On Second Thought

One of the great things about the planning process is that you get to change your mind. In the original plan for the kitchen, we didn't even consider tackling the laundry room, which we hated. But, as I thought about it, there would be no better time to do that construction. Plus, what was nagging at me was the flooring. The gray/pink oddly shaped tiles continued through the kitchen down the back hall and around the corner into the other back hall that contained the closet for the washer and dryer. The room we were using as an office was at the end of the back hall and it had a closet. Of course the closet had some stuff in it, but that room was never going to be useful as a bedroom, so we didn't need that closet in that room. So, it just made sense to blow through the laundry closet into that other closet and make a real laundry room. Likely the best decision of the entire renovation. Here is what that started to look like in the early stages of construction.

The door was removed and would be replaced with a window.

The wall between the two closets has been removed. Plumbing and electrical would also have to be moved to accomodate the new layout with the washer and dryer on the outside wall.

Window being installed.

Finished window and siding replaced. We actually found extra siding in the basement, so we used that. Of course even when you have the same material it won't match because the siding on the house was out in the weather for 25 years. But, close enough and no matter what we did it wouldn't match. This is on the back of the house.

Inside view with new window and electrical rough in.

Framed doorway leading into new laundry room. Door to right leads to powder room.

Putting the washer and dryer on the outside wall was required to make this layout work. We really wanted the sink with the cabinets and that would have to go on the outside wall also. Having plumbing on an inside wall in colder climates is preferable, but we figured our kitchen sink plumbing was on an outside wall, so why not?

Progress continued to be made. Here are some shots of the next steps.

Rough in plumbing in place along with insulation. The white box to the far right with the yellow hose is a gas line. We do not have a gas dryer, but the owners before us did and they are quite popular in this part of the country. So, whenever you are doing construction consider the options and put them in while the walls are open and the additional option costs incrementally nothing.

Sink would be positioned under the window.

It is a great day when drywall goes in. Makes you think it is getting finished. Of course, that is when the project really starts to slow down because drywall is no where near the finish line.

Even unfinished, this view is far superior to the door that was there with laundry piled in front of it.

While the laundry room was getting done, so was the kitchen. Next post we will look at that along with some of the finish options we chose along the way.