Hello, hello! How was your weekend?! We had a blast celebrating Little Miss’s birthday, and enjoying the amazing weather. Creating and throwing her birthday parties has always been a highlight for me (see them here), but now that she’s older, I have to admit it’s really nice to leave the planning and mess to someone else! She had her party at a local gaming/laser tag/bowling spot, and the kids ran themselves ragged. It was awesome.
I’d like to say we came home to a clean house, but with a new makeover in the works, things are a little unsettled. You’ll have to dig deep in your memory banks, but remember our Laundry/Mudroom Makeover? Yeah, the one we started last April!?!? I seriously had no idea an entire year had passed since we made any progress on this room, but such is life, right!?
But my rockstar contractor is back, and we’re full steam ahead! Last we left it…we’d added new floors, lighting, sink, and a spiffy washer and dryer pair. (See it all here.) Definitely a big improvement from where we started (see the Befores here), but it was only the beginning.
The uneven cabinets looked dated and patched-together, but I didn’t want to replace them completely, so we removed the shorter one over the sink. With the additional Mudroom storage, the cabinets weren’t needed anyway. You can see it’s already opened up the wall.
Next we’ll raise the remaining cabinet flush to the ceiling…this will create a more streamlined look, and allow me to fully open the washer lid! #necessaryevil The wall behind the sink is constantly being splashed, so we’re adding tile, too. I’m also hoping to find a way to frame the washer and dryer so it looks more built-in (even though it’s a top loader), and hides the plumbing hookups.
As for the Mudroom side of the room…we left it looking just as it did the day we moved in…
First we removed the sad little hooks that barely held a backpack, and wired the wall for electricity (hello, charging station!).
And my genius contractor took my crude sketch, and turned it into this custom Mudroom! So far we’ve got the cubbies and bench in place, and you can see where the drawers will go at the bottom.
I was going to add dividers above the bench, sort of like lockers, but I think leaving it open will be a better fit for our needs. I’m still undecided on the wall, too…I think beadboard would be too busy with the hex floors, and more tile might be overkill (and an unnecessary expense). I’ll likely stick with basic trim, and flat front drawer panels. Regardless, I’m so excited to see this space finally come together! I’ve been envisioning it for two years…and I reached my limit of tripping over backpacks about a year ago!
Stay tuned for more updates next week, and a big Dressing Room Diaries starring my darling Mama Sugarplum tomorrow!