We’ve always hated this room - well, not HATED, but it wasn’t functional and wasn’t pleasant to be in. Proof below.
Exhibit A.
We had a teeny tiny shelf up top that we could barely fit storage on, an ugly cat litter box, and our rugs were mismatched/scooted around whenever we stepped on them. I’m also not a fan of the bright sterile environment this light + white wall color created.
So, in order to optimize this weird space, I first took all the measurements to be sure everything fit. I made a hand-drawn layout.
It doesn’t need to be pretty, just thorough! This room was a weird shape with short ceilings, and with my plan to stack washer and dryer, I needed to be sure of the height and width.
Then, I used Spoak to plan the design.
I thought we could have custom cabinets built, but after we realized the price tag, I just decided to get more creative to save money.
I had to measure a thousand times, but I was able to find cabinets that would just barely fit! And give us the extra storage + place for the cat litter box we needed.
THE DETAILS:
Paint - I couldn’t find the color I wanted so I made a custom color with Benjamin Moore ‘Ocean Air’ + Backdrop’s ‘Road to Todos Santos’ (ordered off of Amazon due to quicker + free shipping!!)
Tall pantry cabinet
Deep width bottom cabinet and matching top cabinet (I purchased from Lanae Home - they had the best prices by far! But they appear to be out of stock in what I ordered).
Cabinet pulls (that were a pretty good match to the pantry cabinet!)
Low pile rug (due to cat litter)
Butcher block countertop (One of the only places I could find that would do a custom size for an affordable price!)
Step trash can for lint (got it at TJ Maxx)
It took us a few weeks to get it all together once we decided on the plan. My husband built the cabinets while my dad installed. Kevin used a saw to cut a hole in the cabinet door for the cat litter box. And I painted! A whole lot of teamwork, but we love the result and it’s so much more functional.
Another feature we love is the hidden cat litter box! We love our furry babies but do not love unsightly litter boxes.
THE BUDGET:
The washer and dryer were the most expensive element of this project, by far. If you already had a front loading set, that would save you a lot. Here’s what was spent:
Paint = $110 (due to multiple colors!)
All the cabinets + pulls = $825
Countertop = $172
Rug = $31
Trashcan = $15
Washer/dryer set = $1700
Total: $2,853
We hoped to spend $3k on this update and we came right under budget!
Let me know what you think :)
