Life is still crazy. Been having trouble with my left arm and my back so I haven't gotten as much done. My best friend who has been helping me had some health issues and was busy and unable to come out much. I've managed to make a very small amount of progress. I was thinking about how to keep stuff from falling between and behind the machines and came across a laundry countertop for a reasonable price. You cant tell from the photos but has 3 boards in the middle running from left ot right and then has rails/ledges. It's waterproof and heat resistant. It is allegedly stain resistant. We shall see about that. It's not terribly heavy but it was bulky enough that I exhausted myself just getting it out of the box. Ended up having to flip the box upsidedown and dumped it out because lifting it out wasn't working. I also had to clear off the machines and scrub them clean before putting this up. One of the tubs on top of the dryer has books and heavy stuff in it so it was incredibly difficult to lift and I couldn't get any help from Doofusaurus. In his defense, he hurt his back trying to lift Mom when she fell. We both hurt ourselves but he's not accustomed to back pain so its new to him. He hasn't mocked me about complaining of my back pain since at least and I've had a bad back for over 20yrs. Anyway, just getting the heavy stuff off the machines was a bear. I had to lean against the wall and use my left knee to push the countertop up to get it high enough to get on top of the machines once they were cleared out. There's a shelf bracket to the right that makes it so it can't slide all the way back, but it still fits pretty well and it looks nice. Getting the bins back on top really sucked- had to actually step on something with my left leg to brace it to get it high enough to pop the heaviest tub up and struggled hard to get it on the counter. I worked up a sweat and my blood pressure was through the roof, but I got it done. I got some nice accessories like some detergent holders that tip the containers so I can dispense the liquid easily. I like Gain original scent stuff. Put the detergent in a cup and dump it in. I use a Downey dispenser ball for the fabric softener but put the Gain fabric softener in. I also toss in some Gain Fireworks scent beads. For when I'm feeling extra lazy I also got some Gain laundry pods. I have 3 total stands but only have 2 set up because I need to figure out a 3rd liquid to use-- maybe some oxyclean or something for whites. Unfortunately, the iron sediment in our well water makes it impossible to keep white clothes white so that is something we nee dto figure out down the line. Also got magnetic dryer sheet holder, dryer ball holder, and lint bin The dryer sheet holder wouldn't fit between the dryer and the wall so I stuck it on the washing machine for now-- you can see the edge of the countertop. I put the lint bin and dryer ball holder between the machines. I also got a scent bead dispenser and a laundry pod holder This is the temporary setup until we can renovate. That gray tub to the right was the bane of my existence. LOL. I don't know why we have the Cheer powder. It doesn't work with our machines. My only thought is Mom must've found it on a sale and since she doesn't do laundry anymore she has no clue what the machines do. She's now 75-yrs old and her balance sucks due to some inner ear damage so she can't carry laundry. I added a new door lever to the back door-- Schlage brand and used a gator repair hinge to make sure the door shut properly. Added more door & window expanding foam in the cracks. In terms of framing and plumbing I've changed the plans a bit. I realized that the partial wall wouldn't work as the framing doens't go all the way to the floor and its best to just eliminate that and have the wall flat with a possible bumpout up high to higher but that would probably be too much of a pain. I'm going to have to plane down the framing around the door to get the drywall to fit. I might be able to bump stuff over more to the left to have more space in the right corner. Because of the height I would need the standpipe to be to have the water supply lines reach I've decided to have the standpipe drain in a different smaller box that will be below the shelf behind the machines. The shelf will be moved up to be level with the back rail of the countertop. I will try to move the plumbing inside the wall. I checked the diagrams for the machines and found that the power cord for the washing machine is on the right as you face it so I will probably move the outlet for it over to the left and have a desk grommet for it to go through to plug in (since I want to be able to unplug it easily if need be). I'm not sure if I can drill all the way through the sill plate to run the pipes-- don't know if there is any other framing in the way so if I can't I will route stuff around the sill plate at the bottom and it will all be hidden behind the machines. Here is one of my sketchup layout diagrams. The water supply line box is from Oatey and I need to clean it up. I drew it from the measurements I took of the actual box since I couldn't find an existing model of it. In the sketchup image I hadn't yet moved the AAV up. I have a wallbox for the AAV with slits on the cover to allow airflow. I will put the AAV box as high as it can go without getting in the way of any cabinets. I will probably build custom cabinets rather than buying some bc prices are absolutely insane on stuff now and sales tax is 10.5% where they sell the cabinets (it's 11% where I live). The drawing doesn't show plans to move the outlet over. I will need to figure out where the studs are to get a good placement for that. You can't see from the image but I've added in the Sioux Chief Oxbox that goes below the shelf so the standpipe can be a reasonable height. I got some sioux chief water hammer arrestors that will connect to the back of the washing machine. For the dryer vent I got a pestblocking vent cover to go on the outside. While I can't fit a laundry tub in the laundry room, I plan to put one outside the back door (although it may temporarily sit against the fence near the water trough for the cows until I can get a landing built and get a hose big setup connected out there. I got a bbq cover for it. I got a 37gallon laundry tub on sale from Wayfair. It came with a drain kit as well as the faucet with pull-out sprayer. It will have to be anchored to the ground as it only weighs 30lbs and can blow away. I also got a ceiling mount rack thing and will need to figure out the placement. as I don't want it to conflict with the attic access nor with the ceiling fan or any of the lights. My initial plan was to run it parallel to the back door but I might have to run it perpendicular. I got a pole with a hook to be able to grab hangers. I didn't add that to my ideabooks yet. I'm considering changing ceiling fans as well but we shall see. I might need to go with something smaller profile. I've also decided to have a table that folds down against the wall when not in use and I will have it on the wall sort of near the electrical panel as there just wasn't room for it on the opposite wall. I saw some nice lumber for sale at one of the big box stores but didn't want to mess with tying it down in the back of my truck when I'm not yet ready to start working on building the table. It was nice oak. My kitchen has custom red oak cabinets that my dad built back in the 80s. Anyway, I have most of the hardware for the table and just need to figure out final measurements so it won't scrape the floor. I will make a slip cover to turn it in to an ironing board. I won't leave the cover on bc when folded down the cats would claw it. So I'll have a spot to store it when its not on. I have a friend who is good at sewing who I might commission to help me make it. I will have to upload my ideas for the folding table later. This is my ideas collage for stuff for the laundry room: That was from before I found the laundry pod container.

Hi Barlowmom, how great to connect with someone who has a similar floor plan! You gave me lots of interesting ideas to consider. If you are able to take a photo of your floor plan, I would love to see how you were able to somewhat open the kitchen and family room space while leaving the half bath as it is. I agree that this would be a big cost saver! :-) As for your idea for upstairs, our architect is heading in that direction. However, we won't have enough space for a master bath and closets without using the space above the screened in porch as well. (Part of the issue is that I have back problems and need a laundry closet on the second floor...) Are you going to have a mudroom in your plan? If so, where will that go? Very helpful to hear that the finished basement makes a big difference. Ours will be super basic, but I think it will give us breathing room just to have it. Thanks again for writing! Sara

Sure...I'll work on it tonight. The pictures will be deceiving because we're taking down a wall, but I'll post how it looks currently. Thanks!

So part of the appeal of RH style for me is they incorporate rustic, organic, industrial, or antique elements into a space that is mostly monochromatic but full of textures. Some characteristics of their style are oversized pieces, as large as the space allows. Large artwork over the sofa, often in black or white or an abstract. The largest rug the living room can hold. Statement light fixtures in every room. Natural fibers and neutral tones. Decorative elements that are large but fewer of them on display, often incorporating wood or metal. What about something like this for a coffee table?