Tag: Victorian House

Our Basement Laundry Room Makeover

This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. Thank you for making this renovation possible!

The laundry room in our Victorian is in the basement, and the space has its limitations. The ceiling height down there is low, there are pipes running overhead and along the back wall, the sole tiny window overlooks storage space beneath a porch, and the walls are a mix of drywall and stone foundation. None of those things have changed, but the laundry room is far better after its makeover!

The home had been split into apartments before we lived here, and the previous owners had a coin-operated washer and dryer that didn’t convey with the sale. We were thankful to have a relatively finished laundry room compared to the rest of the basement, but there was definitely room for improvement. We didn’t do anything when we first moved in besides add a washer and dryer.

I kept the same footprint and layout for the renovation. Tiling over previously painted concrete floors proved more challenging than expected, but I’m so glad I went for it. The hot water tank was replaced a few years ago with a more efficient (for a house heated by radiators) indirect water heater. I added new cabinets, replaced the old basement fridge, upgraded to the Samsung FlexWash washer and FlexDry dryer that can each do two loads at once, and replaced the gross plastic tub with a beautiful and functional cast iron sink.

The Design

The laundry room was pale gray when we moved in, and I repainted it beige. BOLD CHOICE, RIGHT? Honestly, it’s a great color for the room. The drop-ceiling is low and stayed white. I chose white floor tile to brighten the room, plus classic white cabinets. Ceiling, floor, and cabinet colors: done. On to the appliances!

A second fridge in the basement has been useful and the replacement options were between black, white, and stainless steel. I chose white for the new fridge to blend in and match the cabinets but was undecided on the washer and dryer, which are available in black or white.

I didn’t want an all-white space. That works well in a room with beautiful natural light and interesting architectural details, but when done in the wrong space, it can look either dull or sterile. My laundry room needed some contrast.

I painted all of the doors on the second and third floors black, and I liked the idea of continuing that downstairs. I had initially thought I would choose laminate counters with a marble or soapstone look, but ended up going with wooden countertops inspired by elements elsewhere in our house. With those two pieces of the design puzzle decided upon, I thought black would be the best choice for the washer and dryer set.

Why beige for the wall color? The lack of natural light ruled out white. I already had the contrast I needed and wasn’t interested in any more dark colors. I like a grayed-out blue and strongly considered it, but only if I would be painting the cabinets to match and I liked those in their factory finish. Do I love wallpaper and bold colors on walls and cabinetry? Absolutely, but not for this project. A light neutral would keep the overall space feeling open and visually calm. The pipes and different wall textures were all being painted in the same matte finish, and Canvas Tan from HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams’ at Lowe’s is a warm beige that doesn’t read too pink, brown, or yellow. It’s just right.

• Canvas Tan Paint, HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams • Whirlpool Top-Freezer Refrigerator • Stock White Cabinets • Octagon and Dot Tile • Samsung FlexWash • Samsung FlexDry

Tiling!

So easy breezy with that exclamation mark. Tiling! This first step in the renovation took the longest. The floor needed a whole lot of work before even getting to the satisfying step of adhering tile. We had to scarify the concrete (rough it up and get all of the paint off) with an angle grinder. I also chose to lay Ditra as an underlay to hopefully ensure a long-lasting tile job, free of cracks.

Octagon and dot tile is inexpensive and period-appropriate for older homes. I like the contrast of dark grout for a black and white look, but true black is too harsh. The grout I chose is actually a mid-tone gray, but the small scale of the tile and busyness of its pattern give it the contrasting effect I was looking for.

Tiling up to the uneven stone foundation walls was tricky. We used our new angle grinder to even out the concrete as best we could, but it sloped and waved along that edge and I kind of just picked a line and went with it. I was nervous, because of course the trickiest spot to tile would be visible from the back door.

I used a scoring knife and tile nippers to cut individual tiles, making a smooth (somewhat arbitrary) line. I smoothed grout between the outer edge and the wall so the tile wouldn’t be sharp or raised, and later taped, caulked, and painted to finish.

• Octagon and Dot Tile • Sanded Grout (Light Pewter)
Posts with More Info: Removing paint from Concrete with an Angle Grinder • Laying Ditra to Prep for Tile • Tiling the Basement Laundry Room

Lighting

The sconces are super cute, and they’re affordable at $60 each! They can be installed facing up or down, and that schoolhouse-inspired shape is a charming detail. I kept the can lights that were already in the basement, but those can be harsh (and they’re uncomfortably close with the ceiling being so low). It’s nice to have lighting options and the new sconces give the room a softer glow.

• Huntley Sconces

The Sink

Ooh, that pretty sink! Ooh, that heavy sink. My husband and I got it into place with the assistance of a jack borrowed from the back of our minivan. We were concerned about dropping it into place and damaging it, the counter, or ourselves, but we made it. The faucet is so pretty I want to steal it for our kitchen, and the sink itself is 13″ deep. I clustered a few apothecary jars with a matching soap pump because why not? I like to pretend my things are old-timey. Fresh flowers are a nice touch but I’ll replace them with fakes after those die — they’re blocking the view of the washer and dryer hookups (shhh). The vintage ironstone platter was there as a backsplash for the old plastic tub and I thought it was only fair to bring it back post-renovation.

• Kohler Cast Iron Utility Sink • Brass Faucet

Cabinets

We had a plastic utility tub with no storage, and a treasure chest left behind by the previous owners. While the latter is pretty magical, it wasn’t terribly practical and the old tub was gross! I replaced both with cabinets and also added them along the opposite wall. They add a ton of closed storage and also give us a nice spot to fold laundry. White shaker-style cabinets are simple and classic, and they’re stocked in Lowe’s stores to bring home right away.

The cabinets came with finished sides and I bought the matching toe kicks, but I also added quarter round base shoe, tying it into the baseboards I installed in the room. Caulk covers any gaps, and paint makes everything cohesive. I’ve saved and repurposed hardware from other projects, but Lowe’s carries similar brass pulls and knobs.

• Stock White Cabinets • Brass Cup Pulls (Similar) • Brass Knobs (Similar)

Making the Counters

I got it into my head that I should have wooden counters to echo the materials and design choices used in other parts of our home. Great! How does one go about making a wooden counter when you’ve never done that sort of thing before? I detailed my experience in this post. With some plywood, some trim, a lot of elbow grease and some stain and sealant, I made perfectly adequate counters.

I don’t love them, I don’t hate them. Once everything was in place, they looked fine. If they ever bug me enough to make a change, I feel like I learned enough through the experience to make something far better next time (but I don’t actually anticipate changing them out).

Post with More Info: Making DIY Plywood Countertops

The Washer and Dryer

Each are two machines in one! The Samsung FlexWash and FlexDry function as a large capacity front-loading washer and dryer, but there’s also a smaller secondary washer and dryer on top. They can be run independently or at the same time, and they are making our laundry life easier!

The ability to do a second, smaller load has been so nice. I like to wash a few delicate things in there, or use them if the kids get especially messy or need some specific clothes quickly. The added dryer is especially handy because it doesn’t tumble the clothes; it’s great for things that need to lie flat to dry.

• Samsung FlexWash • Samsung FlexDry

Finished!

A crummy 125-year-old basement laundry room can be made better, and ours has been! I painted the exposed pipes to blend in, brightened a space that receives very little natural daylight with white tile, and kept the walls light and neutral to keep the shell low-contrast, punctuated by black here and there. Everything looks and functions nicely now, and you should see me bringing guests downstairs like the proud weirdo I am. “Have you seen our laundry room? Come check it out!”

Thank you to Lowe’s for sponsoring this project and supplying all of the tools and materials I needed. I’ve loved sharing every little bit of this project with all of you, both here and on Instagram. I’ve heard from so many of you that were inspired to take on your own laundry room or tiling projects after seeing me jump in (especially on IG Stories), which makes me so happy! I have a pretty solid DIY skill set, but still, I didn’t know how to do all of this from the start. I got in there, figured it out, made it work and come together, and I’m thrilled with the result. I hope you’ve enjoyed following along!

November 28, 2018
Tiling the Basement Laundry Room

Today, I grout! But first, let’s take a look at the tiling progress I’ve made.

I started by finding the center of the room, then going out from there to see how square (or not) the room was. The laundry room is 10’x14’ and surprisingly not too wonky, at least as far as right angles go! Next, I dry laid sheets of tile to see how they lined up with the edges of the room. I don’t think this step is as important with small mosaic tiles as it would be with a larger format, but I felt better seeing some of the flooring in place before continuing.

I mixed my mortar to the consistency of peanut butter and was ready to affix the tile. (Tip: add powder to water when you start, not the other way around. It’s easier to mix without forming a dry clump at the bottom that way.) You can prefill the little waffle squares in a Ditra underlay (more about why I used Schluter Ditra right here) so that’s why you see some patches already filled in and dry — I was using up whatever mortar was in the bucket after adding the KerdiBand strips to waterproof the floor.

I started in the center and worked my way toward the wall where the water heater goes. I want to get that thing back in place! (Hot water, I miss you. So much.) By the end of day 1, I had made it to the wall and close to two corners.

Day 2, I started back at the center and worked my way toward the opposite wall. Then, leaving a path around the perimeter, I went back and got the two corners I had almost made it to the previous day. I didn’t want to start in one corner and work all the way from there because the tile sheets give a little, and you can get really out of square really quickly over longer distances. If I would radiate out from the center, I figured I had a fighting chance at doing this well.

I ended the day with staggered seams. I’ve seen mosaic tile installations where the seams between tile sheets is super noticeable, and I would be pretty mad at myself if I did that. There are a handful of spots where I feel like the spacing is slightly off, but I don’t think they’ll be very visible once everything is in place. I’m also looking at it far more critically than most would. Such is my way! My next tiling job is going to be the bathroom, also with a small mosaic tile, so I’m glad to have this space as my learning experience. Obviously I want this room to look good, but the stakes are ever so slightly lower.

Day 3! I had left all of the hardest cuts for the end, so I got all of my little tile pieces in place before mixing up my mortar again.

I experimented with a few different techniques for cutting tile. A snap cutter is difficult because the scoring wheel stops at every individual tile. It works, but you have to scoot it along, piece by piece. I found it easier to use a scoring knife and tile nippers. Best of all though was the wet saw! Mine has a laser line that I found very helpful (I didn’t use the optional guide rail), and the guard kept most of the water from splashing me. I wore leather gloves and safety goggles to protect my hands and eyes from the little shards of tile that would fling off occasionally, but I found the wet saw easy to use and great for precise cuts.

I added blue tape to mark the perimeter of previously laid tile that were safe to walk/stand/sit on. You don’t want to put pressure on the freshly laid tiles because they’ll shift around or mortar will squeeze up through the gaps. If you look for the patch of flooring that looks whiter than the rest, you’ll see where I was using too much mortar in the beginning. It oozed up through the gaps and I had to scrape it out of there after it dried with a grout saw, razor blades, and a stiff-bristled brush. It will be fine once I grout the floor, but it was a mistake I wish I hadn’t made.

There’s still a lot to do before I can call the room finished, but this tiling job was the most time-consuming part of it. I’ll grout today and let that dry overnight. Tomorrow, I’ll clean the floor with haze remover and then I’ll need to use a grout sealer before I can call the floor done. But the finish line is in sight! Hot water, ahoy!

July 11, 2018
The Newly Planted Backyard

This is the second of three posts sponsored by RISE’s AND not OR home and garden program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The yard is on its way! Little baby plants, all set in place and ready to do their thing. There were some existing mature plants that I liked and wanted to incorporate into the new design. The boxwoods at the entrance to the dining patio, the lilacs along the fence, and the climbing roses at each end of the garage are all lovely. I’ve added hostas, heuchera, duetzia, viburnum, boxwoods, and I have a few hydrangea waiting to go into the ground too. If you’re interested in plants and flowers that do well in the Midwest summer (and winter) check out RISE’s downloadable list.

Please ignore the awful fencing! Oscar is a cute puppy, but he needs to be restricted because he loves to dig. The plastic garden fencing is only 2’ high and I’m sure the dog could jump it if he tried (especially as he gets bigger), but the combination of supervision, training, and a physical barrier has worked so far. If we only need it temporarily, great! If it’s going to be long-term, I’ll find a more attractive option.

Let’s talk about the roses though — whoops. I cut them waaay down to the ground years ago, and they’re just now starting to halfway resemble their former glory. I didn’t know what I was doing before! I mean, I still don’t sometimes, but I’ve learned a lot. I did a ton of research on climbing roses a couple of years ago.

The old rose trellises were falling apart. When I took them down, the paint behind them was cracked and flaking, so that wall of the garage was scraped, prepped, and painted last week. The new trellises are more visually delicate than the old ones, but they seem sturdy and will hopefully last. Roses can be a bit temperamental, so I fertilized them with a product that also prevents pests. I’m training the canes back and forth in a winding S-shape (new, flowering shoots only grow off of horizontal canes), and I planted clematis that should make its way around the roses, blooming earlier for more seasonal interest.

There was snow on the ground not long ago, so all of this came together over the last couple of weeks. (Also, an update on my hand — I sprained it, but it will be fine!).

Those giant ball finials are weird in a good way, right? I needed something grand in scale since it’s going to be years before any of the new bushes (very excited about the Mohawk Viburnum!) reach their mature sizes. Itty bitty baby plants are cute, but the eye goes right past ’em. I considered a more modern geometric sculpture, but liked the idea of something with age (or at least the look of it). I also relocated a metal tub planter from a different part of the yard to somewhat hide the back of the barbecue.

I added plenty of mulch everywhere after getting the plants in the ground. I’ve gone through all of the effort to weed an area before, pulling things out by the roots or using weed-killer for things like poison ivy, and if you leave that soil bare for even a little while, new weeds come back so quickly. Mulch prevents weeds, keeps moisture in the soil, decomposes and improves the soil, and helps plants survive the winter. Magic stuff! Messy, heavy, and requiring a few trips when you need as much as I did, but magic stuff nonetheless.

The AND not OR approach to gardening is all about finding that balance of what works for you. I like the big initial spring clean-up because it’s nice to be outside in the sun after a Chicago winter, but the weather tips into hot and humid pretty quickly and then it’s not so fun. Getting rid of the weeds that were already out there now and preventing new ones with mulch will make upkeep much quicker and easier.

Gardens are always a work in progress, but that’s especially true of this one right now. I’m going to add a hedge (yew or boxwood) to more formally separate the front and back half of the backyard, and the arch needs something to grow over it. I think I’ll pick up a pair of pedestals for the urns to give them a bit more height, and the flower box on the back porch railing will be filled. Imagine those changes with mature plantings and leaves on the trees — like so.

You see it, right? We’re also planning for a new fence this year. The section behind the egg chair is in decent enough shape, but it’s shot pretty much everywhere else.

Our egg chair is still a big hit with the kids! It’s “all-weather wicker” (plastic), and it has held up beautifully. It’s tucked away and as the lilacs leaf out and bloom and the new deutzia I planted to the right of the garden stool grows, this area should have a kind of magical secret garden vibe. I’d like to add flowers along the fence too, but that will have to wait until after it gets replaced.

There are dahlias and a heuchera in the washing tub, and I’ll add sweet potato vines once the nurseries have them available. This photo from a couple of years ago shows the same angle, further on in the season. I love the softness of the trailing leaves.

A post shared by Nicole Balch/ Making it Lovely (@makingitlovely) on Aug 7, 2016 at 2:12pm PDT

The trees are only now beginning to bud and I’m hopeful that the hostas and heuchera will take nicely, so the garden is going to be more lush and leafy soon! It already feels like a much nicer place to be. And if you have any tips for keeping the puppy from undoing all of my hard work, I’d be glad to hear them!

May 4, 2018
A Look Back at 2017

I’ve missed you! I took my longest break after Christmas ever, but behind the scenes I have been planning and planning, and I’ll have a 2018 project list for you bright and early Monday morning. First though, a look back at some of what this past year held!

Starting with my office. You guys! It’s so nice to have this space done. I took a break for the holidays, but I’m back up here at work again and it’s such a nice feeling to walk into a room that looks and functions exactly as I’d hoped.

The wallpapered closet is my favorite. It’s only the second space I’ve added wallpaper to in this house, and I am eager for more. Wallpaper all the things!

The office is on the third floor, and I also worked on two other rooms up there. The guest room was made cute on a budget, and then even cuter with pink paint and a few tweaks.

I also finished the third floor bathroom with its hand-painted tumbling blocks floor.

I revitalized the front yard into something I hope will grow and fill in to suit the house, and continued to tend the garden.

The garden needs a ton of upkeep to stay looking relatively nice, and I slack on it sometimes, but for the most part I find I enjoy it. I’m thinking of making some changes to the back this year too. We’ve got our new outdoor dining furniture and I want the surroundings to be elevated a bit!

Back inside, the library came together a bit more, first with seating around the table and later with matching rugs between the double parlors.

I started in on ‘The Snug,’ though I will tell you that an antique daybed was a terrible choice for a sofa. I’ll need to remedy that at some point.

My son’s room got a makeover! Kids’ rooms are so fun to do. I wanted the toys to be accessible, but not crazy messy, and I wanted to bring in August’s likes and personality. I think we got it! He loves it for sure.

And one of the last changes for the year was a small change, but the new chairs for the dining room are a much better fit. I’ve realized with the change of furniture in there how far the room is from my vision for it, but it is much-improved for now.

Politically, professionally, and personally (we miss our pup, Murray so much), 2017 was a mixed bag. Big things are in the works for this upcoming year, and above all, I’ve decided that I want 2018 to be a DELIGHT. So it will be! (That’s how things work, right? Will them into being?) Come on back this Monday for a look at what’s to come.

Happy new year!

January 5, 2018
Life Lately, and Projects

How are you guys? I feel like I’ve been doing a whole lot behind the scenes, and not putting it out there as much. Part of that is because we’ve been traveling a little and I don’t like to announce “hey, nobody’s at our house for the next couple of weeks!” Even with an alarm system, it just seems like a bad idea, you know? But we’re back, and I’m fluttering around from project to project, buttoning some things up and getting started on others.

Things are changing a bit on the main floor, mostly refinements. I owe you an updated look at the double parlor with its new rugs, and the next layer to add will be curtains. I think the living room (that would be the back parlor) is my favorite room in the house. I love the library too, but something isn’t coming together and I haven’t put my finger on exactly what it is. I think it’s missing some tension in the color (red, rust, mustard, or ochre?), or it needs a shot of pattern.

I did some small updates in the kitchen, just rearranging where things like the knives and paper towels live. I have so many plans for that space, but it’s all very tentative. The bathroom is the same. The dining room got new chairs though (the perfect mix of antique meets now, masculine meets feminine), and I’ll have to set up a cute table to share the update with you! The snug, you’ve seen. I thought that antique daybed would be a whole lot better in the space than it was, so that may eventually be changed for a more comfy couch.

Also, maybe I should do a ‘hidden toy tour’ at some point? I’ve been seeing comments and hearing this on podcasts a lot lately — the idea that a room doesn’t get used if there’s not a TV in it. Yes, we added a television downstairs after years of only having one on the second floor, but that doesn’t mean we never hung out down there! The kids bring toys into the space and we have a whole thing of dress-up clothes on the fireplace hearth. We read, draw and color in the library. We make music, play games, have friends over, and just generally spend our time on the first floor. We also have tablets and phones and various electronic doodads that are portable. When we do have people over, there’s not usually a screen involved, so maybe that’s where the disconnect is?

The music thing… I was at the Paul McCartney show last night, so this morning I had to learn ‘Something’ on the ukulele. We keep the uke, a guitar, and a banjo on the wall, and usually when I’m playing something, the kids like to join in. There’s a basket of toy instruments that they grab from too and I cannot tell you how much I want them to form a family band with me. FAMILY BAND DAMMIT MAKE IT HAPPEN.

*ahem* Anyways.

Upstairs, I’m finally working on August’s room! He has been wanting red for his bedroom for a long time now, but at the same time, he has been fine with it being green. Now he’s a little more interested in changing it, so we’re moving forward. Shouldn’t take too terribly long to finish!

And on the third floor? The office. The furniture is in place and I repainted a while back. I’m just waiting on the new windows I ordered, and that’s going to take some time on the manufacturing end of things. It has been great having a dedicated workspace though, and the kids don’t miss the previous playroom setup. Even when it was filled with toys, everyone played downstairs or in their rooms.

So that’s things! I’m off to clear out some clutter and paint some trim. Gotta get a few of these projects moving!

July 26, 2017
Modern Ideas for a Victorian Fireplace
A reader named Kristi wrote in with a question that I thought would be fun to answer on the blog.

“I have been an avid reader of your blog over the years especially since our youngest kids were born around the same time and my husband and I own a Victorian home built in the 1890s. Anyway, after three years of living in our home, I’m still struggling with how to decorate our original mantel. What I find most challenging is the two levels of shelves. I would appreciate any styling suggestions you might have.”

The fireplace is a huge design statement, but it’s also just plain huge at 60″ wide and 78″ tall. The ledges are relatively shallow (the top shelf is 9″ deep, the bottom is 10″), but the ceilings are nearly 9′ high so the fireplace is taking up a good portion of the wall. So how do you decorate a double tiered fireplace?

Here’s how people did things back in the day.

A bit fussy, with many small, beautiful things. A mantel clock, if you’re feeling fancy. It’s not really my thing.

There are plenty of us, myself included, living in Victorian homes and appreciating the architectural details while simultaneously not wanting to live in a time capsule. These huge fireplaces are beautiful, but they can be tricky! In Kristi’s case, she has those double ledges to contend with, and the fact that they’re shallow is limiting.

The first thing to think about is an overall approach to arrangement. Do you like things to be perfectly symmetrical, entirely asymmetrical, or somewhere in between?

I like a few pairs of items to anchor the look with additional pieces layered in (the “near symmetrical” option above), so that’s the approach I’ll take.

Krisi sent a photo of her fireplace the way it’s usually decorated. There’s a speaker, candles, a framed wedding photo, and a long, low bowl. I say she relocates the speaker to a less prominent spot, but let’s work with the rest!

I’m drawn to ceramic vases and jars, so of course some of the options I put together feature those heavily. Any grouping of similar objects can have the same effect though, provided they’re a good size for the space. Framed prints or paintings layered and leaning work well too. What do you have already? What do you love to collect and display? Start there, then layer in any missing pieces to fill the gaps.

Sources

Here are the items I used throughout the post! I’ve used affiliate links when possible and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
April 5, 2017