One Room Challenge with Calling it Home: Week One

 

For the next several weeks, I am a participating in the One Room Challenged hosted by Linda on her great blog Calling It Home. Be sure to stop by each Thursday to see how my room progresses.

 

We moved into are smallish (great charm, great location) 1920's house almost 2 years ago. In the rush to get everyone settled in, I just put things into rooms where they would fit. Now that we have lived in the house for awhile, and I have a better feel for how we are using the space, I am slowly organizing and decorating one room at a time. For this One Room Challenge, I wanted to work on the room that currently bothers me the most. I figure this would keep me accountable, and I would get the job done without letting that little thing called life get in the way.

 

I chose the Laundry Room.

 

I HATE doing laundry. And yes, if you really think about it, washing clothes in this modern day and age is not really that hard. But it is just so tedious to me, and there are so many other things I would rather be doing. I decided if I had a pretty room. It might inspire me to not dread it so much.

 

I also wanted a really bold space. Our laundry room is in our basement, so for the most part only the family I see it. I thought this would be the perfect spot to step out of my normal decorating style and really have fun with it. Plus, I live in a boy filled world...2 sons and a husband...even the dog is a boy. I needed at least one room in the house to have a touch of pink!

 

So it was off to find inspiration....

 

Growing up, we would visit the Greenbrier Resort, and I was inspired there by the decorating style of Dorothy Draper (I talk more about her here.) I decided the laundry room would greatly benefit from her bold style.

 

Via



Here is another room by her protégé Carleton Varney. I love the pattern and color combination in this room.

Via

These stripes are the best! This room was designed by Mary McDonald. I always admire her use of color in any room she decorates.

Via

 

 

 



I am in love with this trellis wallpaper. I have to have it for my room.

 

Via

 

 

Are you seeing a theme yet?

 

So I put together an inspiration board of my ideas for what the room will look like.

 

And I wrote out a list to plan my room redo...

 

-Tile floor

-Decorate walls (wallpaper or stencil?)

-Get great fabric to make curtains.

-Organize cleaning supplies.

-Add decoration.

 

Here is the before. The room can only go up from here!

 

 

Be sure to click here to check out the other linking participants.







Add More Organization and Pizzazz

I recently painted two dressers for my bedroom, and I put them on either side of my bed so they double as nightstands. Find all of the how-to on a previous post here.

 After using the dresser for a few days, I decided my clothes were still a bit jumbled and could be better divided. I went to Target and found this for $1.

They are actually shoe storage bins.

 I put three across in the drawer of my dresser...

...and placed similar items in each one, such as socks in one bin, and nightgowns in another.

The pink color of the bins is fun and unexpected, and makes me smile every time I open my drawer. I can now quickly find the clothes I want when I get ready in the morning. The extra storage is such an improvement to the bedroom.

Check out the link up at Calling it Home , I Heart Organizing , Tatertots and Jello, Pursuit of Functional Home, Remodelaholic