...and the laundry room after.

Or more accurately, I should probably say here are some shots of the laundry room in the middle of the redo.

I really wanted to paint the room pink or purple or something else fun and different from the neutral grey/blue that we used in the majority of the house.  It's not that I don't love that grey color, because I do, but I just wanted something different in the laundry room as it is a non-public space that doesn't necessarily have to be well behaved or proper.  However, Jeremy insisted on it matching the kitchen, so I'll be adding color in the curtains and other fun touches (whenever I get around to those!).

I have decided that the counter is THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD.  I love it!  You aren't supposed to leave things on top of a front loader when it is running as it can throw the machine off balance (plus the stuff will probably just shake off during the spin cycle), so I never had a good place to fold laundry. I got the idea for the counter from here.  We purchased a $40 sheet of birch plywood (that Home Depot cut for us and we have a TON of leftovers for other projects), a $6 package of iron on finishing for the front edge and a $9 bottle of danish oil.  It took two coats of danish oil and then I added 2 coats of a clear polycrylic (which we already had on hand).  For support, we nailed mdf pieces on the side walls (which we painted to match the wall and you can just barely see in the left photo below) and a bigger 2 x 4 along the back.  The counter isn't screwed down (so we can easily access the machines and water shut offs), but it is heavy enough that isn't a problem.  We also shimmed the middle of the counter by gluing a piece of mdf to the underside of the counter and sticking a strip of foam padding on the mdf (to protect the top of the dryer).  We placed this piece over the edge of the DRYER (so that there is absolutely nothing touching the washer) and so that the frame of the dryer can bear any excess weight (don't put this piece in the middle of the dryer, else it will just push the top cover down).  The counter is supported well enough that I can stand on it without problem.

So grand total, we spent about $55 (all the support lumber came from the basement), which is a far sight better than the $400 + we were quoted for a custom butcher block counter.

And, for everyone who is so concerned that I can't reach my cabinets....I previously could only reach the items on the front of the bottom shelf anyway.  Now I can reach the items on the bottom shelf completely and the stuff on the front of the 2nd shelf, too.  Sounds like a good trade to me.

I realized I had a narrower hamper sitting in my basement which I was using to hold wrapping paper rolls.  I swapped it with my old one and found it would slide between the wall and my machine.  The trash can in front in for our wet towels/rags.  Yay....no more dragging around the hamper!  And the bonus is that you can't see that corner from the kitchen, so even if the door is open the room will look much neater this way.

I didn't think to take a before picture of the opposite wall, but here is an after shot.

We previously had an itsy bitsy foot long plastic organizer to hang mops and brooms on.  I love that the new hooks (hung on a piece of painted mdf) look so much better, plus give me a TON more space (including getting my step stool off the floor).

Now to paint those doors...