Help! How to improve look of laundry nook?
Our washer and dryer is located in the garage. Ideally i would like to fix up the laundry nook so it's nicer looking and to make more use of the space. However, this whole wall is weird. Due to the electrical box and the solar panel box i don't even know if i can add any real shelving or cabinets. Also the location of the faucet is very off center from the sink. I'm not sure what i can even do. Help!
Comments (9)
ffpalms
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
How can I improve our look?
Comments (17)Agree with "remove all of the toppers". The floral and lace can look girly or give a country vibe to the house. You have nice big windows so show them off. It will be a cleaner, more spacious, brighter look. I like the greenish color in the kitchen, but then in one of the photos of the eat-in breakfast area it looks like a blueish color. I'd take that photo out. It doesn't represent the true color if someone is flipping through the photos quickly they will think there are too many paint colors shared in one space-kitchen, family room, breakfast area. You have a lot of different paint colors in the house and not everyone likes that, so adding a new paint color that's not really there doesn't help. The dusty rose color in the dining room and master bedroom bothers me. If I was someone who wanted move-in ready and did not want to repaint, I would pass on the house. If the pool is in good condition I would love it, but the yard doesn't appear to be fenced in. That would make it a liability issue for me. If it is fenced in make sure you show that in the photos. Remove the clock over the door. It drawers the eye there and makes the room look shorter. You have lots of family photos. At least remove the ones in the dinning room. It seems like an odd place to display them. Others may disagree, but the nice wedding one over the fireplace doesn't bother me. If you have time repaint the kids room to match the family room. Not everyone will have a boy and a girl and so these will be rooms that buyers will need to potentially repaint. Everything looks clean and in good repair. You were brave to put it on here for scrutiny so I hope it pays off. You've gotten some good advice with several easy, cheap, quick, changes that would make a big difference. If it helps your comps have some things they could do to improve as well, so decor wise I think you are all pretty equal. Best of luck for a quick sale. This post was edited by Homeblessings on Tue, Mar 26, 13 at 0:41...See MoreSuggestions to improve laundry and pantry layout
Comments (32)One other problem I see is that now your kitchen is completely closed off to the rest of the house. Are you ok with not interacting with any guests when in the kitchen and it being closed off? This of course is a personal decision. Some folks prefer not to have people in their kitchen and others like myself, want to be part of the action. I personally prefer the original version to this one regarding the public spaces. I think it flowed better with the exception of the sun porch. If it were me, I'd keep the public rooms as you had them, (with ARG's change) and change the master area to the new configuration since you need the closet space. Or I'd explore if there's another way to configure it so you also don't have the toilet on the bedroom wall. I hear you about it being a smaller house and not having to walk too far. Maybe you can do what mrspete is going to do and get a small cart, similar to a supermarket cart to wheel laundry back and forth if the time ever comes that you need more support. (I'm not suggesting you do it now but it's an idea to keep in the back of your mind.)...See MoreCabinets and Countertop mismatch -How to improve ; welcome help
Comments (26)I don't know how they do it, but it might be interesting to have the island lighter with the color of the cabinets painted over it, and than wiped off, to just see the dark highlights in streaks? BUT, if having the island darker is your preference as someone said, due to other wood in your home, than when you see the whole picture, and the appliances in play, you will see a different hue in all your surfaces. I don't encourage WHITE OR DARK in a kitchen. DARK is hard to keep the smears and dust off to look CLEAN. WHITE, is going to yellow with time and especially around the cooking appliance where fumes and grease go airborne. So your cabinets are the pERFECT color of a creamy yellow, not a naseous LEMON or an ORANGEy yellow. Light in a kitchen as yours will be very nice and the colors of the walls such as just the right warm taupe color or pale gray, or just the right dusty blue, or even dusty green-gray or gray-green, show you have versatile basics that will stand the test of time as soft good colors come and go, for window treatments and linens. I read somewhere that in paints, the most timeless choices that wear on one to 'live with' long term, lie in the 'dusty' shades family. I think there is some truth to that. Being there in person, you will be able to make the best judge, and you can always ask someone you trust to confirm your decision or guide you to an option you have not thought of, based on all the ideas you have seen here. It's great to have so many options!...See Morekitchen nook: I want to look out at my backyard. Help!
Comments (29)If you scroll further down in that linked thread, the details are there including pictures from the outside. . I am pasting the text from that thread , below, for a quick read. My box bay was built under a second floor overhang so no roof needed but a small roof would probably not add that much to the total cost. Another bonus of the box bay is that with the half screens, we can remove the banquette pillow and use the window seat for a staging area for food to be passed to the deck from the kitchen when we have a garden party. The half screens move up and allow access to the plates/trays, and then move down to protect the food and house from flies. It beats trying to walk out a closed patio door with both hands carrying a heavy tray. We also have used the box bay to temporarily stage the music speakers for parties. Of course nowadays that is moot due to bluetooth everywhere. I think you have lots of room to get by it on the exterior. You can put a bench of similar depth and width in that area on the outside of the house to gauge how it might affect your walkway. HTH ___________________________________________ form the original thread... It cost slightly less than $5000 all told (including moving electrical and adding foam insulation under the exterior Azek cladding, tempered windows since I have all boys :) ), measures 78 inches wide internally by 18 inches deep. Much cheaper than adding a 40k breakfast room or an 80k large kitchen expansion as I first planned. I have a custom cushion for it now and my teen boys enjoy lounging and napping there. The key is to seat it low enough to the ground to make it comfortable for sitting (16" height). I also specified the weight that it had to be able to carry (600 lb). The style is known as a "box bay" and the brand is Sunrise windows. I purchased their premade "projected frame" window through their authorized contractor and he worked with me on the other details. My good friend and former nanny came by to visit the other day and barely noticed the kitchen renovation, she was so taken with the sitting bay. Exterior of original windows New box bay replacing old windows. Somehow those bay walls bring in a lot more light into the space. We also really like watching all the small wildlife outside that we could not reall see before. In terms of the layout, it gave us enough "breathing space" and sitting area... The light, animal/ibird watching, and perceived airiness is a huge bonus....See More
bpath
last year
apple_pie_order
last year
Jilly
last year
pricklypearcactus
last yearYou could have the plumbing moved so that it is centered on wherever you want to have the sink. One option would be to do a countertop across the washer and dryer with a sink integrated into the countertop in between. If it is possible, it might be even better to put the dryer on the left, then the washer, then the sink, but that's probably the most moving of plumbing and electrical.
Here are some inspiration images of having a sink between the washer and dryer. You could do a countertop across the whole space to unify it. And go with a sink in a cabinet to provide storage underneath the sink.
The most affordable option would probably be to get a pre-made sink cabinet from IKEA or a big box store. Buy an affordable single bowl deep sink and affordable faucet. See if you can get an affordable laminate or maybe butcherblock countertop. I think that would make things look a lot better to have a unified space with a nice sink cabinet instead of the free standing plastic sink.
I don't know whether you can put cabinetry around the existing panels and electrical. That would probably be a question for an electrician. I know some panels have to be exposed.Farah D
last yearThank you all for your suggestions! I showed this to my partner and I think it was helpful for him to see other folks perspective, especially the piece about the plumbing and outlet needing to be moved.
I think if i move the washer next the dryer I'll have a better bet of having some kid of cabinet or shelving above it, since i can't put anything that blocks the electrical panel. Either way i know I'll have to move the plumbing around.
Not sure if anyone knows the answer to this, but we have the water tank that is a few years past it's expiration date. If i replace this with a tankless water heater, how much space do you think will become available? Perhaps i can install a tankless water heater outside?
I posted some pictures of what that laundry area looked like with the previous homeowners and how it looked when we moved in/before we installed our washer and dryer.
Because we have a small home the garage is multipurpose - it's where we enter the house, it's where the laundry is, and of course where we should be keeping non-seasonal items.
Kate
last yearUser
last yearlast modified: last yearMoving the plumbing will be very expensive.
If you stack the washer/dryer, you will only be able to easily turn on the hot water for the sink. (Be sure you can access the cold tap, it's just that it will be inconvenient to reach for most average days.) If you're ok with that, then I think stacking the W/D would be your best layout. Then you could put a sink cabinet to the left, with storage and a countertop to set things on. Then give the walls fresh paint, also paint anything else that can be painted -- such as the conduit, outlet covers, and the electrical box.
Ask a plumbing store for help finding better ways to extend the faucet:
If you find the water tank unsightly, you could have somebody build panels around them, like below. Just make sure they're easy to pull out or open if you need to access the tank.
Once you have a nice laundry sink cabinet and fresh paint, I think you won't be so bothered by the utility panels. But if you still hate them, you could cover them with shallow cabinets. You'll need to cut notches so they'll fit around the conduit.
Maria M.