Category: Home Decor

DIY Laundry Room Refresh

Our laundry room has been kind of horrible since we moved in 14 years ago. I know, I know. How did we get by for FOURTEEN years without me doing something about it… especially when I’ve redone the nearby bathroom like 3-4 times? I don’t know, I guess I tried to just ignore it.

Which is kind of hard when I have a straight view into the washer and dryer from my favorite spot in the den. And I let the dogs out into the backyard with that door to the left multiple times a day. And I enter from the right door every time I come in from my garage. Anywhoo, I finally decided to just go for it and within a week, our laundry room had a glow up!

Here’s the before:

So yeah, it’s kind of a ‘hard working’ room.

The ugly brown walls were leftover from the last people who owned the house (I KNOW). When we moved in, I added the curtain and pictures from my ‘home decorating stash’ and they were okay, I guess. We also added the ‘stockroom’ portion which is what we call that food shelf and it is invaluable when we do our Costco/Sam’s Club shopping for extras.

My goal for the refresh was: lighter and brighter. I wanted it to feel clean and crisp and have better organization. I also didn’t want to spend a ton of money to do it and planned on doing every single thing 100% myself.

The plan: repaint the walls to something lighter, add tile to the back wall, and mount some shelves to give a natural spot to end the tile and start the upper wall paint. Also, clean out some unneeded stuff and add better organization options.

Here’s what I purchased for the project:

Total: $265

Things I already owned: 1 gallon of Behr “Greige” paint (leftover from when I did our living room and upstairs bathroom/walk-in closet), ceiling paint, white trim paint, white silicone caulk, command hook, wall mounted laundry drying rack, and assorted stuff for shelf décor.

First up, was cleanout time. I removed everything from the laundry room, dragged the washer and dryer away from the walls, and took down everything from the walls. I scrubbed the crap out of the gross laundry room sink too, which frankly has needed to be done for a while. Then, I spackled all the holes in the walls and let them dry for about a day before sanding the bejezzus out of them to get them nice and smooth.

Next, I grabbed some ceiling paint I had sitting around and painted the tops of all the walls. The person who painted previously was messy, so there was some brown on the edges and the ceiling – so in repainting with a new color, I wanted to make sure I’d have nice, crisp edges with no ugly brown lurking around.

Then, it was time to start the tile… which is quite fun and gives some immediate gratification of what it will look like when it’s done. I used a level and tape measure to make sure that everything was going to be perfectly straight and then I started peeling and sticking that tile on from wall to wall. I absolutely loved the tiles I picked and they were relatively easy to work with. For piecing the puzzle together, I would eyeball the sizing and then take a pair of hardy scissors and cut the thick plastic tiles to the correct size, making adjustments as needed. The edges (where the tile met the wall) didn’t need to be perfect since I was planning to caulk.

It took 2 coats of paint for nice coverage of the previous color. Once I was done painting the walls, I grabbed some trim paint and re-painted all the trim so it looked nice and fresh/white/clean again. Then, I caulked each side of the tile to give it a professional look.

Then it was the easy bits of hanging/re-hanging everything – up went the shelves, laundry drying rack, vacuum charger and pictures. Oh and if you’re wondering why I had to take down the laundry rack and vacuum charger, fill the holes and then re-mount them both… they had to move over a few inches to accommodate the new shelf.

Here’s the after:

If you’d prefer to see a compilation video, you can see it here:

I’m so happy with how it turned out! It just feels so much more bright and clean, and it is a much prettier view from my spot on the den couch. Of course, I’m kicking myself for not doing this year’s ago, but I’m quite satisfied with my less than a week of work (in my spare time, I have a day-job) and less than $300!

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DIY Bathroom Refresh with Wallpaper + Light + Mirror

Our downstairs bathroom is the teeny-tiniest room in our house. In addition to being doll-sized, it’s the only bathroom on the first floor. So, it gets lots of use and is pretty much the only bathroom any guests see when visiting.

Over the years, it’s been painted various colors… partially because it is so small that you get a big dopamine hit by a quick change of a couple coats of paint. Back in January 2020, we switched out the silly pedestal sink that took up a ton of space with no storage for an 18” vanity. At that time, I also threw some white paint on the existing wood medicine cabinet/light combo to match the new vanity. It was ugly, but I didn’t feel like getting into a big mess with electrical wires.

Then, in September 2021, I added a wall of wallpaper because it accidentally jumped in my cart on a Target run. And this is how it’s mostly looked since then.

I started getting a little squirrely about it in the fall and decided it was time for yet another refresh. This time, I wanted something that felt more like the vibe in the rest of our house, and I wanted to finally rip the ugly medicine cabinet off the wall and replace it with a light and mirror. I also had the idea to get a GIANT mirror that took up a lot more horizonal space so that (1) my extra tall husband could actually see his face in it, and (2) it would help make the room feel bigger.

Here’s what I purchased for this project:

I also used from my stash – a paint brush, a paint roller, ceiling paint, trim paint and my wallpaper application tools (this $6 wallpaper kit has come in so, so, so handy for hanging wallpaper in 5 rooms over the past 5 years).

I started by tearing the old wallpaper off the wall and removing the towel bar and electrical plates. My husband helped me also rip the old medicine cabinet off the wall and it was surprisingly heavy.

Once it was off the wall, I taped out the size of the new mirror and we measured where the light would go. We made a hole in the wall with a hammer and then just fished the wires through the drywall to bring them out the new hole.

At this point, I had a mostly clean slate so I grabbed my can of white semi-gloss paint and gave the door and trim a fresh coat. Next, I used some ceiling paint I had on hand and freshened up the ceiling and the tops of the walls (I wanted to be sure to cover the blue). I also used the ceiling paint to paint over any of the drywall where the paper ripped off when removing the old wallpaper and medicine cabinet.

I let it all dry for about 24 hours and came in the next day with wallpaper.

A note on wallpaper… at this point I’ve used different brands of peel and stick wallpaper to do 5 different rooms (between my house and my sisters’ houses). I’ve used good wallpaper and crappy wallpaper. This wallpaper is actually really darn good – it’s a great weight and the right amount of sticky. Also, when it went up there were barely any air bubbles that needed to be smoothed out. However, this pattern WAS a bit difficult to line up. Part of the problem is that I’m a perfectionist and knew if something was misaligned it would bother me every time I used that bathroom.

So, I went slow and steady, reapplied a few sections, and after a few hours with lots of trash talk and creative cursing, it turned out amazing.

Once I was done with the wallpaper, Travis did 90% of the work to get the new light hung. Then, we added the mirror clips and had to wait a few days for the mirror to come in since the first one they sent arrived broken.

Honestly, the photos don’t do it justice. It’s like stepping into a fancy little jewel box and I love it so much. For less than $300 and about 1 weekend of work, it was a fun little DIY that made a great, big impact.

Incorporating Antiques into My Home

My close friend’s grandparents recently downsized and I had the incredible opportunity to go through some of their treasures. I came home with a few vintage finds that I absolutely love, so I thought it would be fun to show you how I incorporate beautiful antiques into my space without giving antique store vibes.

Here’s a peek at a few of the items I brought home:

  • Early American Pattern Glass sugar bowl – produced between 1850 – 1914
  • Fire King Tilt Ball Jug pitcher – produced between 1938 – 1942
  • Carnival Glass bowl in Marigold – produced around 1911
  • Carnival Glass finger bowl in Iridescent Smoke – produced around 1908
  • Handmade pottery
  • Fire King Jadeite plates – produced between 1945 – 1975

And here is how I styled some of the items that feel cozy and very “me” without feeling like I’m cosplaying in the 1950’s.

Some Tips:

  • Let each antique piece breathe – pair it with more modern stuff so that it looks “collected over time” but not overpowering.
  • USE the items – by mixing antique items with what you’re already using, you’ll get a fun eclectic look that adds personality without screaming ANTIQUE COLLECTOR. Those jadeite plates have been added to our dishes cabinet (for when I feel like handwashing after meals) and the antique sugar bowl is a beautiful vase!
  • Edit ruthlessly – just because you brought an amazing item home doesn’t mean it needs to immediately find a place in your house. I keep extra items in a closet so I can switch things out when the mood strikes.

I love bringing meaningful pieces into my home, whether they’re heirlooms from loved ones, quirky thrift store scores, or one-of-a-kind vintage finds from my travels. It makes me happy every time I see them. And my house still feels like MY space and not like I live in a museum.

So if you ever find yourself tempted by your grandma’s side table or a box of old family silverware… don’t be afraid. Give it a modern twist, and make it yours.