FrogTape Paintover Challenge – Laundry/Mudroom Reveal

Today is reveal day for the FrogTape® Paintover Challenge, and I’m so excited to share my finished laundry/mudroom makeover!

But first………..

Check Out These Perfectly Clean Paint Lines!

That totally makes a do-it-yourselfer’s heart go pitter-patter!

From the walls, moulding and cabinets to the built-in organizer and doors, everything that could have been painted in this space was painted.   And thanks to FrogTape® the paint lines look perfect!

I knew from the very beginning that while I wanted this space to have a traditional bent, I also wanted to inject some whimsy in here.  Laundry can be such a mundane chore, so I wanted to create a space that felt fun and happy.  But since this space is on the small side and receives zero natural light I didn’t want to overwhelm the room with too much color.  So I went with white walls (SW Aesthetic White), light grey (SW Amazing Grey) for all the trim work and chose to inject a splash of fun color into the room via the door that leads out to the garage.

I started by painting the insets the same light grey as the rest of the moulding, and then I used the yellow FrogTape® Delicate Surface.  Here’s where the light pink (Sherwin Williams Rachel Pink) from my original design plan came into play.

I’m beyond impressed with how well FrogTape® keeps paint out and keeps lines sharp!  That grey paint had only been on the door for about 24 hours before I taped right over it.  And not only did it keep the lines perfectly crisp, but there were zero areas where the tape pulled off the grey paint.

Of all the things I love about this makeover this door is pretty close to the top!   It’s just so, so fun!  It’s the perfect splash of playfulness!

And Now For The Final Reveal!

Besides painting everything that could be painted and putting in a new tile floor, the one other major change I made in the room was to switch out the ugly fluorescent lighting for a chandelier.   Long time readers of Our Fifth House may remember this chandelier from the master bedroom of our Kentucky home.  I loved it so much I brought it with me to the new house when we moved!  To give it a fresh, whimsical take, I switched out the shades for these fun black & white striped, scalloped ones I found at Stray Dog Designs.

The chandelier lighting warms the room up making the space feel much less utilitarian.  The room no longer feels like a storage closet; it has a much cozier vibe now.

Painting the walls white and the cabinets grey had the desired effect I was after as the washer and dryer take a backseat and just blend into the walls.  The print that inspired the design of the space hangs on the wall next to the washer and dryer because this is exactly how I feel when it’s time to do laundry.

Before and After

This space went from good, but slightly boring and basic………..

and might I add only clean-looking in photos………..

………to having loads of personality, with a classic, timeless appeal!  In addition to personality the space also functions so much better for my family as the patterned tile and grey moulding disguise rather than highlight any dirt.  The pink door and art add whimsy to the design but are easy elements to change down the road if I ever tire of them.  Though I don’t think that will be happening any time soon!

The whimsical elements almost make doing laundry fun.  Almost.  Let’s not get balloon-carried away.  😉

Sources & Budget Breakdown

If you recall from the outset of this challenge, I was allotted $1000 to get this makeover done.  Since the space is on the small side and I used a lot of things I already had on hand, I was able to really stretch the budget.

Tile – Home Depot – $240

Tile Labor – $500 I hired out for this job for two reasons. 1. It would have taken me at least a week, maybe two to do this on my own, and I didn’t want to be out of a washer and dryer at home for that long. My family likes having clean underwear. 😉 and 2. I got a referral for a really good tile guy from a friend. He came in and got the whole thing done in one day. Worth every penny.

Striped Hooks – $72

Cabinet Knobs – Hobby Lobby – $7.20

Paint – Sherwin Williams – The paint used was all leftover from other projects in my home.  SW Rachel Pink is my front door color and is also what I used on the vanity in my powder room. The wall color is Aesthetic White which was used on the walls in my powder room, and Amazing Grey is the color I’ve used on a few of the interior doors in my home.

Chandelier – Recycled from the master bedroom of our previous home. Originally from West Elm.

Chandelier Shades – Stray Dog Designs – $175

Art, Pillows & Baskets – Already had on hand. Hi, I’m a pillow hoarder, nice to meet you. The balloon print is by Janet Hill (one of my favorite artists).  I bought it a year ago because I loved it and knew I’d find a place in my home for it.  The Charleston bridge print is by Sam Sidney.

Total = $994.20

FrogTape® Paintover Participants

Be sure to check out the participants makeovers as next week you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite over on the FrogTape Paintover Challenge website.   Obviously, I hope you’ll vote for mine, so I can donate the $5000 prize to One80 Place, a local charitable organization that provides food, shelter and hope to the homeless in my area.  But every makeover is awesome!  And each blogger-chosen charity is worthy of the prize money!

AKA Design

Emily A Clark

Hi Sugarplum!

Hunted Interior

Sawdust 2 Stitches

*Thanks very much to FrogTape® for including me in this makeover-for-a-cause contest.  It was an honor to participate!