Take Photo

Having Temporary Fun in the Laundry Room

I know two things for sure; I love change and I love to make chore time more fun.  Chores are a daily fact of life, so why not work in surroundings that make you smile?  And let's face it, change is exciting!

Today's change is another one of those that seemed to pop out of nowhere thanks to another project we are working on.  I have quite the pile of paint supplies, cans and jars on my laundry room floor, so we are in the process of building a new piece of storage furniture for my paint supply clutter {sneak peek here on instagram}.  When we started the project, I found some gift wrap that made my heart flutter.  It could have been because I loved the color, the design and the playfulness in the paper, or it could have been the fact that it was covered in hummingbirds.  So I purchased it with the intentions of lining the back of our new paint cabinet.

Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the paper wouldn't work in the paint cabinet because it wouldn't be given the attention it deserves.  It needed to really make a statement in the laundry room, and the sorting area we built earlier this year seemed to be calling the paper's name.


But something magical happened and I had an epiphany.  The, "I love a good change" thought entered my mind and I realized that as much as I love the paper now, that someday I may not.  So if I were going to line the built-in folding station, it would need to be with a temporary solution.

So I chatted with the hubs about my options.  I knew I could go the easy route and line some foam board or cardboard and pop it into the opening, however, given the traffic the area sees, I opted to line a piece of scrap wood instead.  The wood would be stronger and would be much more difficult to puncture.

Bryan cut down two pieces of thin, smooth paneling that had a little give in them {they are thin enough to bend slightly allowing them to wiggle into place}.  I grabbed the spray adhesive, my oversized cutting mat and a utility knife.  Oh!  And some washi tape was there too.


I positioned the paper on the board and used some washi tape to temporarily hold it in place.  The beauty in washi tape is that I could remove it later without damaging the pretty paper.

The process was simple, I lightly sprayed the adhesive onto the wood board and smoothed the pieces of gift wrap with my hand, lining up the pattern to eliminate any visible seems.  The utility knife was helpful in cutting off any excess paper around the edge of the board.

Then, we simply popped the boards into the openings.  The way we built in the sorting station allowed the thin piece of paneling to pop right behind a portion of the counter and cabinet without the need to tack anything in place.  However, if you were looking to do something similar and needed to affix the board without damaging the walls, Picture Hanging Command Strips are a really great solution.

Up close, I must say, the paper was amongst the loveliest I have seen.


But when I stepped away thinking that I would be doing laundry room cartwheels, I had a different reaction.


Ooooooooooooooh no!

I learned a few lessons with this project:

• Pre-project planning and epiphanies are FABULOUS!
• Scale, scale, scale.  The pattern works in small doses, but in a large area, it looked like I tossed my Skittles on the wall.  
• Don't force something that doesn't sit well in your gut.  I felt guilty that it didn't work out as planned, and almost tried to convince myself to keep it, but....
• If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

I knew I would probably want a change someday, little did I know it would be the same day!

And I am sharing it with you because.... this is my process.  Sometimes I think that something is going to be the best thing since Sangria, and then it turns out that the fruit is expired.

So I thought and thought and thought about it some more, and finally decided that it was OK that it didn't work out, and I pulled the pretty paper panel back out {with a nearby paint can opener}.


I then carefully peeled the paper from the board and was able to salvage a large piece, which will now find its way back into the paint cabinet when that building project is complete.

I found another paper I had been storing in my closet under the stairs for about a year now.  I initially purchased it for the studio, and I just have not gotten around to using it.  So, in the spirit of using what I already had, I followed the same steps of applying the paper to the same cut-to-size boards with a spray adhesive and popping the boards back up in place.... again.

Take two:


Soooooo much better!


The paper is still temporary, so if I should ever tire of it, it will come down in one quick swoop.  But this time, I think it will stay for quite awhile.


The pattern on the paper is fresh and adds a really fun dimension to a place I fold and hang our daily loads of laundry. 


As I was working on putting everything back, I borrowed an over-the-door storage basket from a nearby cabinet and used it to hold my clothespins.  I use clothespins frequently for drying and clipping items to the hangers, and having a basket nearby was a simple and practical solution.




And if you are wondering how spray painted hangers hold up, ours are still going strong!

I am aiming to have that paint storage cabinet built and in place by the end of the week, assuming everything goes as planned!  I can't wait to get it into the space and finally have that year long problem solved for good!

Lining cabinets, drawers and even walls, is a great way to add instant change and wow to any space!  Finding ways to do it without damaging the walls is the key to long term happiness!