Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Beginning The Laundry Room Makeover

After much deliberation, our laundry area is finally seeing some action. Well hello there, washer…. shall we take this to the bedroom?

Rolling Washer Out

No literally, we took it to the bedroom. JEALOUS?

Laundry In Bedroom

Seriously though – it has been a busy week around here (mostly with unrelated book stuff) but we’ve managed to get some dust flying upstairs too. Long story short, thanks to a lot of thought (and a lot of encouraging comments from you guys) we’ve decided to do more ourselves, while managing some pro sub-contractors directly.

Our second contractor estimate (after the initial $5,000 one) came in at $3,300, which was a more digestible number, but he had an impending vacation – and actually encouraged us to do a lot of it ourselves. So we called some people we’ve worked with in the past – the framer who helped in our sunroom, our go-to electrician, the plumber we worked with for the showhouse, etc. – and many of them were able to come out this week! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a team. Sherry wanted me to add some Team Sonja joke here about mystics and dog psychics but I REFUSE TO WATCH REAL HOUSEWIVES (ok, the leg scene made me look up for a second, but that’s it).

With the pros lined up, it was time to kick off demo. WITH MY BARE HANDS. Okay, not really, but a few walls have come tumbling down.

Hand Through Wall

In an attempt to keep things moving (there’s work going on up there right now) we thought we’d break down what (and how) we demoed on Monday, along with everything else we manage to accomplish by then (fingers crossed that also includes framing, plumbing, and electrical updates). We didn’t want a week to go by without a quick laundry update, so my apologies for the brief check-in today, but we hope it means more progress to share on Monday. Speaking of brief, this house is on an underwear ration until further notice. #nolaundryproblems

Comments

    • Karin Bunton says

      I want to like your like button idea! :D LOL! Maybe a “thumbs up” button if the like button is proprietorial?

  2. Laura @ Rather Square says

    Ooh, can’t wait to see what you accomplish this weekend! Is there really a significant savings by you being the general contractors yourselves? Not that I have any doubt in your skills or management experience, I’m sure you’ll have everything under control. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      YES! I can’t wait to get things done and start paying people so we can share the budget breakdown. It has been an awesome cost comparison for us because we had those initial contractors break things down as line items, so comparing those from the bids of sub-contractors is so simple!

      xo
      s

  3. Vanessa says

    John’s FEISTY this morning! Or whenever this post was written up…

    I’m excited to see your progress. We’re attempting a mostly DIY kitchen redo right now and I’m gleaning much information from you guys, per usual. Thank you for giving us the courage to tear down some stuff and get messy with some paint!! Though, I’m still trying to figure out how you paint kitchen cabinets in a week when we’re on two months and counting… #localrestaurantsknowusbyname

    Reply

    • Emily says

      Good luck!!!

      We’re doing a full kitchen gut and put back together by ourselves (yikes!) in the fall and I have a feeling that the Chinese place down the street will be hosting our Thanksgiving (and possibly Christmas and New Year’s) dinner.

  6. Krista says

    Woooot!!! nothing more satisfying than breaking into a project that you thought was too big. I recently built my own deck and remember your struggles and then satisfaction with your own deck project.

    Best of luck!!!

    Reply

  7. Christine says

    Glad that you guys are going for it. On a totally unrelated note– Sherry, the beard looks very handsome on your husband! #teamkeepthebeardJohn

    Reply

    • Karen says

      I agree with this sentiment whole-heartedly. Scruffy beards are the best. I’m make sad faces at my hubby every time he trims his super short. He hasn’t shaved completely in a really long time, which means the sad faces are working. haha.

    • Leah says

      A condition of marrying me was that my husband never shave his facial hair. He’s had it the whole time we’ve been together. I’ve seen pics – without he looks like a teenager. With, super handsome!

    • Jamie says

      I’m thinking that there is something beardy in the water, because my husband has been keeping the scruff as well and I like it.

    • Jennifer G. says

      I sooo agree with the beard!! My husband is in he military so beards are a no go around here unless we are transferring and he gets 30 days off which he just had and we have a drivers license with a beard picture :)

      I love y’alls blog and look forward to the time when we can own our own home again so we can start DIY upgrading again!

    • Krista says

      scruffy beards might be hot… but they might also be unsafe.

      I don’t mean to critisize but just want to educate. Those disposible masks are intended to be worn with both straps around the head (the bottom one near the neck and the top one at the highest point). Additionally they are meant to be worn CLEAN SHAVEN. A scruffy beard is really just a whole lot of spaces where nasty particles can sneak into your mask.

      Again, not trying to be critical just looking out for the health of my fav bloggers!!!

  10. Becca says

    Did you guys decide to keep the washer and dryer along the same (side) wall for ease of plumbing/wiring issues or did it not end up making a difference in the cost to rotate them onto the back wall? Inquiring minds want to know…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Rotation, baby! We’re going full-monty with this one, and gaining a clear-shot view of the window in the future bunkroom from the hall and an actual laundry room. Wahoo! (says the lady with a washer & dryer in the bedroom)

      xo
      s

    • Becca says

      I meant that it seemed like it would’ve been easier (while still creating the “option 4” laundry room and still extending the hallway to catch the light from the bonus room window) to simply move the laundry hookups a few feet over on the same wall, rather than moving them to the entirely separate new wall and drilling through studs and such. Whatever way you guys do it though, I’m sure it will turn out amazing!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we considered that too – thanks for the tip! We actually asked the plumber and electrician about that and they both said that moving them either way (just over, or over and across) was going to be around the same cost, so we thought walking into the room and seeing them on the back wall would be nicest.

      xo
      s

  13. Jamie D says

    I cracked up and was loving every bit of this hilarious post!! GET R DONE Sherry and John! Can Clara swing a hammer yet? #toddlerdemo

    Reply

    • heyruthie says

      Lowes has this awesome “tool belt” for kids with these teeny, tiny, real tools, including this adorable little hammer. I got it for my 4 yr. old daughter, and she loves it. It’s amazingly high quality too. I think the brand is Build and Grow. She can even wield the littler hammer quite well!

  14. jeannette says

    you guys’ ability to entertain five or 10 solutions to a problem, and to listen to 1000 really bad ideas from readers like us in order to get the one brilliant one — line up laundry door with store room window — is the kind of open-mindedness that peace negotiators and mediators use. it’s powerful. you should write about it — as someone who practices gratitude, as sherry does, i’m sure the tolerance for ambiguity and diversity is related. y’all rock.

    and btw, did you go with the laundry-door-lines-up-with-storeroom-window solution? i thought that was elegant, and squared with the idea that the most elegant solution is always the simplest. (well, not in terms of re-plumbing washing machines, and so on, but in terms of y’all’s stated problem, darkness at the end of the tunnel.)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! We are so excited! Momma gets her window view from the hall and we end up with a bonafide laundry room – and the coolest thing about this sub-contractor method so far is that we have been SO HAPPY with their expertise and their bids have been amazing! The idea of managing a bunch of people and doing things in this perfect domino-effect order had me nervous that I’d be without a laundry room forever, but it seems to be falling right into place. Off to knock on wood (maybe I’ll use a laundry stud…).

      xo
      s

  15. Lacey says

    “The only thing artificial or fake about this house is this!” *Sherry throws a ceramic animal on the table and then to the ground*
    *Everyone gasps*

    Reply

  16. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

    “Aaaaaaand they’re off!” I’m so excited to see how this project plays out and I have no doubt you can manage everything and handle the demo-y stuff to help save moolah.

    Oh yeah, kudos for not watching Real Housewives. Unless your idea of it is the same as my Mr’s “I don’t watch HGTV shows” and then yells “I can’t believe they picked that God awful countertop!” or “you should’ve picked house #3!!”

    Reply

    • Martha says

      My husband’s idea of “not watching” is very similar. Example: while in the middle of The Bachelorette a few weeks ago I ran out to pick up pizza. When I returned the station had not been changed . . . and said husband was able to give me a quick re-cap of what I’d missed. Hmmmm.

  18. Vanessa says

    I am so looking forward to seeing the progress on this project. I have complete faith in you guys and there is nothing like saving money!Good luck!

    Reply

  20. Stardancer says

    There’s something so satisfying about doing it yourself. Even if my version of this means reading your blog posts about you doing it yourselves… Really, though, I’m pretty excited to see all the details on this project! It’s going to be a fantastic change.

    Reply

  21. Isabel says

    Nothing like some demo and the promise of a great new space to get the adrenaline pumping. Good luck with everything, looking forward to the deets on Monday.

    Reply

  22. Laura says

    You guys are so brave to go without a washer/dryer with two little ones at home! Kudos to you. :)

    In other news, where did you get the dresser that’s in your bedroom photo? Was that something you guys painted/made yourselves?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Laura! That was a project from book #1. We found a thrift store dresser with a bunch of drawers and painted them in a gradient (just used a paint chip and got a sample of each color for each drawer so they went from light to dark).

      xo
      s

  23. Natalie Royall says

    OK… only you guys can make me laugh / choke on my morning watermelon snack… in the middle of the office… about moving washer / dryer to the bedroom. I love ya’lls great attitude in the middle of underwear rations… Can’t wait to see the changes. Good luck!!!

    Reply

  24. Brenda says

    I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see how it all progresses. Is it normal to be so pumped for someone else’s demo/renovation?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      OH MY GOSH I’M CRAZY PUMPED. IT’S NOT A GOOD LOOK! I’m like a Disney character dancing and singing around the house. Burger is unnerved.

      xo
      s

    • Jennifer B. says

      Knowing how naturally awkward you are, Sherry (I mean that in the highest complimentary manner possible), I can see you as Princess Anna twirling, singing, running into things, and constantly saying, “Wait, what?”

    • Jennifer B. says

      “For the first time in forever, they’ll be a laundry room with liiiiight…”
      “For the first time in forever, we’ll be washing through the niiiiight. I know it’s totally crazy to dream of underpants, but for the first time in foreverrrr… at least I’ve got a chance.”

    • Katy Simms says

      OMG the Frozen song.. I die!
      I may or may not love that movie more than my daughter does…
      I also may or may not be drooling over this laundry room update!!

  25. Colleen Wilson says

    Yay! I was so sad when you said this reno might not be an option. LOVE the new layout. Can’t wait to see it come to life!

    Reply

  27. Rachel Steck says

    Team Sonja. Ha ha. I LOVE the Housewives. Except Aviva and her fake leg.
    Can’t wait to see what you do with the laundry room!
    xx
    Rachel

    Reply

  28. Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says

    Eee!! So exciting! Just a quick heads up – we had something awful happen to us where our brand new washer was ruined after it was moved along it’s back control panel. It looks like y’all are moving them that way, so just be extra careful that you don’t accidentally damage it! We’re out $900, so I just wanted to hopefully save you from the same fate! Here’s an overview of how it happened, if helpful! http://lemongroveblog.com/another-day-another-900/

    Reply

  30. Kevin says

    OK, so now I’m wondering what kind of visitors Uncle Google will bring to your site with the phrase “underwear ration,” Let us know.

    Reply

  31. Megan says

    Can’t wait to see more! My house is also on a clothing ration due to a unrepairable washer so I feel that pain. But broken washer means new washer! New washer is also the kick in the pants to finish up my other laundry room redo tasks like finally painting the cupboards that were installed at Christmas.

    Reply

  33. Angel says

    I can’t wait to see the breakdown of this project. You are brave to take it on yourselves, but it is the perfect size project to experiment with.

    Good Luck!!

    Reply

  36. luckythreads says

    When my husband and I bought our house the previous owner left behind two washers and two dryers (a set in the basement and a set upstairs). We thought that was silly and were thinking about selling both sets and upgrading to an HE set but hadn’t gotten around to it(and we liked to pretend we were fancy rich people with our TWO washers and TWO dryers).

    Now that we’re expecting and planning on cloth diapering, I’m stoked to have a set just for the diapers! I even caught myself thinking, why don’t J&S just use their other set until everything is done? Then I remembered that most people don’t have two…duh #fakerichpeopleproblems

    Reply

  37. Lindsay H says

    I am so excited for this project!! I can’t wait to see how it all comes out. We’re hoping to embark on a laundry room renovation, and I’m sure this will inspire me to get going.

    Reply

  39. Jaimee says

    Giggling here, because of the “pin it” button that pops up for the picture of your washer/dryer against the wall in your bedroom. Imagining someone going, “This! EXACTLY what I have been looking for!”. Thanks for the laugh this morning, and can’t wait to see this laundry room.

    Reply

  40. Joy says

    Good luck!

    We’ve taken on our largest undertaking yet — re-finishing the basement (previous owners didn’t do it right and we just had to have the the drywall and wetbar removed by mold remediation experts) — and it’s daunting to say the least.

    As always, thank you for being such an inspiration to us DIYers (and wannabes); I’ve read and re-read “Tackling The Basement” and ideas, tips and motivation.

    Reply

  41. Analise says

    JOHN. You are hilarious. The “JEALOUS?” thing had me snorting my coffee onto my keyboard. Cool with it. Cannot wait to see what you guys come up with next!

    Reply

  42. Raquel says

    I have got to become half as productive as you guys! You amaze me! Can’t wait to see how it all looks–and your budget breakdown! I want to do our basement, but would need to be general contractor on it and I don’t know what I’m doing. Teach me, Petersiks!

    Reply

  45. Jamie says

    I’m so excited to see your new laundry room! Right now we are getting our bathroom floors redone. I was all for doing it ourselves, but my husband was like, “Hey, we need subfloor work done, so lets leave it to the professionals.” At least I get to install my own sink.

    Reply

  47. Lindsay @ The Newlywed Notebook says

    Demo is the best part!! Well, knocking things down is. The cleanup? Not so much fun. :) I think it’s really neat you guys decided to take on more of the project yourself. And hey, if anyone can do it, you guys can! (I feel like now would be an appropriate time to start the chant). Anyway, best of luck! Can’t wait to see a progress update!

    Reply

  48. aurelie says

    so excited to see how this all turns out!
    going sans laundry with a baby and toddler is BOLD. the mere thought just instills fear.

    Reply

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