Before & After: Entry and Laundry Nook

Continuing with the before & after theme, here's what our entry and laundry area looked like when we moved in:

So besides being hideously ugly, it wasn't really maximizing the space. Our home doesn't have a coat closet, so I wanted to designate and area for shoes and such, as well as making the entry more welcoming. The area to the right, where the silver tube is hanging out, that's where the laundry hook-up is. It was completely open to the kitchen, and while the location isn't ideal, I guess it's better than not having a laundry area at all.

Here's our solutions:

I placed a clean-lined bench next to the doorway; it's got great storage for shoes. The oversized mirror really opens up the small area, and is wonderful for making sure we look presentable before rushing out the door. I opted not to hang a rack for coats or bags, since this area is right in the kitchen, I didn't want to add any additional clutter, so we just keep those items in our bedroom.

For the laundry area, I decided just to try and camouflage it as much as possible. We had a contractor add the small bit of drywall above the laundry, so that we could enclose it. We weren't able to install bi-fold doors due to the proximity of the exterior door, so I got some simple white curtains from Ikea and hung them on a tension rod, the size meant for a shower. While I dream of having an actual laundry room, I love that I still have easy access to my washer and dryer. Plus, if company is coming and my kitchen is messy, I can stick everything behind the curtains. Good looking and sneaky.

Seeing this picture reminds me of a story... Installing the washer and dryer was one of the last things we did in the kitchen and living space, and it had been about 3 months since I had gotten to do laundry in my home. We had also just finished laying the wood floors the night before. After I loaded the washer, I thought that we were finally getting close with the house project, and that all the work had been worth it. Then I realized that the washer was dumping the entire load's worth of water onto the new wood floor. And at that moment, after months of hard work, no sleep, fast food, and not being able to find anything, I finally lost it. I laid down on the soaking wet floor and sobbed. Cory came home from work to help me take care of the mess, and I told him that I hated the house and I wish we'd never bought it. (Me, dramatic? Never!) Luckily, he helped me snap out of it and no real harm was done. The whole situation, including my response, is laughable now... but I'm sure glad it's behind us!

Here you can see the whole area, plus my beloved peninsula. For the peninsula, we scored white cabinets from Home Depot that had been discontinued... I think we ended up paying around $40 for the entire section. It's all drawers, which I use to store my baking things, tupperware, tea and coffee, etc. The shelving unit on the end is a piece from Ikea that is meant to be hung with upper cabinets, but we cut and sanded it until we made it fit here. It makes the whole unit look more high-end and custom, plus providing some nice display and storage for my cookbooks and some small serving pieces. We backed the peninsula with white beadboard, added some stools, and have been loving it ever since.

See the coordinating Kitchen Before & After.