ft adjustable pressure rod, $20 dollars Walmart. This simple cabinet DIY project took me and Ryan a grand total of 10 minutes to hem and hang and though the look might not be for everyone, it does what we desired without closing in the small room.

The last thing you will notice in there is the mat on floor and the glass jar I keep the soap in. After standing on the cold tiles this winter, my feet started to ache a bit and while we again took a moonlight stroll down the aisle of Lowe’s, I saw a bin full of textured, multi-coloured rugs and mats. This Navy blue one was $20 dollars just before tax and I love the colour it brings to the room and how it is soft and warm under my feet when I am standing there trying to determine what kind of stain I am looking at, Chocolate or Poop? As for the jar, it was $16 dollars from Michael’s. I grabbed it because I have been on a mission for the last 3 years to rid our lives of plastic and to recycle and reuse things with more intention. A glass jar looks simple and attractive and I can wash it if I need and allows me to just purchase the refills from Costco.

Let’s tally it all up:

Recycle bin X2 $26

Counter top: $260

Odies’s Oil: $54

Curtains: $30

Hemming Tape: $4

Curtain Rod: $20

Floor Mat: $20

Glass Jar: $16

Total: $430.00 (under budget by $70)

Now I just need to Find a glass, wood or metal container for my Bounce Sheets? If you have any idea pleases send them along to me.

Honey I Found The Blueprints!

Laundry Doesn’t Do Itself