From Joy at the Southern Schoolhouse
As promised, a peek inside our brand inspiration. We will start with the laundry room. Once a side room off the porch, probably to store coal for the coal burning fireplaces, this little space is now the workhorse of our home. I tease that the washer and dryer often cry out in protest saying “Why did she have to pick me?”
With a small home and large family, every inch of a home counts. This room is no different. Recently when my old washer and dryer broke (striking terror into my heart) I decided to do a quick clean out and reevaluate each item in the space, making it as efficient as possible. The below points highlight my laundry space must-haves.
Growing up I always had a basket with my folded clothes that I was responsible for emptying. I have carried this tradition on to my own family. I installed shelves, adding these sturdy baskets from Target. The kids know that is where I put any folded clean clothes as well as their small items I find laying around the house. Underneath these I have tucked in a Thrift Store laundry hamper. You can find a similar option here. My Grandmother’s homemade clothes pin bag hangs as a reminder of where I come from and who I strive to be.
A folding space is very helpful. Thrifting and creating things on a budget is my thing. First, I measured the space and then started to scour the ReStore for tables that had a similar length. I was able to find this one, cut it down the middle to fit, refinish the top, and secure it to the wall for my sink and folding area. The sink was also a ReStore find. I encourage you to look there often. Your hard-earned money stretches farther and goes to a great cause.
Since the water heater is stored in this room (not ideal), I have additional challenges for aesthetics and storage. Until I can afford a custom cabinet, I have utilized a stand up shower curtain rod and a canvas drop cloth. This system hides the unit and gives me an area for my brooms and cleaning supplies. “S” hooks on the curtain rod add a discreet area to hang bras or swimsuits to dry.
Wall hooks were installed for the brooms, adding a leather cord to each for hanging. I bought these cute French Market Bags and used them on the hook to store socks that are awaiting their matches. I also bought some cheap brackets to secure an old piece of wood for additional shelving. On this shelf, I keep things that should be out of reach for children. Two wall screws hold the stackable metal baskets giving them easy removal. Here I store my garden gloves and flashlights for easy access.
Between my water heater and washer and dryer unit was a narrow space. I need to use every inch for storage so was able to find this skinny cart for additional laundry and cleaning supplies. It keeps things neat and corralled. On the floor I placed a washable runner from Target. It is perfect for the length of the space and when it gets dirty, it can be washed in my machine. The runner rug has held up nicely with multiple washings. I liked it so much, I even bought a smaller one to go by the back door.
When decorating our little schoolhouse I use a lot of older or vintage looking finds. I hung my grandmother’s old washboards and added some vintage jars for the spare change often found during laundry sessions.
I use a short canning jar, adding a bamboo brush, to use for scrubbing stains out of ball pants. This sits on my open metal shelves, a decorative item found at my local consignment shop. My towel rack is a cabinet pull, the perfect size to hang a towel. The placement is also purposeful to hide the drain pipes.
On the back of the toilet, I found a narrow metal basket from Target. This fits perfectly and adds a place for an extra toilet paper roll as well as the clean hand towels.
The art used in this space were old Charlie Harper Calendar pictures, framed in simple inexpensive frames. My favorite piece in the room was created by my oldest son, who arranged and framed some wild flowers for my mother’s day gift.
For a finishing touch, I added a metal laundry room sign to the door. This adds a bit of vintage whimsy.
I recently found the perfect drying rack for my space. A smaller one that I can fold down tight to the wall that compliments the room. It will be a helpful addition for the delicates that come through the laundry. So far I love it and it was easy to install, coming with templates for drilling.
Hope you enjoyed the tour of this much used space and welcome again to my schoolhouse.
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