Barn Door Laundry Room Makeover

The laundry room...ugh. While very few people enjoy doing laundry, it is a necessary evil. While not as glamorous as the kitchen or master bath, it is a room not to be overlooked when selling a home. Never underestimate the power of clutter or disorder to turn a buyer off of a property, even in the laundry room.

In Southern California we feel quite lucky if a home has a laundry room as quite often the washer and dryer are just out on a back porch, so when a home has one it is truly a selling point not to be overlooked. This was a fairly low budget makeover that made a huge difference in appearance and functionality.

Before

The laundry room had very inexpensive bi-fold doors that came off of their track easily and often. Also, even when fully opened, they partially blocked the doorway making getting in or out with a basket of clothes difficult. The small shelf was also poorly placed and in the way. Inside the shelving was visible and looked cluttered giving the appearance of lack of storage.

The plan for this room was to A) improve accessibility B) Hide the things you keep in the laundry room that are not necessarily pretty (hey, sometimes life is not pretty...but we try!)

Here the top of the door frame was removed so a new one to accommodate the barn door could be installed. I chose a barn door for several reasons. It will slide open to reveal the entire doorway for plenty of room, it can be opened with your foot if your arms are full and there was a salvage door in the garage that fit!

New door frame primed and ready for a final coat of paint and barn door hardware. I used roughcut western cedar to match existing frame.

Barndoor rail installed. This was one of the easiest projects I have done. I purchased the rail and hardware from Rustica Hardware ( +Rustica Hardware ) online. They have pretty good guidelines on measuring on the website, but I called to be sure. They were friendly and helpful and everything came exactly as promised.  (This is an unsponsored rave). Also painted hallway lighter color as it in an interior hall with no natural light.

Barndoor up, new lighting in hall and laundry room and a fresh coat of paint to room and hall. The panes on the door are sprayed with Krylon glass frosting. If the budget allowed I would have replaced the glass, but I am very happy with this product. I was afraid it would look like that old time fake Christmas snow ...But it looks very nice. (I must admit I was surprised on this one.)

Inside the laundry room I installed a bright curtain in a cheery print to hide the shelving. Here is my curtain secret .....table cloths. Not for EVERYWHERE of course....but when I have one lonely window or doorway and am on a budget...you bet! Folded in half length way and hung with clips. Done.

Before

After

Improved function and appearance and a laundry room buyers would love to have.