Woohoo Laundry Room

[saffronhare]

Late yesterday afternoon, I posted to FB that I wondered if I could stir up some trouble at home. And when I said "stir up trouble," I meant "rearrange the laundry room." And OMG did I totally get to do that, or what.

The laundry room at our house is a space with lots of usefulness. There's a window in there and it's usually nice and bright, with the floor, walls, and available shelving in good condition. It was just really really really crowded. We had two assembled shelving units against the walls, taking up about three square feet of floor space each (36" wide by about 12" deep). Added to the laundry sorting bin thingy, that meant there was barely room to open the dryer door; and we often had to scoot into the room sideways, with space for just one person to work in there.

I consolidated the more frequently used items onto one shelving unit, moved that one against a different wall, and moved the other shelving unit OUT. It's about half full now with things like carpet steamer cleaning fluid, car-washing supplies, and toilet cleaner bought in bulk. I think those items can be stored just inside the garage door, where we can access them with just a few steps from the laundry room -- an approach that goes with our ongoing work to make the garage more spacious and useful.

I need to replace the curtain rod in there so we can hang the bottom half of the nifty denim cafe curtains we've already got. It would also be nice to install a second wall-mounted shelf above the washer/dryer, and it's possible we already have the materials for that. (We've got one, but it's WAY up there...like, I have to get up on the stepstool and then stand on top of the washing machine to reach it!) I should have gotten "before" pics. Will take some "after" pics soon!

Comments

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

The funny part is that he's been in Omaha the last two days, so he'll come home and it'll be all, "SURPRISE! And by the way, honey, I need you to clear some space in the garage for this stuff that's sitting in the back hallway. You know, the stuff *blocking your path* to the garage. Kthx."

He loves that shit. At least I didn't knock down a wall, like fionnabhar did while her hubby was away one weekend. That's legendary, right there.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've contemplated painting the downstairs bathroom on a weekend when mckitterick isn't home. Still crosses my mind now and then. God, but I hate the colors in there (two different shades of turquoise with a cream-colored ceramic tile floor and peach Formica counters). D=

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I remember! That's not too big of a project to start and finish in a weekend. Just saying.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Nope, not an outrageous project at all. And I'm pretty quick when it comes to cutting in. I could have that shit covered in just a few hours. So tempting.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

SO jealous! For the most part, our first-floor ceilings are sufficiently high that I can't paint anything by myself, unless I want to spent time Way Up High onna Ladder. Guess who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of THAT?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

One summer I assisted an acquaintance who was a professional painter. We were painting the beams on a crazy high ceiling room in a fancy-pants house on the west side of town, and I fell off the scaffold because I was looking up at my paint line (like I was supposed to) as I worked.

That was exciting.

She put me on baseboards for the rest of the project. I was fine with that.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Okay. That was not very reassuring.

ETA: Is this the part where I double-dog-dare you to paint that bathroom or challenge you to a bathroom-painting race of some sort?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself. I was really lucky and only wound up with some scraped-up places where I hit the boards when I fell.

I don't mess with scaffolding anymore. I just use a ladder. It takes longer, and I always wind up with bruised shins from barking them on the rungs, but oh well. Better than risking another broken limb.

Edit: I don't necessarily need dared to do the bathroom...it's just that when I'm alone for the weekend I usually relish in the Do Nothing time too much to tackle a project. Also, mckitterick has some issues with house changes and I try to avoid pushing those buttons if they're avoidable. Battle-picking, you know? =/

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

It is legendary. As in apocryphal. Mostly. The part where he came home and the dining room was a completely different color--two, in fact--is absolutely true. Not even a clue that I might do it. I just thought about late one morning after he'd gone to work, ran to paint store, and it was done by the time he got home. I was all, "Honey, I need you to put up this wallpaper border. Right now."