Laundry Room Blues No More

*I chose this as my favorite project of 2010*

I am linking it up to the CSI Challenge. This post has been edited from its original version.

Feast your eyes on this:

That is so NOT my laundry room. Sniff, sniff, sob, sob.

We just moved into this house in October
(okay, how much longer can I really use that excuse-we just moved in? We're going on almost 6 months, what is the statute of limitations on it??).
Anyway, there are so many things I love about this house. Great space, great kitchen, great outdoor areas. There are a few things I DON'T love about this house. Truvy's beauty shop for a bedroom, the carpet and the laundry closet.

Yeah, you heard me right, it is a CLOSET. In my wonderful 2900 square foot house, I have a laundry closet! Anyway my A-Z Decorating has inspired me to get it spruced up just in time for "L" week:

Now that I tricked you by that amazing laundry room, here is what I get to look at every time I do laundry:

Wait for it....


Open the door slowly, so not to run screaming...


AAAHHHHH, TOO LATE, TOO LATE!!

Please, I can't take it anymore!!!

Really, people. You can be honest with me. It is pretty bad huh? Did you notice the cinderblock walls? The two by fours? What about the fuse box?
But look in that picture above. See that glass jar right above the light switch? That was my little pretty that I focused on and that is where I started with my inspiration.

Once I got going, it was really simple. I found a $5 light fixture (my daughter hated it, at first) and painted the yucky brass parts ORB. The globe has a pretty cool floral pattern on it that looks nice when the light is on.

Next I sewed some VERY simple burlap curtains.
(So simple in fact that the back panel is super crooked-I just block it with that tin finial thing).
I used tension rods to hang the rods on the three walls. When I got the curtains up, I felt like something was missing, so in true "Nester" fashion I "mistreated" those curtains by hot gluing some floral fabric and ribbon to them.
Yes, I can sew, but I did not feel like dragging my sewing machine out. It was kind of freeing to do it "the wrong way." And you cannot tell one single bit. I didn't even turn the fabric under to hide the raw edge, I just covered it with the ribbon--I was living on the edge!

After adding some accessories (a tray, my glass jar, a glass container for my dryer sheets and a PLASTIC cruet for my fabric softener) Also, the glass votive holds change and random legos that I find leftover in pockets or the washing machine. VOILA!

Because my laundry space is a CLOSET, I was really lacking a folding space. One night I had the brilliant idea to remove the fold-down desk from my computer armoire and it works great:

While there is one more thing I would like to add (thanks to an amazing idea from Sausha:

(Which I hope to gets hubby on ASAP)

Here is the after:

I added "Wash" and "Dry" signs on the doors, in case I forget where the laundry closet is.

Here is a shot of the table folded down. The great thing is that I can see the TV from this angle!

To save your clicker finger, let's take one more look.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I have redone several rooms in this house, but this one by far has provided the biggest change to date (Truvy's beauty shop is coming next, I can't wait for you to see it) so I am using this post as my fav project of March. Come visit at Beneath My Heart and see what others chose as their favs!

Come by the CSI Challenge and see some other great projects!