I’ve partnered with Home Depot on phase one of our Laundry Room renovation. I also teamed up with Home Depot’s affiliate program, so if you happen to click on a suggested link + purchase, I may make a tiny commission on the sale.
The time has finally come for us to gut the laundry room and bring it back to life. I can’t explain how excited I was to start working on my vision board when we started this project and let me just say, I’m so happy to show you guys the finished look.
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Well the Phase 1 finished look, Phase 2 we’ll be adding cabinets, a sink + a folding table! Ekk!! So stay tuned!
My goal for this room was bright, airy and clean! I think we nailed all three and it now holds the title for dreamiest room in the house.
As any home project goes, the first thing we always do when it comes to renovating a room is setting a budget. It’s not the fun part of renovations, but it lets you know real quick what you can afford and what’s way out of your league.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term, “living a champagne life, on a beer budget”… well, I feel like that saying was made for us. I always like to go grand when it comes to renovations… so it leaves me doing tons of research for my over the top items that wont break the bank.
Home Depot always nails it when it comes to affordable prices. Not only are they up to date on the latest trends, but no one can beat their prices. They even guarantee it!
Another way to cut down on cost is to do it yourself. Some people don’t like this idea at first, but I promise it saves a ton of money. Plus, it can be great bonding time as a family.
A tile job can seem pretty intimidating but I assure you it can be one of the most DIY friendly projects you can tackle. You guys know we’re no strangers when it comes to DIY projects, and we even love to let the girls help us, too… so go get it!
John wanted to make sure you know not to shoot out of the gate trying Large Format Tile with a Herringbone Pattern. Save that for the 2nd or 3rd project.
After searching through all the affordable flooring at Home Depot, I came across the Carrara Polished Porcelain Tile and fell in love. It’s a beautiful white tile with hints of gray, and the price per square foot was great.
Once the floor was ordered, I went on to pick out the lighting + wallpaper. Originally the plan was to do board and batten in the laundry room, but we already had it in the hall leading to the laundry room, so now were going to add cabinets from the floor up. I can’t wait to see it all finished.
Here’s a couple before pictures of the laundry room after a lot of stuff what taken out.
So gross, I know! It was once where the dogs stayed.. and the most overlooked room in the house!
The next pictures are of the electrical, plumbing and ventilation prep work we did before we laid down the tile. We added 4” Halo can lights to brighten the space. We updated the washer plumbing connection box with 1/4 turn valves and as a plus got rid of that ugly mustard colored trim kit. Getting rid of that was my main motivation. John didn’t quite understand cutting out the functional box, Ha! We also updated the 120V and 220V outlets and went with a recessed dryer vent box to allow the dryer to scoot closer to the wall.
See why it needed to go?
Here’s what it looked like gutted.
Above is the shot after John did his magic with the plumbing and electric work. Below is the Schluter Ditra Mat that serves as the foundation for the tile. This is a special order item or can be purchased through Home Depot Online but soooo worth it. This Mat not only makes the floor waterproof should a water connection fail, but the waffle shape actually expands and contracts without cracking your grout line. A must for any wet application in our opinion.
When John asked me what pattern I wanted for the floor, my mind went straight to herringbone. I mean, what girl wouldn’t want a herringbone pattern in their laundry room?
Herringbone isn’t the easiest pattern to lay, but we’re always up for a challenge.
Lot’s of planning + cuts went into the layout, and we found it best to number the tiles when we were laying them out, so we didn’t get them mixed up. If you’re wondering what the wedge things are, it’s a tile leveling system. John said he definitely recommends this for Large Format Tile (LFT). It would have been a nightmare to try and make sure the tiles were all flush without those!
Once everything was laid, we cleaned the floors really good before John grouted everything. We wanted to make sure no random dog hair got into our pretty grout. That would suck! We went with the Fusion Pro grout that didn’t need to be sealed, and while it cost a little bit more than most grouts cost, I’d say it was definitely worth the splurge. It’s also highly resistant to cracking.
Below is the pre-grout shot…you can see the orange Schluter Kerdi Band about 3” above the tile. That is a portion of the Schluter system that helps make the install waterproof. John’s a bit nerdy and insisted that waterproofing is probably a good move with this crew. Ha.. I can’t say he’s wrong!
Look how beautiful those tiles look even without the grout. This shot alone is proof you don’t have to break the bank to have an elegant look.
Ta-Da! Isn’t it beautiful? I seriously couldn’t be happier with how it turned out and the great quality of the floor. Who knew you could buy beautiful flooring like this with an affordable budget.
Ps…make sure to do the math on the finished height of your tile against the flooring you’re transitioning from. You may need to add a doorway transition #protip.
There’s just something about this room that makes me feel like I’m somewhere magical. Kinda like it’s made for a Disney princess. Haha! I definitely felt like Cinderella when I was laying/cleaning those floors!
I hope you love this renovation as much as we do. We can’t wait to get started on more home projects in 2020!
Once again, I wanted to thank Home Depot for sponsoring this post! It’s been so fun working with you guys!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or ask below in the comments.
xoxo- Lauren
meredith says
Looks great! When I saw that light in your stories weeks ago, I snagged it for my laundry room Reno also! Used your link 😉
Lauren says
Thank you so much!!1