Reader Laundry Room: A Better Way In for $4,100 in Wisconsin
This laundry room serves as an entrance to the home, but its original finishes lacked personality
This series profiles laundry room renovations shared by homeowners on Houzz.
The price tag for laundry room renovations can range from very little for a few cosmetic updates to quite a lot when plumbing is involved. To get a sample of projects and their prices, we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. Today we look at a 42-square-foot laundry room remodel in Wisconsin that the owners beautified for $4,110.
The price tag for laundry room renovations can range from very little for a few cosmetic updates to quite a lot when plumbing is involved. To get a sample of projects and their prices, we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. Today we look at a 42-square-foot laundry room remodel in Wisconsin that the owners beautified for $4,110.
BEFORE: A side entrance off the driveway of Dawn and Steve Young’s home leads through their laundry room, past a hall closet and into the kitchen. The front entry is much grander, but visitors frequently came into or out of the “sad, tired-looking laundry room” because it is closest to where they park, Dawn says. She wished this exit were a bit more picturesque.
BEFORE: The first step in changing the laundry room was selecting new flooring, a task that got off to a bumpy start.
“Uh-oh” moment: Dawn attempted to match the new laundry room flooring to the hardwood floors in the rest of the home, but the tile she selected, shown here, ended up looking orangy pink. “Terrible,” says Dawn. “We actually had to eat the cost of the first floor, and we donated it to a local Goodwill.”
AFTER: Dawn turned to Houzz, posting a discussion asking Houzzers to help her choose a better floor material. The Houzz community gave her many ideas, eventually helping her decide on the vinyl flooring pictured here. The Youngs removed the old floor and the old cabinetry themselves.
Vinyl flooring: Armstrong Flooring
Vinyl flooring: Armstrong Flooring
Houzzers also floated the idea of using wallpaper, a suggestion Dawn loved. “When I found the one I ended up choosing, I felt like it was me and spoke to my love of my gardens surrounding our home,” she says. She was nervous about using a large and bold print inside a small room, but she’s very happy with the finished result. The Youngs hired a professional to install the paper.
Composite sink: Solera Sinks; Arbor faucet: Moen
Composite sink: Solera Sinks; Arbor faucet: Moen
Next, the Youngs next decided to install a standpipe to drain the washing machine water discharge. In the old laundry room setup, the dirty water came out of the machine and drained into an old laundry sink made of plastic, which they found unsightly and old-fashioned. Adding a standpipe would eliminate the visual of dirty water pouring out from the washing machine.
Lessons learned: “One bad planning mistake was that we decided to put a standpipe in the wall after the room was wallpapered — very bad,” Dawn says. Fortunately, the plumber was able to enter the wall from the garage side and make only one small cut into the wallpapered wall for the discharge hose to run into the standpipe, pictured here, in the wall.
Lessons learned: “One bad planning mistake was that we decided to put a standpipe in the wall after the room was wallpapered — very bad,” Dawn says. Fortunately, the plumber was able to enter the wall from the garage side and make only one small cut into the wallpapered wall for the discharge hose to run into the standpipe, pictured here, in the wall.
The Youngs replaced that old dirty water discharge tub with a cabinet that has a quartz sink top. They purchased the quartz remnant from a local granite countertop supplier for $300, including installation. The cabinetry is maple, stained in a driftwood finish. Dawn chose brushed bronze pulls to finish off the cabinets.
Quartz countertop: Bedrock Granite & Tile
Quartz countertop: Bedrock Granite & Tile
Instead of filling the wall with upper cabinets, the way the laundry room had been before the changes, the Youngs left an area open and added a floating shelf. Here, Dawn displays a bit of greenery and some artwork.
Cabinets and shelf: Countryside Cabinets via Zuern Building Products
Cabinets and shelf: Countryside Cabinets via Zuern Building Products
Steve drew the cat artwork during high school in the 1970s.
“Now I am fine with people leaving through the side entrance, and I feel a bit better about doing laundry now too,” Dawn says.
“Now I am fine with people leaving through the side entrance, and I feel a bit better about doing laundry now too,” Dawn says.
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: Yes, added standpipe for washing machine instead of letting water discharge into old laundry tub
Professionals hired: Stephen Plumbing (standpipe); Mark Schwantes (wallpaper installation)
Splurges: New cabinets and wallpaper
Cost breakdown
Sink: $284
Faucet: $326
Cabinetry: $1,250
Countertop: $300 for quartz remnant, including installation
Lighting: $150
Accessories and decor: $800 for wallpaper, including installation
Flooring: $500 ($250 for vinyl flooring plus $250 for the rejected tile floor)
Plumbing: $500
Labor: Included in other categories
Total: $4,110
Up next: $18,000 for a spa-inspired update
More
Homeowners’ Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
How Much Does a Remodel Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
Browse wallpapers in the Shop section
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: Yes, added standpipe for washing machine instead of letting water discharge into old laundry tub
Professionals hired: Stephen Plumbing (standpipe); Mark Schwantes (wallpaper installation)
Splurges: New cabinets and wallpaper
Cost breakdown
Sink: $284
Faucet: $326
Cabinetry: $1,250
Countertop: $300 for quartz remnant, including installation
Lighting: $150
Accessories and decor: $800 for wallpaper, including installation
Flooring: $500 ($250 for vinyl flooring plus $250 for the rejected tile floor)
Plumbing: $500
Labor: Included in other categories
Total: $4,110
Up next: $18,000 for a spa-inspired update
More
Homeowners’ Workbook: How to Remodel the Laundry Room
How Much Does a Remodel Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
Browse wallpapers in the Shop section
Location: Fredonia, Wisconsin
Size: 42 square feet (3.9 square meters)
Total cost: $4,110
Construction time: Two months