One Room Challenge: Week 1 | Blank Slate Laundry/Office

Last week: Florida vacation. This week: The flu. The One Room Challenge is starting with a hacking cough, fever, and a lot of sleeping. I do think I turned a corner today, but I’m in no condition to dive into the ORC beyond daydreaming and writing this post. That counts, right?

If you have never been to the BHH blog before, I am glad you are here. Meeting new people is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. Blake Hill House was built in the early to mid-1880s, and my husband Andy and I bought it in 2014. I am passionate about historic preservation and restoration. Around here we follow the idea of respectful renovation which involves keeping original elements, modernizing for safety, restoring when possible, and blending the new with the old.

There is almost five years’ worth of old house content here on the blog, and I love this work so much, that I started a podcast called True Tales From Old Houses. The podcast includes stories and interviews with restoration professionals and other old house owners.

This round marks the seventh time we have participated as an ORC guest. Time flies when you are living in a fixer-upper. If you are interested in seeing our past ORC projects, there’s a link to all of them in the navigation bar under Respectful Renovation.

The Laundry Room/My Office

Our spring 2019 project is the laundry room which doubles as my office. Nothing sparks creativity like the soothing sounds of a washer and dryer banging around in the background.

Right now, this room is a blank slate. We recently refinished the floors. Also, in January when I started removing the fiberboard paneling, I made a very unexpected discovery: original planked walls and ceiling. To be honest, this look, shiplap or planked, has never really been my thing, but it’s original, so it stays.

The Plan

For a couple of years, the photo below from Pottery Barn has been my inspiration for the laundry side of this room.

I love how clean and organized it looks. Since we get a peek from the kitchen, it is important to me that the room stays neat and tidy.

On the opposite wall is my office space with a door that looks out into the breakfast nook. Now you know the real reason why I chose this room as my office. It wasn’t the washer and dryer at all. Looking at nature is what inspires me.

I tried to make a cool rendering in Sketch-up, but after an hour, I had only succeeded in adding a wood floor and an upside-down window on the wrong wall. I’m adept at cutting my losses with this kind of stuff. You’ll have to trust me. For next week’s post, I’ll be out of bed, and I will take more photos to help you get your bearings.

The To-Do List

• Windows – If you know me, you know I like to do things the right way, so the plan includes restoring the two windows in this room. The good news is that the bottom sashes open. However, the one on the left has a broken pane, and both are quite drafty. Earlier in the year, I promised more content and tutorials about window restoration, so I will be breaking down the process over the next six weeks.
• Paint – Everything gets a fresh coat of paint. I may choose a shade of blue similar to the original one, or I may decide to go with white. TBD
• Cabinetry – For this project, we are sticking with lower in-stock cabinets only. I know we have a ton of space for uppers, but I think it is out of our price range this time around.
• Electrical work – I will have to call in the pros for an estimate. We want overhead lights if possible, and we need to relocate the two outlets.
• Storage – The cabinets are storage, but I’m making a special note that I would like to hide away the kitchen recycling, laundry baskets, our gym bags, and all of my office supplies. Currently, those are things that clutter up other areas.
• Lighting – As I mentioned before, we want overhead lighting. We also need two new wall sconces.

If I can fit some Rifle Paper Co. fabric in here somewhere, I’ll be a happy woman.

For all the work in real-time, be sure to follow me on Instagram. We are also currently in the last phase of the downstairs floor refinishing project, so the two tasks will overlap for the next couple of weeks. At the end of May, we are hosting a big baby shower for my good friend, and I’m anxious to have everything in top shape before then.

The link-up for the guest participants will be live late tonight so visit the One Room Challenge blog for more inspiration and projects to follow. The official design influencers unveil their rooms today.

Now, I’ve got to kick this illness so I can operate at 100%. I’m going to need every bit of the next six weeks to pull this all together. If you are participating in the ORC this round, please leave a comment. I want to follow your project. As a reader, let me know if there is a particular topic you want me to cover for sure. Sometimes the challenge goes by so quickly that I miss opportunities or gloss over details, and I’m trying to become a better resource.

-Stacy