Laundry Room Drop Zone


Last week I was SO proud to share how I changed my first light switch and that project was all thanks to your words of encouragement over the past few months! I still owe you guys for giving me the friendly “nudge” I needed to give my first electrical project a try.

How to change an electrical light switch
I was so focused on the rookie tips I learned along the way that I never mentioned what space was in need of a white switch + switch plate. Laundry room beforeSpoiler Alert: I’ve been working on this baby wall in my Laundry Room and that’s where I installed the new light switch. Right before I went back to school for the year, I added board and batten to this tiny space. Believe it or not, this is one hardworking wall in our home so I wanted it to look more like the drop zone we already use it as.

Now that I’ve done my fair share of board and batten projects (maybe too many depending who you ask), I was able to do this ENTIRE wall, including paint, in one day (minus hanging the hooks).

I started around 8 am and worked until it was painted with its second coat of white paint, which took me to about dinner time! Literally a days work brought me from that…

Laundry room after… to this!

Supplies

The night before I started working, I picked up the supplies from Lowe’s.

  • 2 pieces of thin lattice, long enough to be cut down to four strips (vertical strips)
  • 1 MDF 1×3, long enough to be cut down (horizontal strips)
  • 3 of these hooks
  • White Light Switches
  • White Switch Cover

I had all of the other tools/supplies for this project, which kept the cost of this project way down. Casey gave me her leftover white paint, extra caulk, AND the 2 gorgeous black hooks on the very top of the wall. All together this entire project cost me less than $40!

Tutorial

Because we have tackled board and batten so much on the blog, I skipped the step-by-step shots this time around. But if you are looking for a board and batten tutorial, check out this post, this post or even this post! <— wow can you tell we absolutely l-o-v-e this easy DIY?!

Black hooks on the board and battenNo Measure Hooks!

The black hooks are probably my favorite part of this new look (thanks Casey!!). I love how bold they are next to the white…. so classic! And would you believe me if I told you that I hung these hooks without using a tape measure? I have a little trick on how to hang hooks evenly and level, without measuring, coming to the blog on Thursday. #LIFECHANGING
Lower hooks on board and batten

Tiny Space, Big Job

Even before this mini-makeover, we used this tiny space A LOT. Since we have a small house, incorporating vertical “storage” space is important to keep the house de-cluttered and organized.

I strive to make sure everything (literally everything) in our house has a “home” and this space is usually home to our school bags right when we come home from work.
Board and batten laundry room re doIt’s close enough to the kitchen for us to grab something quickly if we need to, but it’s tucked away behind the laundry room wall so we never see the clutter. And although it seems weird to put hooks so close to the doorway, hanging stuff here somehow works for us. We have another door that leads outside to our patio so we don’t use this “side door” very often at all, which allows us to hang stuff on this wall without being hassled.

Heart Eyes Now & Later

I am glad that we lived here a few years and established these routines before diving into this project, because putting hooks or a mini drop zone so close to a door may not work for everyone.

This project was SO WORTH the $40 and a summer days work! This laundry room nook has always worked hard for us, but now it works hard AND looks good, which makes me really happy with how this project turned out.

Finished project, well worth the $40 spentAnd note to self: if I ever have a formal mudroom in my next home, I know for sure that board and batten plus black hooks will definitely be a part of it. I’m officially in love with this classic combo.

Bridget


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.