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Vacation Crashing: A Quick Laundry Room Update

Earlier this year, my hubby's parents decided to purchase a quaint little place down in Florida.  It is their hard earned getaway/retirement home and we couldn't be more excited that they have a place to take a break from our harsh Wisconsin weather.  We actually drove our boys down there to check it out back in April, and also fell in love with the state of Florida.  Warm weather, sun, sand and the most beautiful colors of water....  I have been obnoxiously begging offering to "house sit" for them in-between their visits... sigh...

Well, all of that sweet talk must of finally got to them.  They recently called us up and offered to watch our boys if we wanted to take a long weekend down south.  You know those days where everything aligns and you feel like you just struck gold after winning the Mega Bucks and Powerball combined?  That is how we felt when we received the offer.  So a few weeks later, we hopped on a plane with not much more than our swimsuits and flip flops and off to Florida we went.


I am guessing there are a handful of people who read this that also know my hubby's parents personally.  If that is the case, time to lock up your lips and toss away the key.  I know they don't read this, so I am not worried about them finding out that....

We crashed their home!

OK, so I had to make it sound so much more dramatic than it was, you know, for effect.  They knew we were staying there.  In fact, they personally handed us the keys and were taking care of our kiddos.  But what they didn't know, and still don't know, is that we raided one of the rooms in there home during the very short time we were there.  And now this ants in my pants excited girl can't keep her trap shut and just had to blog about it because it was so fun.

As of right now, everything in the place is a blank slate.  They are slowly trying to furnish it and make it functional.  So far they have given every room a coat of fresh, vibrant paint, but beyond that, they know it will take awhile to really make it feel like "home" 2.0.

So when I saw this adorable little laundry room, I just had to do something with it.  It is a sickness {sorry for the photo quality, I didn't even bring my nice camera so phone photos only in today's post}.


The TV stand next to the washer and dryer was acting as a temporary catch-all for the dryer lint, laundry detergent and dryer sheets.  Other than that, not a lot was going on in this space.  Yet.

The hubs and I took an afternoon, cruised around the city, and picked up a few gifts for our parents and when we left, the room was looking more like this.


I wanted to give them a mixture of open and concealed storage, next to the washer and dryer.  That way, the laundry detergent and a small trash can, can be tucked away inside {yet simple to access}...


And cleaning supplies, beach towels and other laundry care items can be on display above.




Of course, I must give credit when credit is due.  My hubby thought it would be nice to put their dryer sheets in a napkin holder.  I am pretty sure my heart exploded.  14 years together and I just might be wearing off on him.


To the left of the stacked washer and dryer, was the water heater.  It wasn't the prettiest thing to see when walking in the room, so we added some cup holders to the side of the washer and to the wall with heavy duty command strips, along with a wooden dowel to act as a curtain rod.  Now you see it....


Now you don't!


Of course, just like with any project we tackle, we considered safety.  The water heater is an electric model an we were sure to place the curtain a safe distance from the heater itself.

This small little nook was another blank slate when we arrived.


Seemed like the perfect place to pop in some laundry sorters which also holds a small ironing board. 



Although this makeover was 100% unplanned and on a whim, the entire room pulled together nice and quickly and is so much more functional and comfortable now.  The curtains add a softness while also keeping with the home's happy color scheme {and easily hid away the unsightly stuff}.  The cabinet, which is typically intended for bathrooms, was the perfect fit and will be a great place for them to expand upon and even set up a little beach station if they wish down the line.  The laundry sorters are sure to get all sorts of use, especially when larger families of five head down to visit.  Oh!  And I got to check out a Hobby Lobby {we are deprived of those stores around here} and have fun doing what I love, even on vacation.

Bryan's parents have been endlessly helpful to us over the years, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to sneak in a little something for them.  They are heading back in a few weeks so fingers crossed that we get a phone call of shocked excitement when they arrive.

Anyone else ever given a family member or friend a mini-surprise makeover?  How did they react?  And just so you all know, we are up for vacationing just about anywhere, wink wink!