Picture this, it’s 2016 and you have just FINALLY finished construction on your DREAM HOUSE. Everything was more amazing than you could have dreamed, until a problem that will haunt your existence over the next seven years presents itself. Imagine walking into the laundry room, ready to do a load; only to find the washing machine and dryer doors WOULD NOT OPEN all the way. They are usable, but once the doors are open you are trapped in-between them and the wall.
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Curse words were said, confusion, in truth I was really upset; I think subconsciously I avoided that space. Here I sit, seven years later, thinking of all the “this really sucks” thoughts I have had over time. I KNEW the solution for this problem wasn’t a small one. The machines would needed to be moved, but because this room is tiny, WHERE WOULD THEY MOVE TO? Seven years later our dryer caught on fire (partially because of the crammed in situation, and mostly because I wasn’t emptying the lint filter enough, EMPTY IT!) This left us with little choice, but to find a REAL solution.
Jump to a topic in this post:
The Issue
How could this even happen in a new build? There is some debate on how exactly, but I remember last minute choices of changing a wall to the back of our laundry room. I swear it made us loose some in there and gain in the other room. Apparently this memory and that of my darling husband, who was also our builder, doesn’t exactly line up. Whatever happened to make it happen, the wall was not wide enough to accommodate an OPEN washing machine and dryer. Closed is one thing, but the truth is you need space to move as you pull things in and out. There was NO space.
The dryer got pushed in, as a result the ventilation and lack of emptying of the lint filter was a dangerous combination.
The Fire
I was home and suddenly smelled something burning. Not like a regular fire outside, a chemical and distinctly WRONG smell! I started running around frantically sniffing the air trying to find where this was coming from. My sniffer led me to the laundry room where the inside of the drum was full of smoke. I opened it for a moment and realized that was a bad idea, I did not want to allow more oxygen into the fire, so I closed it shut. I unplugged the machine and because there was no obvious flames we left things alone with the dryer shut. We immediately had a repair service come and they took the dryer apart. They were really mad at me for leaving so much lint behind, I didn’t even realize how much could go into the machine if it isn’t emptied EVERY SINGLE TIME! I would grab a chunk out every few loads, this is not correct. I cant say my mom didn’t tell me, I didn’t listen, shame on me! Thankful this didn’t end worse.
Design Choices
I had completed some vanity switches in our laundry room last summer including new paint, wallpaper, and some additional cabinets for storing linens, etc. I incorporated all these changes into a new design that I love!
Wallpaper
This wallpaper is a gold dot with white background. It’s not exactly an animal print but it has kind of an animal print feeling a bit. It is Peel and stick, so it’s easy to use, from Target.
Purchase this wallpaper from Target
Runner
I bought this rug originally because I loved the design. The colors went great with the green I chose in here and I really love all things plaid. When the rug came and was the softest, plushest rug ever I was not complaining. It is such a good rug! I can’t recommend more!
Tile
We decided to use tile to cover the damage to the wall instead of sheetrock.
This tile is from Floor & Decor. I used varying colors in a checkerboard pattern for a really fun “laundromat” feel.
Green & White Tile Names and Links:
*Zellige Verde Glossy Ceramic Tile
*Zellige Perla Polished Ceramic Tile
Our friends Tom Kris & Sons did the plumbing work for us and did a really fantastic job. Highly recommend them for all plumbing needs. They installed our new sink where the washer used to be, I love it so much!
Sink
I DREAMED of having a sink in here and kicked myself for not adding one. Because we moved the washer down the wall the plumbing opened up for a sink. Yay!
Purchase our utility sink off Amazon
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Washer & Dryer Selection
*DRUMROLL * We chose the Samsung – BESPOKE 5.3 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity Front Load Washer with AI OptiWash and Auto Dispense in Forest Green.
We purchased from Best Buy, according to their website, “Samsung’s Bespoke 5.3 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity Front Load Washer has a sleek, flat-panel design, comes in new premium colors, and is equipped with smart features that simplify your laundry experience. It has our AI OptiWash™, which senses soil levels and automatically adjusts time and detergent for a worry-free wash, and Auto Dispense, which conveniently stores and automatically dispenses up to 32 loads of detergent and softener.”
Check out this washer and dryer set at Best Buy.
I am actually loving the auto dispense feature. You load a bunch of detergent and softener and the washer handles the rest. I like getting notifications on my phone to remind me to get the load moving along. I would recommend this set, we had a Samsung set before and while we had trouble in the end, I think user error played a large roll. Taking good care of these machines and CLEANING THE LINT FILTER EVERY TIME!
Paint Colors
Cabinets: Rockwood Sash Green -Sherwin Williams
Trim: Alabaster- Sherwin Williams
I could not be more pleased with this laundry room 2.0. ALL my concerns from before have been addressed. In addition to that its just so fun and PINK now! I promise to clean my lint filter and do better and keeping up with the laundry.
Because this gorgeous pink chandelier was a project in itself, I plan to have a separate blog post just for her! Stay tuned!
XOXO
Kellye
