A Light and Bright Powder and Laundry Room Perfect For a Small Space
I’m back (after a sizable hiatus) with the other half of our Refined Farmhouse project. I shared the kitchen a while back and if you haven’t seen it or need to refresh your memory, you can go see the before and after, and get all the details and read up on my tips on styling your kitchen space.
This part of the renovation was a little space that needed to not only look beautiful but pack a punch of functionality. As I mentioned before, the home was an old farmhouse from the late 1800s in Elkins Park, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. The project included a full kitchen design and renovation as well as a full remodel and floorplan change in the laundry and powder room.
Laundry and Powder Bathroom Before
I use the term powder room loosely because what was there when we started was a small toilet with walls around it… barely enough space for a full-grown human to stand in. It was obviously added at some point and gave the home a first-floor bathroom. But for this family or anyone larger than 6 years old, it wasn’t working.
The rest of the laundry space was also funky. It was covered in the same blue and white wallpaper and old linoleum from the kitchen, it had huge overhead cabinets, that looked to be original, and the washer and dryer were placed up against a corner of windows. There was no real storage and a huge radiator was taking up valuable space. When I saw it for the first time I knew that the good corner window real estate was being wasted and knew that it needed to be totally re-thought out.
Laundry Room After
One of the first things I look at in any space is natural light, and we were lucky to have a lot of it on this project. With the space positioned on the southwest side of the home, we didn’t want to block the light that streams through to the kitchen and wanted to find a way to allow that light to flow. The first decision we made was to flip the room almost completely. We took the teeny weeny child-sized toilet room (did I mention it was tiny) and moved it to the back of the space to give it enough room to actually be useful and fit a grown human adult. By adding a pocket door we were able to save the space where a door would need to swing and strategically placed the door right in front of one of the windows to keep the light flowing throughout. And to top it off a pretty reclaimed stained glass transom window was added to keep it light and bright and bring in an old-world charm.
We removed the old radiator and replaced it with radiant heated floors (which are life-changing in my opinion and I recommend them to any and all clients I work with!). A simple laundry sink and some shallow cabinetry allow for functionality and for traffic flow and cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling add tons of storage. The washer and dryer are now stacked where the mini-toilet room once was to allow for the best use of space. And to bring in additional storage, we added a small shallow cabinet on the side for brooms and other necessities to stay hidden out of sight.
The updated space is now filled with light and charm and with a fresh twist for a real old farmhouse. The budget for this space was a little smaller in relation to the kitchen so I wanted to try and make some thoughtful and budget-friendly design decisions and make the room feel as though it flowed with the larger kitchen, but also give it a slightly different personality.
The cement tile floors in a herringbone pattern pair with vertical shiplap paneling to create visual interest and texture and the same white cabinetry from the kitchen flow through both spaces. Butcher block countertop was used, which is not only budget-friendly but also brings in additional warmth in almost all white space and ties together the warm touches throughout. A mix of matte black, polished nickel, and a touch of brass creates additional design interest and contrast. And the blue from the adjacent kitchen is woven through in the textiles and rugs helping to tie everything together.
Powder Room After
The powder room brings the same paneling and tile through and includes a classic console sink that feels fitting for the age of the home, and the same warm woods with the mirror and the woven shades were brought through. Keeping the mix of polished nickel and brass give it some extra visual interest. The new powder room, feels roomy, bright and is so much more functional.
So there you have it, folks, a funky mini toilet room/laundry space turned into a warm and textured functional powder room and laundry. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
And if you are considering a renovation, we would love to connect!
Real Life. Well Designed.
Sharp + Grey Interiors is a full service interior design studio specializing in creating beautiful yet highly livable spaces that feel as curated to how our clients live, as they are to their personal tastes and style. Sharp + Grey offers a wide variety of flexible design options, from full-service interior design where we do it all, to consultations and custom E-design services that give you the ideas or design plans to install your design project yourself. With a focus on creativity and collaboration, Sharp + Grey Interiors can help you create a home you love with fresh and inspired design made for real life.