Spring Cleaning
“Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won’t take long when there’s a song to help you set the pace.”
A refresh was needed. 22 years of soccer, baseball, entertaining, travel, cat room & neglect.
Research shows us that visual clutter creates clutter in our minds. I had gotten to the point where laundry time was a quick drop & gather. Following our Mud Room remodel we had the usual leftover materials. A window in our contractor’s calendar, meant it was the time.
We have a convenient second floor laundry. But, over the years I have discovered the inadequacies. Lack of a tall closet for the broom/ironing board, cupboard for iron, steamer & cleaning supplies, sturdy flooring. Washing machine overflow protection was at the top of the list.
Our 3 week refresh turned into 5 months. Finding the opportunity to fill the back of my car with a week’s worth of laundry was a challenge. Baskets of laundry & my pocket full of quarters—I sang the tune of whistle while you work. (Without animated birds flying around me or wildlife helping.) It made me grateful for the ability to have clean clothing & home textiles once all was hooked up and operable again.
Our FROG, affectionally called The Dawg House, became the staging for the laundry room & hall bath deconstruction. An English Scullery was the inspiration. The tile choice was already made, as we had enough left over from downstairs. The addition of a sloped floor & drain would prevent any issues of water overflow. The washer drier stayed in the same location. With the removal of our original cupboard, this provided the space for the much anticipated broom/ironing board closet.
The start and stop of work was reminiscent of a load of wash going through its cycle. New/old scones added, drywall skim coated, cabinetry built and installed, wainscoting installed, marble chosen, cut & installed. Final stages included the plumber installing a new deep stainless sink. And my wallpaper friend arriving to hang our sweet English wallpaper & talk of puppies. Along the way—lots more painting.
I knew my English Country House Laundry Room had become the room I could enjoy “working” in. Filling the shelves with supplies and unwrapping the vintage pieces I had collected on treasure hunts. My final delight was hanging my great grandmother, Laura Belle’s wooden ironing board over the sink. I suppose it was originally set between two chairs next to the stove where she could heat her iron. Now, it is the perfect spot to hold my mother’s Cornishware pottery and favorite vintage finds. Truly, a sweet room to “whistle while you work”.
“When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work.”
