RE-modeling: Laundry Closet & Kitchen Door

PAINT, SHELVES & A CURTAIN TRANSFORM AN UNDERUSED LAUNDRY CLOSET & KITCHEN DOOR INTO A BAR WITH MUCH NEEDED COUNTER SPACE & A MESSAGE CENTER

An After: My laundry/bar area when we sold the house. I mentioned how much I liked this remodel project in my previous entry called  RE-modeling: My First Home  and I have been sitting on a post about it for awhile. I figure it was time to finally post it.

BEFORE: Our plain wood kitchen door.  I saw online a ton of pictures of people using blackboard paint on their kitchen doors and since ours had divided spaces, I thought it would work with it really well.

AFTER:  Once I painted it, I LOVED how it turned out. It was very convenient to have that extra message area in the kitchen. Blackboard paint is available at hardware & craft stores. It is more expensive than regular paint, but a little goes a long way. I have a pint and I did the door, several tags and I still have most of it left over.  Google search "blackboard paint" and the ideas for using it are overwhelming.

BEFORE: In our kitchen, we had plain white louvered bifold closet doors like the ones above which hid a washer/dryer set and wire shelves from The Container Store. B-O-R-I-N-G.  I think this project was about expecting more from a small space.  We started off with a closet and it worked for the situation, but it cut off kitchen space from use 95% of the time and I knew it could serve household needs more. It was just a matter of changing the space a little.

AFTER:  As I mentioned in my longer home remodel entry, my SUPER HANDY sister-in-law, Yvonne, installed the wood counter top and wood shelves for me.  She got both at Home Depot. The closet had already been painted Martha Stewart Travertine.  I bought a curtain rod & a black & white damask curtain from Lowe's by Allen + Roth for $29.97.  Click here to order the panel from Lowes. I  only needed one curtain panel since I cut the curtain in half which meant each upper half had a sewn curtain rod pocket.  On the other half (the one I cut) I used hot glue to attach black fringe I bought at the fabric store. The shelves and brackets were painted black.  On the shelves, we placed a Laundry tin I bought from Restoration Hardware a long time ago beside an old glass container full of clothes pins, 3 matching wicker baskets from Target,  a large silver bowl and crystal candlesticks. On the counter, we placed a large silver tray with champagne and champagne glasses, a silver coffee urn and a glass vase with white roses.  I think the contrast of the laundry accessories with the silver and crystal bar ware turned out interesting and dramatic.

FYI, this was one of my inspiration pics.  I noticed it because I had the laundry tin already. LOL. Source: SouthernLiving.com

Before pinterest, I had a computer file for images like this one of a converted laundry closet.

I really liked this pic because the open shelves allowing a double use as laundry area & craft area caught my attention. Maximizing space use in my small cottage was on my mind. Image Source for this picture and the one above: Decodir.com

This is the picture that cemented the idea in my mind as a "must do" project. I had mentioned my idea of converting my laundry closet to my sister, Reba, and she thought it was a great idea. She sent me the Southern Living Before & After Magazine that had this picture in it to encourage me to finally do it.  Because the laundry closet was in the kitchen, I thought doubling the use as a bar was a great option and I thought this version was very stylish.  It really appealed to me.

By the way, if you know anyone with this issue of Southern Living magazine, it is so worth borrowing. It was FILLED with tons of creative and attractive remodeling projects.

I liked my project because my end result was very similar to my inspiration pictures. So often projects you do at home end up looking nothing like the projects in the magazines, but I thought this one did so I was happy with it.

If you would like to see the rest of the remodeling projects from my first home including the facade, the bathrooms, the back deck and a kitchen face-lift, please click HERE

If you would like to see more projects go HERE