I was going to suggest shelving with smallish plants on it like succulents, but I don't see any windows in your link.

I still like shelves though because you can do so much with them in decorating.

I agree about the mirror, it makes the room look more like a bath than a laundry.

My UR is large like your's and I just love it! That's where I keep the dog and cat bowls and litter box.

I have a large window in the room with a long granite countertop that I use for plants.

No window in there, since it connects the garage with the house, essentially.

I toyed with the idea of shelves.... Before we installed the uppers/crown, I thought about doing matching white shelves and integrating it to look like part of the cabinets w/ connecting crown. I've also thought about dark wood shelves made out of barn/old wood. *shrug* The only problem with either is that I really have nothing to showcase/display on them..... and I don't like clutter/dust! :) (I'm not totally against the idea still... just sharing my inner monologue on the subject that has left me torn ;) )

As background, when we moved in, the room only had the lower cabinets/counter. We have since added up the upper cabinets, the crown and the wainscoting/beadboard treatment.

How about a rod to hang items that need air-drying? I wish I had placed one on my laundry room. I know this is not beautiful but it is very practical.

If you are looking for some decorative item, how about a nice clock

Is that light bright enough??

Are you going to hang something on the other walls? I think I would start with artwork on the other walls first. What a lovely room you have created!

We don't need a rod since our closet is a foot away and we wouldn't be able to reach that space anyway (the counter comes out too far.) I do like the idea of a clock... I'll have to search for something the right size. :) That could definitely work.

susieq07: there are two in there.... as one light, it definitely wouldn't be enough. We put those in and thought about the wattage reduction from the previous flushmounts when we installed them... I can tell blue from black, so I'm happy :) I know those aren't conventional fixtures, but DH and I both liked them (that's not easy to achieve!)

boopadaboo: probably. It needs something! That is part of the puzzle for me still.... Thanks for the compliment :)

If nit a rod, how about an accordion dryer that would pull out from the wall? Surely you don't hang wet laundry in your closet to dry?

Ballards has these and I'm sure others are available. . . They also have some decorative "laundry" items for walls that may be a bit too precious, Its hard to t ell. I do love your tile countertop!

Here is a link that might be useful: Drying racks

I guess I should mention that I don't air dry anything :) (I mean, except bras.... but they surely shouldn't be hanging up in the laundry room. hehe.) What do people air dry???! I use the delicate settings on the dryer to get things dry enough that they don't drip.

I'll look at what ballard has for the laundry. Thanks for the link. Also, thanks for the countertop comment. It was an inexpensive finish compared to other choices, and it works for us :)

Is that an old wringer I'm seeing on the counter? If so - and asuming then that you, like me, go in for vintage things - how about a collection of framed vintage laundry product ads? I would imagine you could find all kinds of fun ads from the 30s, 40s, and 50s depicting detergent, washing machines, etc. on eBay or Etsy.

auntjen...... yes, it's an old wringer :) good eye and good call on me liking vintage items. There are also old thread spindles and a washboard up there.

The laundry ads are a good idea and one I hadn't thought of.... Thanks :) I'll check out ebay/etsy.

...spindles? spools....

Lauren, I love tile countertops, to me they are the best, closely followed by butcher block!

Believe it or not, all my clothes are air-dry, except the undies. Our washer spins them almost completely dry, and we shake them out and hang them up. The dryer ages clothes much faster than the washer. And we iron everything, so you see, hanging space in our laundry is prime real estate. :). We just got the wallpaper for the laundry delivered today and I hope
to have photos of my "new" laundry up soon.

Please post what you end up doing.

I was going to suggest the beadboard drying rack from Ballards not for it's function but because I think it's pretty in the picture below from my inspiration files
:-) I would probably think about what you want there - function or decoration. Do you iron and fold laundry in that room? If you do, I'd almost consider putting a flat screen TV there. If you don't, think about anything you feel your missing in that room and how you could incorporate it. And you could definitely do shelves with a collection as discussed, or pictures - or a combo of both. You could display items and do some glass jars with items you actually use (see the counter of the picture) and have some pictures resting on the shelves.

kswl -- interesting.....! I grew up with a dryer and have not known otherwise. "The dryer ages clothes much faster than the washer. And we iron everything" I think *I* would age way too fast if I ironed everything. lol. :)

I'll post when I figure things out... thanks to all for suggestions. kswl...... good luck with the new project. I'm sure you're excited...

I air-dry dresses, bras, sweaters, and pants. Like kswl, I take them before fully dry and iron everything (yes, bed sheets, pillow cases, t-shirts!) I thought I was the only one!

Anyway, if you iron in this room, how about a small plasma/lcd TV?

chris11895 -- that photo IS an inspiration. That space is gorgeous. I would consider a rack for the beauty of it between my cabinets, like you suggested. It does make the space look better in that photo.

I don't think I have a need for anything functional in that room. We added the upper cabinets to store all the cleaning/sewing/ironing supplies we have. I still have a lot of extra space in those uppers. The ironing board is hidden behind a standing mirror in our closet (it's within reach of the laundry room when the adjoining door is open.) I do iron in the laundry room, but I don't have the patience to iron often (less than once a week, and even then it might be for 10 minutes!)

To the two of you that mentioned TVs, did my husband pay you to say that? :) (I could actually iron in this room and see the TV in the great room from here.)

To those of you who envision shelves in this space, would you put white shelves or stained shelves (or something else?) Also, would you put shelves that connect the cabinets or that are smaller width than the 39"W empty space?

Ha! - I air dry all of my work clothes, and in a very makeshift manner ... but hey, it gets the job done!

Check out the link below for lots of ideas.
Since you collect vintage I would hang one of your larger pieces in the space or maybe some vintage baskets. Another idea is metal shelving that picks up the style of your light fixtures. Then you could display some of your collection on the shelves.

Otherwise, one large piece of vintage artwork.

Here is a link that might be useful: Laundry room eye candy

lolauren - I rarely hang things to dry too. My friends and I have joked that if we had that laundry room we'd buy pretty blue and white clothing and hang them there as a permanent accessory!
I'd be inclined to do white simple shelves connecting the two cabinets.

auntjen -- LOL. I love the photo and the thought.

annz -- I don't have a vintage piece that is big enough for that space, but I always have my eye out for one! I have seen that thread before. Lots of laundry eye candy. :)

chris11895 -- Good! I'm glad I'm not the only one. Your friends sound lovely ;)

i think this clock would love great.

http://www.uttermost.com/product_line.aspx?category=-20102#_top

If you want shelves, I would keep them white for consistency.

sconway -- that link went to the entire clock section, but not to a specific clock --- did you mean the one here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0216412120911.html?21 ? That is the one on that main page. I love what that one looks like, but it's too big for that space. Thank you so much for trying to help me look :)

I went with a clock. It was the quickest fix, but I actually love the look of it. :)

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Now I need to focus on the other wall and how to approach decorating that area......... Thanks all for your help!