Wednesday Wash Wisdom - My Space
I had a very HGTV moment a few years ago. Standing in my 6′x7′ laundry room, I felt like Paris Hilton in solitary confinement. The walls were builder’s beige, the cabinets are dark brown, and I couldn’t fold clothes in the room because the only counter space was covered in pre-school art projects and newspapers waiting for recycling. Why had my only space in the house, the room that no one dared to enter, become a junk pile?
So weather it was Trading Spaces or Design on a Dime, some show inspired me to clean up my act. Surveying the color swatches in the paint department at Home Depot was a decorating high. I swiped as many paint chips that would fit in my purse and headed back to my laundry cell to make my decision. A deep mossy green would make this chaotic room more serene.
After I painted the walls I added additions to mark my territory. This bulliten board takes up one whole wall and holds inspirational notes, sweet photos, lyrics to songs and hymns, and angels. People are always giving me angels. What better place for them to watch over me than the laundry room.
My Wash Wisdom for this week is to claim your space. Forget that your son drops smelly jerseys on the floor and your husband rummages through piles looking for his tennis shirt. Unless your family members are actively participating in laundry, mark this room as yours. Maybe you don’t have a whole room. No problem, hang something memorable or beautiful above your washing machine. Once I walked into a laundry room of a friend and she had her wedding picture hanging near her drying rack. “I just like to be reminded of that day,” she said.
I used to dread walking into the mess that was my laundry room. Now even when bags full of donations for Goodwill or broken water balloons end up all over the floor, the peace that I feel when I see a picture of Paige holding Merritt or read the first line of my favorite hymn, “Be thou my vision oh Lord of my Heart”, is enough to make solitary confinement okay for the day.
Get to Home Depot and dream.
10 Responses to “Wednesday Wash Wisdom - My Space”
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June 20th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I agree with you Kathy! I have a very small laundry room, it barely fits my washer and dryer….
so I too get that Paris Hilton confinement syndrome. But I have claimed that space also, I painted
a cheery yellow, I posted some inspireing bible verses around, and I hang up the kids art work
and cute notes. It certainly does help with the “L.A”….laundry attitude.
Thanks again for the tips!
June 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Okay…I’m ready. My washer and dryer are in a very uninspired area of the basement. You’ve given me some good ideas to spruce the place up. And since Trading Spaces won’t return my calls I gues it is going to be up to me to do the work. Nothing big…but I could put up some pictures…thanks for the idea.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
My laundry area is 2 “notches” in the wall. One for the washer and one for the dryer…I can barely turn around when the dryer door is open. On one wall I did put up a cork board to hold all my sons school info sheets. With summer here, I think I’ll take over that board. I REALLY liked your idea. Thanks!!
June 20th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
My laundry room is in the basement open to the rest of the room. And it shares room with the kitty litter. UGH!!!
When we first moved here there where a few items that were up in the kids rooms that didn’t seem to fit any longer. An ABC cross stitch that my mother in law made for Denise (when we moved here Denise was 11 and had her own room) and a corny but cute “gaurdian” angel picture with the Bible Quote: PSALMS 91:11 For he shall command his angels over you and guard you in all your ways and Heading the picture it says LET the SUN SHINE IN. I bought this when David was quite small and knew then as I do now that his gaurdian Angel is very busy. I love both these items in my laundry room, it spruces it up with joy and pray. Thanks for sharing. Mary : )
June 20th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
What a fabulous idea, and one I will use!
June 20th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Great idea! I really need some help with my laundry area as well as my washer! Yikes!
Love your blog!
June 21st, 2007 at 9:08 am
Great idea! My husband tends to clutter the laundry area (which is on our first floor, as soon as you walk in from the garage) with his dirty clothes. I’m going to mark a little space for him and his clothes only… I need my own laundry space!
Jane, P&B Girls
June 21st, 2007 at 11:04 am
That is a great idea! I’ve been trying to clean up my laundry room for months!
Maybe when I can walk in it, I’ll take a few minutes to spruce it up!
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
You know, I am so glad I read this, because I was just considering hanging a board like that in my laundry room with all those Christmas photo cards we get and other photos I don’t want to frame. But then I thought it was stupid because no one but me would see it. Who cares! Now, I’m inspired to put it up! Thanks.
June 24th, 2007 at 1:57 am
Fabulous idea- I love the green color by the way! Oh how I long to actually have a “laundry room” instead of my current situation- a laundry closet, LOL. One day I say and it will be the picture of perfection and organization- I must be looking WAY into the future.