We did it! In just a few weeks, we took a cramped, dark laundry room from this…
to this:
All for under our $5k budget with room to spare.
The goal for this space was to breathe new life into these walls with a warm, buttery yellow palette and charming cottage-inspired details. Inexpensive millwork was the foundation—floor to ceiling beadboard panels, 1×6″ trim, rope accent molding, and an easy DIY pegboard shelf.
Lucas built a custom enclosure for the washer and dryer, topped with pre-stained butcher block. This is truly such a simple and affordable way to make your appliances built-in, and hands down the best ROI upgrade. It’s the first thing I’d recommend to anyone looking to upgrade their laundry room.
And if you’re in the market for a new washer/dryer, this set should be at the top of your list. We’ve had it in our Hacienda rental for 2.5 years and it has handled constant turnovers + multiple loads of bedding every week without a single issue, which our property manager says is very rare. It was an easy choice for us to buy again for this rental when it went on sale!
I really wanted to incorporate a fun diamond-pattern cutout somewhere in the room, and the enclosure side panels were the best location. We weren’t sure if it could be done successfully without a CNC machine, but Lucas put his dremel skills to the test and it turned out as well as I could have hoped for.
To keep this project under budget, we opted for wall-mounted drying racks instead of upper cabinets. We found that the cabinets aren’t really utilized in rentals, plus there’s already a closet in the room and a large countertop surface.
To break up the color drenched yellow, I introduced a bit of color and pattern with the white sconce and blue/white wallpaper on the back of the drying racks. I also couldn’t help myself and added a small wood dowel cap to the bottom of the sconce—I love the charm this small detail adds!
Dark wood tones, woven materials and hints of gold help create a collected, layered look and reinforce the cottage feel.
You’ll notice the same wood ceiling beams, stained pine doors and oak floors we’ve used in every room throughout the house.
I couldn’t be happier with the paint color Sherwin Williams Blonde. It ranges from a soft buttery yellow to a darker golden shade depending on the lighting. 10/10 would recommend if you want to try yellow but don’t want it to feel too saturated.
Sources
All of the materials were purchased at Lowe’s—you can find them on my storefront, or tap below to shop:
After two years of slow renovation progress on this home, it feels so nice to have a quick win with this laundry room. And perhaps most exciting, the entire second floor is officially done and we can finally focus 100% on the downstairs. Right now, it’s full steam ahead on the kitchen because the cabinets have arrived!!
We’ve also started furnishing the backyard! I shared it over on my Instagram last week ICYMI…
Many more updates to share over the next few weeks, so make sure you’re following me on Instagram for the latest,
Jen says
Its absolutely precious! I really like the drying racks because they give, an at a glance illusion, of windows.
Jenna Sue says
Yes, great observation! Second best thing to real windows I guess 😉
Curiouser says
What is the paint sheen for the yellow paint used? Did you use the same sheen on walls vs trim, etc?
Jenna Sue says
Satin, and we used the same sheen everywhere.
AnnaDevane says
Beautiful room. Wondering where you store the laundry cleaning supplies?
Jenna Sue says
Thank you! There’s a linen closet on the right–hard to squeeze it in the photos but you can see it in my videos on Instagram!
Julie Marquez says
It looks great, and the yellow blonde turned out perfect. Good job photographing a small, windowless room. I like how you built a cubby for the washer and dryer, but we did that with a stacking pair and it was impossible to connect everything in the back and then slide in. Do you take off the butcher block top it you need to reach the back or to push them out?
Jenna Sue says
Ours are able to slide in and out relatively easy, thanks to the smooth wood floors. In our house they are stacked, built in and on brick tile so it’s harder to manage, but still possible. We also added a hidden access panel on the side for that set.
Monica says
How did you make a laundry room so pretty??! Great job!
Jenna Sue says
I’m glad you like it Monica 💛
Michele M. says
As always, looks freaking awesome.
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Michele!
Gail says
I’m wondering why you chose not to include pedestals for the w/d? Cost?
Jenna Sue says
I thought the counter space would be more useful in a rental, and that would also allow us to use more of the vertical space since we weren’t using upper cabinets.