The multitasking type of room has long been a dream of mine. A room that’s like me—–that reads and does laundry and blogs and dabbles in paints and maps and printing and child-rearing and bird watching. We’ve only lived here two weeks but I can’t even count the hours we’ve already spent in here. My girls’ new favorite pastime is to watch nail art videos and make their art come true whilst listening to me read “Gulliver’s Travels.” It’s the first room we use in the morning and the last room we leave in the evening. It never looks this clean. There’s usually books and nail polish and writing projects strewn about. We clean the green table off 27 times a day, only to make room for more art.
Darlene helped to give this room its’ strong elements of design. I knew I wanted muddy pink—she helped narrow down the pinks. I knew I wanted a great desk—she found this lovely beauty from Bungalow Five. She even went to all the trouble to sketch the built-ins for me but in the end, we couldn’t afford them (except for those over the laundry) so we’re making do with my knock-off version of Jenny’s IKEA bookshelf hack. I have to say—-I LOVE them. But then again, I love everything Jenny does. She’s so talented with color and always seem to make design seem so attainable. I love that about her! I painted the backs a charcoal-blue and adding some finishing touches to exterior. You can follow her tutorial here if you’d like to try it too. I posted Darlene’s drawings here so you can see how talented she is at making use of space. You can follow her Pinterest Boards here which is a great way to work back and forth with a designer and gain inspiration for almost any project. Her office/craftroom/workroom board is here. Mine is here. She even has a Pinterest board called “Inspiration for Edie”. I LOVE her!
Her original vision board looked like this………
As you can probably tell, I haven’t been able to turn it all into reality but I think it looks pretty close already, even without the awesome fabrics we chose. The green fabric is a Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis. I’m working with someone local to help with window treatments so it’ll be awhile on those.
This is the room that gave the electrician a pause. “Does she realize she has 14 lights in this room?” Yes, yes she does.
And she kinda wishes she had added one more hanging light over the sink. But, alas, no. 14 it is.
This bamboo-ish bright yellow beauty? The star of the show. Or the laundry room, as it were.
My desk is pretty sweet too……
There’s no surprise to you, I’m sure, that I’ve been collecting books fast and furious.
This is a favorite—the Luther books with the horse bookends!
And the Harry Potter collection with the unicorn bookends?!!!!!! Makes me a little verklempt 
But my favorite daily reads are these, which I keep handy at desk level. The girls and I use the Lutheran prayer book for morning prayer and then use the scriptures for our Bible readings. We use the Confessions to memorize Luther’s Small Catechism. (As a side note, my friend Gretchen, who is brilliant and wonderful and happens to be the wife of my pastor, posted a video to her blog of her husband Derek teaching the catechism to his girls. It’s priceless! And gave us some hints on how to get the kids to fully participate in family devotions. Thanks, Gretchen, for sharing!)
A closer look at my monogram obsession? Sure.
So, you’re wondering where the laundry is in this supposed *workroom*, aren’t you? Don’t worry, she’s even washing as we speak.
However, this room is VERY tight. As in, I may need to go back to the gym to continue to navigate in here. So, it’s very hard to get a good image of that side of the room.
Bear with my feeble attempts
I also would like to help you understand yourself better.
There are two types of women in the world: 1)the immensely practical gal who actually does all her laundry in a timely and organized manner but pays little attention to the aesthetics of the laundry-doing space 2) then there’s me and my fellow artsy friends, who may from time to time, have to rewash a load due to laundry procrastinating tendencies but who somehow find the time to go to great lengths to create a wonderful laundry experience. If you thought to yourself, “Well, that’s all well and fine but WHERE’S the detergent and such?” You belong to camp number 1 and the following picture is given for your perusal for your peace of mind.
It’s there, it’s just hidden as it did not fit with my laundry space sensibilities.
So, now it’s your turn to entertain me. What is the current state of your laundry room?
Hope you enjoyed the workroom tour!
I’ll be slowly adding the sources to this post as I can find them/remember them.
If you love this room, consider hiring Darlene to help you with a vision board for your next project.
Sources:
Wall Paint—Benjamin Moore Conch Shell
Back of Bookshelf Paint—Sable Black from Home Depot
Cabinet Color—–Fieldstone from Benjamin Moore
Yellow Bamboo Chandelier—-Shades of Light.com
Olive Table—-Blue dot strut in dark olive by Design Public
Lemon Drop Lidded Jar—Modern Chic Home
St. Tropez Chair—-Room Service Store
Zebra Bench—Braden’s Lifestyles
Jacqui Console Desk—-Bungalow Five, Layla Grace
Yellow Lattice Ceramic Stool—-Overstock.com
Ravella Orange Disco Rug—-Rugs Direct.com
Geo Zipper Drum Pendant in orange and white—–Shades of Light.com
Task Lamp on my desk—-Pottery Barn
“Blessed” towel—West Elm ( monogrammed by them)
Bookshelf lights—IKEA
various white dishes and tchotchkes—antique and thrift stores
Joining Kelly’s home tour, ‘laundry room’ edition! Thanks for hosting, Kelly!
and I like cowboy boots, C.S. Lewis, good food, strong coffee, banjo music and books. I am a deeply flawed momma of 4 and grateful receiver of more good gifts than one heart can hold. I fight for joy and find it in the most unexpected places. I make quirky look normal, relish in my small town Southern way of living, and am learning that it's all grace--every last bit of it. 
{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
What a lovely work room, so much to inspire from the bright window light to the zebra stripe bench it is devine.
I am rooted in a type 1 due to my type A personality but I daydream as a type 2. Someday my laundry prince will come and build me a beautiful work room.
Edie, it is gorgeous! Love the colors and how it all came together. I also love looking at the books on your shelf… you’ve given me a few titles to look for at the library! I did a post on our laundry situation earlier this year: http://thebrokenbohemian.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/division-of-labor/
just, wow. that’s it. it’s fabulous and beautiful.
i believe that i might just fall into this right brained group of laundry doers which you describe. it’s ok. really. there are many gifts……
happy for you
.
From another Number Two, love this! Just re-washed a load that I forgot about when I wrote my last blog. Love and light!
I envy you girls in camp 2…..your houses are darling and you come up with the neatest darn projects…..sigh…
amanda,
we envy your strict adherence to the laundry rules!
thanks for reading,
xo,
edie
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!! I love it all. I will be dreaming of this room tonight for sure!! I love everything about it.
On to your question-I do not have a laundry room but I dream of what mine would look like if I did. Right now, the laundry is in a dark corner of the basement. Someday, I will have a beautiful laundry room. I already have an antique washboard saved for it.
Hugs,
Ruth
This room is infused with joy, laughter and love. I want to hang out there, too. Makes me smile just looking at it! What a vibrant space to learn and play and work (when you must!). Fantastic!
I love this! You are so fun!
Concordia Self-Study Bible! Lutheran Confessions! Lutheran Book of Prayer! Woot woot!
Concordia Self-Study Bible! Lutheran Confessions! Lutheran Book of Prayer! Woot woot!
I’m in camp 2 but I haven’t gotten to my laundry room yet. It’s not nearly this big but I have plans to make it pretty
Edie – Almost there – keep up the posts!! So awesome and B-EE-U-TIF-ALL!! So inspiring! I know 31 posts is LOOOOONG! But I thank you! And so do my rooms-they bow down and say “Yo this is gunna be good hold on tight!!! Rock it!
I’m going to blow up pinterest pinning rooms of yours this week.
This is gorgeous! I love all the colors! At first, I was thinking your pictures were your inspiration pictures….I was scrolling down saying, “omg is this her room”!!!!
Oops, saw on nest of posies fb page!
My laundry room is a dark, ugly pit of nastiness! (and my husband does all the laundry~ beautifully, God Bless Him!) I love the colour in your room and could stare at it for hours!
Oh how I’m drooling over the workroom. I also forget about laundry because my mind is constantly moving onto the next project. My husband’s head spins everytime I say “Honey, I have an idea”. I won’t show my laundry “room”. It’s not a room but the builder placed the washer/dryer area in my closet. Needless to say, I will be moving it to the basement. Not the ideal place but definitely better than having the family in my closet. But my question is what are the dimentions of your room? I’m always interested in how one puts so much into small spaces since I have small spaces. Looking forward to more pics.
pick me up off the floor. i am dying.
most glorious room. although…honestly, they all are
i am seriously dealing with a sinful envy of your books. love how they are all displayed
xo
I love all the colors in this room! Its simply dreamy and divine. The yellow light is awesome and quite a statement. Enjoy your beautiful daughters in that beautiful room.
In every new home, I’ve always decorated the laundry room first. I get made fun of a lot for that. Glad to see I’m not alone in my desire to have a pretty, artsy space even if it’s a space to do laundry.
Edie — My favorite room so far!! Good work
I don’t know how you can get a speck of work done in here–it’s too beautiful. Lovely. I’m the first type–all practical–but I admire and want to be like you, artsy and creative.
Your work room is so whimsical and fun…I almost can’t stand it! I am so inspired by you…that I want to do something in my own home, completely outside the box. If it would bring a smile to my face as your room does, I wouldn’t hesitate! Thanks for sharing Edie xoxo
edie! It is looking so wonderful!!! What FUN this room is!! I love all of the touches you have added. I can only imagine all of the creating you girls will do in this space. Do your girls love it in here????? That would make me so happy!
Your comment about the nail art videos made me smile and sigh. I really am the only girl in this whole house…….. There are only one kind of nails here. And they build things.
Most of all, I am simply giddy about your bookshelf, and thankful to God for blogging that gives me a friend who has The Core, Martin Luther, the catechism, Well Trained Mind, Charlotte Mason, and C.S. Lewis within arms reach. Have I told you lately that I love you???{I have some ideas about helping the room flow, if you want to email back and forth a bit after Relevant. I might just be giddy about seeing your email address in my inbox. HUGS!}
edie! It is looking so wonderful!!! What FUN this room is!! I love all of the touches you have added. I can only imagine all of the creating you girls will do in this space. Do your girls love it in here????? That would make me so happy!
Your comment about the nail art videos made me smile and sigh. I really am the only girl in this whole house…….. There are only one kind of nails here. And they build things.
Most of all, I am simply giddy about your bookshelf, and thankful to God for blogging that gives me a friend who has The Core, Martin Luther, the catechism, Well Trained Mind, Charlotte Mason, and C.S. Lewis within arms reach. Have I told you lately that I love you???{I have some ideas about helping the room flow, if you want to email back and forth a bit after Relevant. I might just be giddy about seeing your email address in my inbox. HUGS!}
Hi Eadie,
I love your workroom!! My washer and dryer is in our kitchen behind closed doors. I love having it there. It is a convenient location!
Marie
I would never leave this room!!! I love all the elements, the colors, your picks!!!! It’s absolutely outstanding!!!!!!
xo,
Lulu
Absolutely stunning! I am in love with your love for color. It is so inspiring. I have been trying to incorporate more color…and am so jealous you do it so well! LOVE!
Oh, Edie, so pretty. The only thing in a million years I could even HOPE to have look like this room is that “The South” sign. I have the same one hanging above my mantle/hole in the wall for the TV. The rest is just so far out of reach but really pretty to look at.
Thanks for sharing.
Drooling…
Repeat after me: “Jealousy is a sin. Jealousy is a sin.”
Gorgeous!
Love what you did. You are a very talented designer. There are so many great things about this office. the colors, the bench, that great chandelier. Good job!
OH EDIE!!! I LOVE this room! Everything about it! It is pure genius!!! I hung a chandelier in my laundry room and my friends all laughed at me. I do a lot of re-washing, too.
All of this makes me so happy for you! So happy!
TWO WEEKS, you are amazing. I move in eight weeks and am already asking where all the light switches are for furniture placement. Red, Coral and orange are the bedroom colors.
It is sooo gorgeous!
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Currently my washer is in the kitchen of my little 1955 ranch (in Texas), the clothesline is out back, and the dryer is across the dining room from the kitchen in our garage… it makes being a Camp 2 type of lady all the more exciting… it is much easier to procrastinate when you have to trek across the house repeatedly to finish a load of laundry, but who am I kidding, I did the same thing when we had side by side washer and dryer that were in the bathroom right next to our hamper at our first apartment! My personality hasn’t changed, but the amount of exercise I get as a result of that personality is greatly appreciated! Did I already mention, WOW!? I’m showing these pictures to my hubby who is afraid of color!
Wow Girl! You have style!!!! That work room is chock full of eye candy….how ever do those little ones get any work done? I’d be daydreaming continuously! P.S. Until you mentioned the laundry essentials…I never missed them. TeeHee
I can’t believe this is your laundry room! Amazingly brilliant.
This is amazing! I am dying over this. Dying!
Love it all…great job!
Beautiful room. Do you mind sharing the dimensions? I am working on a remodel plan and would love to know how you fit all those activities in that beautiful room. Thanks for sharing parts of your life with us.
Tiffany
I LOVE the “blessed” towel and the towels in your girl’s bath. How did you get West Elm to do the monogramming so BIG? I was trying to duplicate and the preview shows the writing so small.
Thanks!!!
It’s time I fess up… My laundry room is an embarrasing mess… You have inspired me to line up my ducks and fly right into being more tidy… Thank you! beautiful transformation.
LOVE this! wish I had an actual ROOM for laundry and wish I could make it look like this if I did! GORG!!
Wowza. I’m in love. It’s such a great girlie glam and functional room. Great job!! I love the bright bold colours and patterns, love the hack. I came over to see because I am also doing my design office complete with Ikea Hack. I hope mine turns out as lovely!!
I’m stopping by for a visit from Kelly’s Korner today.
You’re an amazing decorator! Both areas are wonderful.
Can I just come and make a cup of coffee and sit in there and read? Maybe I should come for a weekend; one day to look at books, and another to create! Wow, what a room. It’s beautiful.
Is there a third camp? I must have aesthetically pleasing spaces, but I have to have them practical too. Or maybe I am just stuck in the middle, who knows. I love this room though. I LOVE the print you have – I like big books and I cannot lie. I will find that somewhere and it will be up on my bookshelves. Hilarious.
Congrats on the lovely decor!
Edie,
I’ve admired this room since it first appeared in the blog world and am hoping you will please, please, please share more info with me about the floor! This is the exact flooring in need for my in-progress laundry room makeover. Can you please tell what it is/where you got it? Is it ceramic tile? Marble? What color is the grout? Did it come polished and glossy like that? Do you ever slip and fall? (People are trying to talk me into the grooved slate-style tile that’s less dangerous when wet, but I love the look of yours!) Any helpful/juicy details to help me duplicate it would be so much appreciated! God bless!!
Edie, I just found your blog via Julia at HookedonHouses.net and I am going to find Better Homes and Gardens to see more of your house. I love your workroom, pantry and kitchen! Can I ask what are the dimensions of your workroom? I think my own dining room is too small and I may have to add a workroom to my house
I am also touched by your story and admire your resilience. Seasons Greetings!
I have a weird question. How often do you dust your bookshelves? We love our bookshelves but it seems I am constantly dusting the darn things. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Can you please tell me more about the floor? It is just beautiful. I would love to know what it is and where you purchased it. This is such a beautiful and beyond inspiring room. Thank you for sharing!
I would want to stay in there all the time!
Gorgeous space! Whereever did you find that “Big books” print?! Please tell!!
{ 16 trackbacks }