Clean Laundry (Room)

Happy new year! I apologize for the long absence. We haven't been doing too many house projects in the last couple of months, and so I didn't have anything to write about. However, that's all about to chance as we take on the laundry room. This is a very small room that also serves as the furnace/hot water tank room, and the second entranceway from our garage. And it is a complete unfinished mess. I call it the dungeon when I'm doing laundry (which I do a lot of!). Not to mention, both our washing machine and dryer are old and have a lot of quirks. Here it is, in all it's glory (see photo below). The only thing I like in this room is the little bedouin rug I added, brought back years ago from Jordan. It will also stay after the renovation, as I needed to donate half my clothes to the local community just to get it to fit in the my suitcase. 

Current Laundry Room

As a Christmas gift to ourselves we have bought these beauties (below). I'm so excited! I have never been so happy about an appliance before, but the amount of trouble our old machines give me, I'm looking forward to easy laundry days ahead. Even before we add any other improvements to this room, these new machines are going to be a huge help. We also managed to grab a great sale, and they have come in around $700 under budget, leaving more money to add to counters, cabinets, etc. 

The plan is to add a counter top over the washer and dryer, and then make the sink slightly lower (like the photo below). The machines are super tall, so it might be easier to use the sink if it is lower. I would also like to add some storage cabinets above, mixed in with open shelving, and a funky backsplash.
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Right now the only lighting in the room is an open bulb attached to the side of the wall above the washer/dryer. I would like to add some bright pot lights in the ceiling (and maybe actually finish the ceiling as well). We are unsure how finished we will be able to make this room because of the furnace. It's huge, and it's pipes hang out quite far making it hard to inclose. Maybe we will be able to come up with an innovative idea for it! 

The furnace is the only thing we aren't changing at this time. We will wait for it to die, although it will probably be soon as it is going on 18 years. We have also budgeted for a new hot water tank. We are currently renting ours and would rather own instead. There is still lots of research to do, but we are leaning towards buying a tankless version. More on this later!

One idea we came up with was to add a permanent wall to split the room into two spaces. Making a separate laundry/furnace area with a separate door that can be locked (too keep small people out). Then getting rid of the current door from the hall, widening it, and making it a walk-through to enter the garage. Hence making a mini mud room! Which is something this house really needs, as we are always walking through from the garage to the front door, and tracking dirt across our nice carpets. I'm hoping it will look something like the photo below, with a little built-in bench and hooks for kid's coats. 

I'm so excited to see this room come together, but to start with I will have a new washer and dryer, which is exciting enough for now.