Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Paint Your Fuse Box So It Blends In

Our freshly painted laundry room is so bright and happy that makes me want to sing and dance like a crazy person. First I repainted all the trim (with Olympic No-VOC semi-gloss off-the-shelf white) and painted the annoying brown quarter round near the baseboards, so it blended in with the white trim. I applied three thin coats of the same Olympic No-VOC paint (no primer because I used the same method with success in the living room five months back and I’m lazy). Then when it came to the wall color, we decided to use the leftover paint that we used in the adjoining kitchen (remember when we painted that beastly paneling here?). Why that color? To brighten things up and connect the two spaces since you pretty much see the kitchen as soon as you step in the side door in the laundry room.

Kitchen Table Wide After

Since the laundry room is such a small space we knew a different color might interrupt the flow and make it feel a lot smaller than something that would connect slash elongate it. We might add a subtle stencil or some other paint treatment down the line if we want more mojo in there – but once we hang window treatments and a new dangly light fixture and add lots of other stuff (art, storage, etc) we’re not sure if it’ll be too much for the tiny room. So we’re waiting on the whole stencil/stripe possibility.

Bee tee dubs (yes I just spelled out btw, and turned the w into a dubs) the color is called Sesame 381 by Benjamin Moore (color matched to Olympic’s No-VOC paint in a semi-gloss finish). Our small semi-light-filled laundry room has a door and window that let in light from the carport, which isn’t super bright but it’s a lot brighter than our windowless kitchen. So the artichoke-ish grellow (green + yellow) tone:

  1. is a smidge brighter
  2. reads a little more yellow than it does in the kitchen
  3. is so insanely cheerful

We’re psyched. Who doesn’t love a happy little laundry nook? As soon as I started cutting in I knew it would wake up the whole space.

Painting Laundry1

Here’s what it looked like when we moved in:

Tour Laundry Before

Laundry Shutters Before

Laundry Frosting Done

And here she is now with a slap of how-you-doin’-on-this-fine-morning color (along with some other changes covered here):

Painting Laundry2

Oh and if you’re wondering what that white board is in the pic above and below, we heard setting stacked appliances on a nice thick piece of plywood that goes against all three walls can stabilize the machine for a longer life. So we did it. And I painted it white because when we add shelving to that side of the nook it’ll blend in like chin hair on a mountain goat. Made that up. Think it’s catchy? Nah, me neither.

Some of these photos look a little more neon and booger-ish than it does in real life. In real life there’s zero booger resemblance and it’s definitely not neon. Which is a relief. It’s light and sweet – like liquid sunshine. And here’s why we knew this room could handle some happy color:

  • We’ll add a ton of white shelving to temper the color (along with the white washer/dryer).
  • It has a window & a glass door as well as a doorway into the kitchen to break things up.
  • Eventually when we have wood floors in there it’ll be even more subdued.

Painting Laundry3

Painting Laundry4

Painting Laundry5

Oh and as for that crazy metal fuse box cover that we had going on – remember this?

Laundry Fuse Box

We just rolled/brushed a few thin and even coats of paint right over it. Didn’t even prime. We did that in our last house to hide a just-as-obvious one in the corner of the den – and four years later it still looked awesome. See if you can find it here. Metal actually takes thin coats of paint really well (like spray paint) so by being sure not to glob it on and opting to do more thin coats (as opposed to fewer thick and globby ones) I got some nice coverage. And it still opens and closes easily (tip: do that a few times between coats to ensure that things still work smoothly and nothing gets gummed up with paint). In short: thin and even applications = the painting holy grail.

Painting Laundry6b

Total spent for this phase of the makeover: $0 (thanks to trim and wall paint that we already had leftover from the kitchen). Wait, we did buy a pack of rollers so it was actually $8. Of course we still have plans for adding a ton of function (and a good dose of looks-nice stuff, like art) to the room – and that blank wall in particular. So that painted fuse box won’t just sit there looking, well, painted. We’ll share those details as we go.

As for the to do list, here it is as it stands today:

  • Paint the odd brown quarter round near the baseboards glossy white
  • Redo all the dinged up trim (also in semi-gloss white)
  • Paint the walls
  • Replace our dryer hose with a safer all-metal one
  • Add adjustable built-in shelving in that nook next to the stacked washer & dryer <– we can’t unstack them and put them on the long wall since the room is only 3.5′ wide so the doors wouldn’t even open
  • Replace the hinges and knobs on the upper cabinetry
  • Get a new light fixture <- DIY something? maybe a small chandelier?
  • Add a window treatment (maybe a homemade one?)
  • Add other functional storage near the door for shoes, Burger’s leash, etc
  • Hang some art to keep it cheerful and obscure the giant metal fuse box

Mmm, crisp white trim might also be the painting holy grail. Doesn’t it look so great with warm greeny gold? This photo is probably the most true to life when it comes to the actual paint color and how it looks in there. It’s a little lighter in person, but this is the yellow with a hint of green tone to a T. It’s just like an artichoke heart.

Painting Laundry8b

Suddenly I actually feel like doing laundry. Weird.

Psst- You guys were all so sweet about my haircut yesterday. Seriously, I almost got a cavity. And I definitely got all awkward and clammy and blushy. Basically the opposite of cute. Anyway, rest assured that my hair will never look that good again (you know stylists possess some other-worldly powers to create a hairstyle that no one can replicate at home). So stop being so dang nice. It’s making me rashy.

Comments

  1. Meghan Solberg says

    Your awesome already laundry redo is making me search ALL OVER pinterest for even more cute wonderful laundry rooms that make me WANT to do laundry. Sick. Love the flow of color.

    (your hair is still cute)

    Reply

  2. Margaret Critz says

    LOVE “chin hair on a mountain goat!” Made me laugh out loud!

    My kitchen is the same color and I couldn’t be happier! Excellent color choice and fantastic job on the laundry room. I’m becoming obsessed with this blog… but don’t worry, not in a creepy way! :)

    Reply

  7. Eva says

    Ok, this COMPLETELY inspired me… And also, it had me laughing the whole time… Boogers? Bee tee dubs? mountain goats? hilarious. The room looks great, and I am inspired to tackle my nasty laundry room now. Thanks!

    -E

    Reply

  8. Sara says

    Thank you for the post! I have been on pins & needles waiting to see what you guys did to cover up the fuse box. I am relieved that I can paint over mine, after seeing your “after”, I have the confidence to attempt covering up mine. Thanks for the great tip! Love that Clara & Burger!!

    Reply

  10. Debbie~refreshrestyle says

    It’s so reFreshing and you know I love reFreshing! I would love doing laundry there too, but then I do love the smell of clean clothes! I need to make a list to get things done, but I’m always on here reading your checked off items! Wish me luck!
    Debbie

    Reply

  12. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    It’s funny how a nice laundry space really does make you want to do laundry! When we lived in my in-laws house their washer & dryer were in the basement in a closed off room with the boiler and water heater. Dingy and gross. Our new house has a laundry room (with almost identical yellow paint to yours) that is much more pleasant and I actually enjoy doing laundry. I’m sure the novelty will wear off soon enough though ;)

    Reply

  13. Amanda Feste says

    Sherry you’ll get all rashy — Your hair looks AMAZING, along with your “new” laundry room. I L.O.V.E your blog, thanks for all you do for your readers.

    P.S. You mentioned once that you guys do the blog for your own “journal” process – maybe another post on other things you do for traditions, journaling, how you basically remember what you do when (other then Johns’ math brain)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think the short story is that we take a lot of photos, hang a lot of meaningful objects and items to remind us of fun times that we’ve shared, send ourselves postcards on trips to remember the details, etc. We try to document and display things in a way that it’s not too hard (otherwise we wouldn’t do it) and it’s kind of easy and fun!

      xo,
      s

  14. Melissa says

    Love it!! :) oh and I think you may have just talked me into cutting hair. It’s half way down my back and curly, I’ve been putting it in a side braid for far too long now. lol Wish me luck!

    Reply

  15. Eilene says

    I want to leave work right now and do over my laundry room/half bath in that same color!!! Looking at your laundry room makes me cheery! Nothing like this little lifeless cubicle. Blah!

    Reply

  17. Katie says

    LOVING the color! A cheerful color is a must for chore rooms. Can’t wait to see the finished product…it actually makes me wish we had a laundry room (or even a nook) as opposed to the w/d just living in the corner of our garage. I need some inspiration on making that area more inviting…

    Reply

  18. Krystal says

    Thank you for posting the Brady Bunch video. I will now have Sunshine Day stuck in my head. It will be a nice break from having “U Can’t Touch This” stuck in my head for the past four days. Seriously, it’s been driving me nuts…and caused a horribly embarrassing moment when I couldn’t contain myself and started busting a rhyme and a move at work.

    Reply

  19. Heather says

    That looks fabu! Now you need a a big plush rag rug right in front of the washer/dryer.

    I also want to point out how relieved I am that you went warm with the color. When I painted our nursery pale yellow, I chose a color more on the cooler side and it ended up looking a little neon because the room is so small. (surprised it drive my little girl crazy)

    Keep up the great work!

    Reply

  21. Andrea @ DwellRepurposed says

    Go get yourself some salon quality shampoo and conditioner(I recommend Biolage) and a fat, vented round brush and you can have that hairstyle all day, everyday! Coming from a girl who thought my hair would never look as good as when the stylist did it, turned cosmetology student! I learned the power of quality products!

    Reply

  22. Ashley says

    Sherry, just curious… can you reach the buttons on the dryer up there?!? I’m 5’3 and I think I would have to pole vault up there just to be able to turn the dryer on

    Reply

  23. Sarah says

    Hi, the kitchen & laundry room look great! Care to comment on your choice to use semi-gloss for the walls? I’m used to using semi-gloss at trim but then dialing back to satin, eggshell or even matte on the walls. Does a semi-gloss sheen run the risk of the walls looking too “shiny?”

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I like to use semi-gloss in all kitchens, bathrooms, and mudroom/laundry room areas- just because it’s easier to wipe down. We also have plaster walls so that seems to suck up paint more (so it doesn’t appear as shiny) so if you have drywall you might prefer eggshell, which is also an awesome choice. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  24. Suzanne Supplee says

    Love the yellow! Also, as for the fuse box thingy, we had one in our old house that we turned into a chalkboard. Actually, the guy who redid our kitchen turned it into a chalkboard. I saw the plans for it in Southern Living—frame around the outside of it, door that he built then painted with chalkboard paint. He even added a ledge for chalk and eraser. Just a thought. Haircut is adorable, by the way.

    Reply

  26. Lauren says

    Love the paint! Is it you two that Safecoat Acrylacq to seal spray paint? I went to Home Depot and Lowes looking for it but no one had heard of it. Was I looking in the wrong place (paint section)? Take me to your paint!! :) Thanks for all you do!

    Reply

  27. kyla says

    “…..I just can’t stay inside all day, I gotta get out, get me some of those raaaayyyys…” Offcially have this stuck in my head. all. day. long. :) Cute post.

    Reply

  29. Brooke says

    I recently found your blog and I just want to let you all know that I absolutely love it! I enjoy reading back into your posts to learn more about you guys and your love for your house!! Keep up the good work because I just can’t get enough! :)

    Reply

  32. Sarah says

    Hi youngsters! Love the laundry room color! It looks in your picture that you have a flexible dryer vent pipe. Those are really hazardous and a lot of dryer fires start that way as the lint clogs them up faster than a rigid pipe that let’s the lint through. I only point it out because I know you are safety sticklers. We didn’t know it was hazardous till our home inspection .

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks so much Sarah! If you check out our to-do list at the bottom of this post the very next thing we’ll be tackling is replacing that! Thanks so much for making sure we’re in on that info!

      xo,
      s

  33. jill says

    Good heavens, this is SO making me want to paint something. LOVE that color.

    And yes! I forgot to comment yesterday that your hair looks fabulous! Seriously, it’s gorgeous and you’re gorgeous. (And don’t get all rashy and just own it, sister.) xo

    Reply

  34. JennyB says

    Great color! It’s so cheery and happy!

    Beeteedub (you’ve started something here), I painted under the chair rail of our hallway the same color as the background of your bookshelves (Dragonfly by Benj. Moore ..actually, I color matched it with a low VOC paint, like you suggested). LOVE IT! I need to get a good picture to post on Facebook. So far, every pic I’ve tried to take is a bit dark and doesn’t show how truly lovely it is. What a terrific color. I smile everytime I walk down the hall. Now I just need to figure out the top half.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sounds awesome! Can’t wait to see it on FB! I know what you mean about some colors being hard to photograph! Usually taking a photo on a sunny day without the flash (and even resting the camera on something like a table or a tripod so things aren’t blurry) can do the trick! Good luck.

      xo,
      s

  37. ellen says

    i totaly love yhl.. i am repainting my bedrooms now useing a combination of colors used in your first house and some from the new house..thankyou for pushing my painting envolope i waa stuck. i used quiet moments and ordered the pressed leaf duvet{something old something new}will they work together? tia ellen

    Reply

  39. Jackie says

    Phrase of the day… “like chin hair on a mountain goat”. Omg. Love you guys. Laundry room looks great!

    Reply

  40. Emily Phillips says

    Love it!! You two must be starting to rub off on me…my husband and I just finished painting our kitchen & adjoining laundry room, and chose to use the same color for both. It definitely does make it feel more cohesive. And, I was brave enough to paint the fuse box, too…so happy with how that looks! I think I might finally be “getting it”. :) So excited to see your progress!!

    Reply

  42. fd says

    I love the yellow grellow paint. I love bright colours. Shiny happy swooning.
    And belated happy anniversary. Sherry your haircut is great and John gets super-husband points for the cards and flowers and breakfast. You are such a thoughtful couple with each other, its very impressive. No wonder you all glow in your pics!

    Reply

  43. Dawn S. says

    When you convert the carport to a garage, what will happen to that window in the laundry room since it will get no light then? Would you consider removing it to use that wall for more shelving or hanging rods for clothes, etc?

    I never thought to paint over our laundry room fuse box! I just got a rack that hangs above it for my ironing board (with a fun DIYed fabric cover) to cover in front of it as “functional art”–it hangs way more than it gets used anyway! I figured that it may as well be pretty as “art” the rest of the time!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re planning to add windows in the doors, side, and back of the garage so it still gets some nice light (and then we’ll probably frost the window like the door since that makes the room feel less like a scary lightless tomb).

      xo,
      s

  44. Amanda says

    First of all I LOVE your paint color for your kitchen/laundry room! When I googled sesame 381 by Benjamin Moore I get a taupe color. Is that the correct name? I’d love to use it in my kitchen.

    Reply

  45. Kelly says

    At first when I was reading I thought it said you used the same color in the laundry room that you used in the ANNOYING kitchen. Then I realized it said adjoining kitchen and I lol’d because I thought annoying would have been much more appropriate!

    And last night my husband and I did all the edging in the master bedroom of our new house (using the awesome Tight Spots brush you recommended!) and was totally bummed that it wasn’t perfect… but when I saw a little “grellow” on the bottom of your window in the close up I felt so much better! I don’t suck at painting as much as I thought. Thanks! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- that annoying kitchen! Love it. And yes, I’m definitely a “whatever, it’s good enough” painter. Once the room gets full of things and people no one notices those little imperfections that seem so glaringly obvious when the room is empty and you’re staring at the trim from an inch away!

      xo,
      s

  46. katie says

    Love the fact that you used the same paint color as the kitchen!

    Someday would you ever consider relocating the wall between the kitchen and laundry room to make the laundry room larger? Just a thought…

    and when you add shelving in the near future, have you considered making a counter height shelf wrap around under the window. It couldn’t be too deep due to space constraints but might be useful…I don’t know.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It would probably cost a ton since it would mean moving a vent hood, range, and sink to make more room. I guess we’re just used to small little laundry nooks like the hall closet set-up we had in our last house. Haha. As for the window shelf idea- we’re actually pondering a bunch of different scenarios right now! Should be fun to see where we end up!

      xo,
      s

  47. Annie Manocchio says

    Funny that you posted the Brady Bunch video because I just read on CNN today that the ‘Brady Bunch’ creator Sherwood Schwartz died yesterday. He was 94 years old.

    Reply

  48. debbie says

    That grellow is so fresh and will look so great with new wood floors! Esp darker ones! What wood color were you thinking?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Something along the same lines as the rustic medium tones in the console that we built in the living room. Maybe even slightly varied by plank?

      xo,
      s

  49. LauraElle says

    One of the things your blog teaches me is how to break up bigger projects into smaller, do-able bites. Learning this removes some of the intimidation out of DIY and home decorating. Thank you for that. What a difference paint makes!!! Your laundry room is gorgeous and I’m psyched to see how it ends up.

    May I ask where you’ve heard of/will obtain the metal dryer hose? Will you have it installed or is it a DIY project? I’m sick of the flimsy dryer hose in my laundry area as well.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Lowe’s has one that we were eying the other day (I bet they have one at Home Depot too). You just slide it in with clamps (it’s really straightforward) so I bet it’s something you can do!

      xo,
      s

  50. katie says

    ok sorry for a second comment… but i just love brainstorming ways to achieve more storage in small spaces. :) would it be possible to slide the washer/dryer to the right against the wall with the window and add in a ton of built in shelves or closed storage on the wall with the fuse box?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That was our first thought too- sadly the hook ups and wiring in the back make the current placement work best. But we’ll cram as much function as we can in there!

      xo,
      s

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