How To Makeover A Room In 24 Hours

STEP ONE: TAKE "BEFORE" PICTURES

I've wanted to change the laundry room for awhile now. We have about a dozen paint cans in our garage from other projects, so all I needed was an idea!

The shelving was so ugly and completely useless. The back wall held my "Wednesday" cards that Steve sent me every week during his MBA. They are a romantic reminder, but not great as a style choice.

    

I knew my Edward poster would probably not survive the makeover (tragic!), but I really wanted to install some nicer shelves to hold linens and cleaning supplies.

STEP TWO: GET A MANICURE

Yep, manicures are a total splurge for me, and I ended up getting one the morning before I started my project. In hindsight, kind of stupid.

My nails are so short! I have always bit my nails and it has been my goal throughout my entire adulthood to stop. Nothing has ever worked, but finally, in the last 6 months or so, I've been doing a ton better! They grew nice and pretty! But then December came, and I pretty much destroyed them. I am hoping a manicure and some pretty polish will motivate me to start over.

STEP THREE: TAKE EVERYTHING OFF THE WALLS AND SPACKLE THE HOLES

 

Luckily, Steve helped with this step, because I suck at spackling. Although, if any men ever read this, you should just be proud that I know the word "spackling".

STEP FOUR: PAUSE AND GIVE THE GIRLS A BATH

I mean, really, is there anything cuter that naked babies getting a bath? The answer is "no".

 

Evelyn gets an extra picture, because she still smiles naturally for pictures instead of the creepy smile that toddlers always seem to do. No offense, Bells.

STEP FIVE: PAINT EVERYTHING WHITE (AND THEN GO TO BED)

 

The best part about painting your laundry room is that you don't have to be careful about the surfaces that you know will be hid behind the washing machine. Well, you do if you're a professional, but not if you're me.

 

I'm pretty sure this picture will make my dad and father-in-law twitch just a little. Those men are masters at DIY, and there's no way they would leave a wall like this. Oh well.

STEP SIX: WAKE UP, GO TO CHURCH, EAT LUNCH, PUT THE GIRLS DOWN FOR A NAP, AND THEN MEASURE AND TAPE YOUR LINES

I have never painted any sort of lines or special detailing on a wall and now I know why...I am way too impatient! I measured this out all by myself with a level, a ruler, and a pencil. And then I had to use painter's tape to make my lines. All I wanted to do was paint! But when you're painting dark blue over white, you can't exactly eye-ball it.

STEP SEVEN: PICK A BOLD COLOR AND START PAINTING!

 

I decided to only "stripe" two of the main walls, so it wouldn't be too overwhelming.

 STEP EIGHT: STEP BACK AND TELL YOURSELF, "I. AM. AWESOME."

I absolutely love it! We still have to put some shelves up, but that's not in the budget yet. I think we're going to leave the wall on the left just like it is, though. I LOVE IT...have I said that yet?

STEP NINE: FALL INTO BED WITH PAINT IN YOUR HAIR AND THANK YOUR HUSBAND FOR BEING SO PATIENT.