Laundry rooms can be, well, boring. My big project this month has been to slowly turn our laundry room into a space that's pleasant, organized and has some personality. The first project I tackled was our stripes and dots washer and dryer!
So, full disclosure, I really wanted to paint them. Like SO badly. I spent a long time researching high heat/appliance-appropriate paints. It's still on my "maybe someday" list, but I chose not to paint them because all of the paints were sprays, which would mean lugging the appliances outside for paint, dry and cure time. Since I don't have a garage it didn't seem practical, and so I started looking for options that could be done indoors instead. In the end, I'm so happy with the result, so it all worked out! A lot of projects turn out that way: One idea evolves into the next!We did a lot of testing before committing to electrical tape. There are a lot of other options including our second choice, vinyl, that would also work. In the end we chose electrical tape because it was so quick and easy to get the perfect stripes we wanted.
There are a few things you should know about electrical tape. It's awesome, because it is completely removable and therefore renter-friendly! All of the colors we have tried have come off with no residue (see above) except for black. BUT I wanted needed black and white stripes. So after our test run, when we used Goo Gone to remove the residue and it came off quickly and easily! So, if you're like me and just have to use black tape, be sure to remember you'll need Goo Gone if you ever choose to remove the tape in the future!
To get the dots we used plastic (like what you would find a toy packaged in) to adhere the tape to, then we cut dots through both layers with scissors and peeled the tape off the plastic and used it for the dots pattern.This project took two rolls of black electrical tape and about three hours to complete. I can't wait to share the rest of the room with you soon (it's still a work in progress!) Hope your day is great today. xo. Elsie
Credits: Author and Photography: Elsie Larson, Project Assistant: Laura Gummerman.
I’m so thinking of pink and purple vinyl stars.. I think it would look great….!!
That is sooo cute .would have never. Thought of it THANK YOU and will pass on the idea.
wonder if I could use a circle punch on vinyl sheets at craft store?
This project turned out great!
Problem: Guest have to pass through the little laundry room to use the bathroom … Thank goodness I’m only renting.
Solution: stripes on the washer and polka dots on the dryer door & stripes on the machine. (older washer & dryer had more surface to cover). For the polka dots I used dimes instead of the game piece.
This made the area less embarrassing… Many thanks!
I have the unfortunate issue of having my washing machine in my kitchen. I hate it. This is a super cute and easy way to add some style to the ugly appliance
I saw the photos and knew what you used before you even mentioned it. I think it’s amazing. I will definitely be doing something like this someday when we own our own washer and dryer!
Soooo cute!! I love this. 🙂
omg that just gave me hope for my laundry room… u guys rock!
I love this! I live in an apartment with a stackable set in the kitchen which always looks sad but now I am getting ideas!
I just did this with my washer and dryer! My hand cut circles were awful. Completely awful. Because my washer and dryer and are smaller than average, I ended up using a hole punch to create perfect circles. It was very time consuming because the dots were so small, but I love it now that it is (finally) done.
So cute and beautiful ! A great idea to pimp up boring laundry rooms ! I will be doing it asap ! Thanks for sharing !!!
I did vinyl pink and black polka dots on mine. I love it! I also have to give kudos to my hubby for totally embracing the cuteness redo. http://www.unknownmami.com/2013/08/diy-polka-dot-washer-and-dryer.html
I love it!! Those washer and dryer are usually not that pretty in a laundry room but with this upgrade it looks amazing!!
Hi Libby!
I think washi tape would be too temporary for something like this. It would likely peel up or get messed up when in contact with liquid. I like that the electrical tape is water resistant, so you can windex and wipe right over it! If it wasn’t an appliance, the washi might work though!
xoxo- elsie
Hi! The best suggestion I have is to take your time and don’t be afraid to remove a piece if you mess up. It’s easier than it looks, I promise!
elsie
Thanks so much Becky!!! That means so much to me today!
Also- please post a photo of the flower crowns! That’s so special!!!
xx- elsie
Hi Jo,
I haven’t tried contact paper but I would be afraid it would peel up. No harm in trying, though! Let me know what you think if you do try it!
elsie
Hi there-
I do not think washi tape would be durable enough. I also like electrical tape better because it’s waterproof, so if you windex your appliances it won’t affect your design.
XO! elsie
I LOVE this!!! I’ve had the painted washer/dryer thing pinned forever but the work involved has always stopped me too. This is brilliant! Quick question though – why did you rule out washi tape? I’ve use electrical tape on things before and it is pretty tricky to remove if its left on for an extended period of time. I have a roll of black washi tape already so I’m just wondering if there was a reason behind that 🙂 Thanks!
Michael’s (craft stores) has punchers that punch out circles that big (and a ton of other shapes) it would totally punch through tape if you needed it too. Would be way easier than cutting them out yourself!