Need Advice on Laundry Room Makeover

I'm working on my laundry room today.

Trying to make it as pretty as can be.

I could really use some advice.

Can anyone recommend products to do the following:

Remove paint from a cement wall.

Patch holes and cracks the cement wall.

Seal the cement wall so it won't get moldy.

Repaint the cement wall, perhaps in an "off white" color.

Here are pictures of my laundry room. I know I'm not the only one with an ugly scary laundry room! I'm gonna make this into a bigger post later with more photos and some inspiring pictures.

This is just one side of the laundry room! The other wall is wood paneling and needs to be stripped and repainted. The ceiling is a fright, the lights don't work, and the floors need attention too.

The cement wall and funky ceiling tile ceiling.

The cement wall and cracked cement or concrete floor.

The cement wall. Ug!

The cement wall is actually a foundation wall. It was painted bright yellow in the 1970's. I don't know what kind of paint it is, but there is a chance it might have lead in it due to the time it was painted. I don't want to sand blast it off. I do know the paint remover has to be non pourous so it won't seep into the cement.

This is just a quick post. I will add more pictures and info later. I'm off to Home Depot for now. Any and all advice is welcome and greatly appreciated!

A big thank you to my new blogging friend the

Parisienne Farmgirl!

She and her husband gave me some great advice on what to do and purchase for this project. She recommended the brushes which I hadn't even thought of. After I read her comment, I went to Home Depot to get some things to start stripping the paint. There are more steps to do after this that she helped me with too. Thank you so much!

Be sure to check out her blog, Parisienne Farmgirl if you haven't already! It's her laundry post from earlier this year that got me so inspired to redo my laundry room. I'm sure she will inspire you to do all you can to make your home as lovely as can be too!

On a side note, I just noticed she lives in the Chicago countryside. My Grandpa was born and raised on a big farm in the countryside of Chicago too, long ago. Wouldn't it be amazing if she lived on his family's old farm?

This is what I got today:

My Home Depot Paint Removing Stash!

Jassco Brushable Semi Paste Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover

Strongest formula. Professional results. Strips multiple layers in one application. Use on wood, metal, concrete, masonry, water rinsable, non-flammable. Removes epoxy, polyurethane, latex, varnish, enamel, oil based coatings. Poisonous. Duh.

Husky Plastic Sheeting

To cover up the shelving, the washer and dryer, the ironing board, the sink area and anything else left after I clear stuff out.

Husky 6 in 1 Paint Tool

For scraping off the paint. What 6 things does this thing do?

Wire Brushes

Workforce Stainless Steel Wire Brush with Soft Grip Handle

Hardened scraper, stainless steel bristles, removes paint, rust and scale, great for BBQ Grill Cleaning too.

These are for scraping and brushing off the paint as best as I can before using the paint remover. I got two different kinds!

All Purpose Spackling Paste

For my wrinkles after I finish! Just kidding... For interior and exterior use... on the house! Ready to use formula. Paintable. Easy to sand. This is for filling in the cracks in the cement. Harmful if inhaled. Duh!

West Chester Latex Stripping Gloves

Helps you slide down the stripper pole with greater ease! Ha!

Chemical resistance. Ideal for stripping paint, staining and refinishing, grouting, and cleaning.

Face Mask

3M Sanding Painted Surfaces Respirator

Helps keep non harmful dust and certain particles out of your nose, mouth and lungs.

I already have goggles to protect my eyes.

The Home Depot guy who helped me was also very knowledgable and picked out the right items. Although he just grinned when I said I was gonna do this job all by myself.

The Home Depot girl who check out my items said she was a property manager of apartment units and that I was saving a lotta money by not hiring a contractor or other workers. She encouraged me to try and do it myself first! I didn't tell her I didn't have any money to hire a contractor or interior designer. But if anybody wants to help... come on over!

Here are more before photos of my laundry room:

Holy cardboardy ceiling tiles!

The ceiling, the hole in the ceiling, and my old yellow cement wall.

Um... Did I mention the rat? There is a rat up there.

He or she already ate two packets of "rat cuisine"

but didn't croke. He just keeps running around inbetween the ceiling, floors and walls.

The door into the laundry room and more crap.

The cement floor used to have vinyl floor tiles on top but I pulled most of them up.

Vintage ceiling lights that don't work.

The big window overlooking the garden. The wooden wall paneling above the window and on this other side of the room need to have the paint stripped off and it needs repainting too.

Can I jus say I got Shabby Chic Walls and forget about it?

A lotta old things to go through... someday.

The alternative.

This is an old laundry print that belonged to my Mom or my Grandma. Actually, I really like it. I might try to emulate it and bring the look out in the decor.

(That's just a spot from the flash in the middle.)

This is just one idea...

I'm off to clean out more stuff. Then I'm gonna start stripping! HA! Oh lordy, what have I gotten myself into?!

To all my blogging friends who have husbands or boyfriends... you are truly blessed and oh so lucky to have someone who helps do these kind of thing.

I wish I had somebody like that too.

All of your ideas are so gratefully welcome!

Thank you so much for all your help and advice!

ps. So can I be in the ugly laundry room club for now too?

Thank goodness for the great advice from my blogging friends!

I'll get the paint tested for lead before I start trying to remove it.

I won't use the things I bought incase I need to return them.

Then I can apply the money spent to an alternative solution!

First things first, step by step... I'll get there! :)

12-6-09

Laundry Room Dimensions:

The home was built in 1934. I have the original plans but also tried to measure it myself. I don't remember why I got such different measurements. That back wall with the yellow paint is stepped up (not sure of the right word) which you can see in one of the photos. That might be the reason for my different widths. I'm not sure what to go by, but this is what I have:

Original Plans: Length 19.0' by Width 10.0'

My Measurements Inside:

Length 18.0' by Width 9' or 8'-2" Height: 7'-6" (90")

Laundry Room - The Other Side

Still messay even after a quick clean up.

Built in sink cabinet (plumbing for sink is bad)
White metal cabinet up high that I want to take out.
Long pipes under shelf that bring water in for washing machine.
Old sewing maching on lower right.

View from the door
I want to take the bar in the ceiling out
And take out the ones on the wall

Same photo just more closeup

Better shot of the floor which needs scrubbing.

Looking back towards the door.

Pipes can be seen sticking out from under the shelf.
I'd like to add some kind of window covering.

Inside view of plaster and lathe, pipes and electrical.

I'll get the lead paint test kit this week at a paint store or online. I heard that Abotex is a good brand to get. I have a feeling it's going to test positive for lead. I hope I can still make the room look nice in some other way if thats the case.

The Importance of Really Nice Shinny Floors!

This Japanese cat cracks me up! His name is Maru and he likes really nice shinny floors and empty boxes too! Click on his name for more funny videos of him.

Barbie's House Transformed

Barbie's 50th Birthday Party was held at a spectacular home in Malibu, California where many of her fabulous friends came to celebrate. Jonathan Adler transformed the home into a bright colorful life size dollhouse which was put together by party planner extradoinaire Colin Cowie with music by DJ AM. The fabulous decor can be seen in my previous post about her birthday party.

Here is what the home really looks like, in its natural state without all the party people and over the top decor. I have been most fortunate to have been a guest at this lovely home on several occassions and it is even more beautiful in person. The home is very modern and has spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California.



I hope the owners don't mind that I share their home with you. The home is used in the entertainment business a lot so some people out there may have already seen it. The place is amazing, truly spectacular! Although the best part are the owners who are the nicest people you'll ever meet with the biggest heart. They really know how to make you feel right at home in their little piece of paradise.

The interior design was done by Bussell Livingstone Interiors and completed around 2003. Apparently the two designers have since separated and have their own firms now. Janet Bussell-Erickson is in Los Angeles, CA and has added a place in Presscott, Arizona. Barrie Livingstone returned to his home in Miami, Florida after spending five years in Los Angeles, and operates his design firm from there.

The beautiful pictures are from Barrie Livingstone's website and the Malibu Locations: Weddings and Events website (which you can tell by the watermark on the photo). Oh and the photos of the home with Tad Hamilton are from I Am Not A Stalker, Your Definitive Source for Filming Locations.

The description is a combination of information from Barrie Livingstone's website, and an article Second take from Remodeling Trends volume 2006 and another article in the Los Angeles Times about the home from their Special Home Design Issue A Vision in Azure, Awash with Ocean Hues and Technical Tricks in 2004 by Barbara Thornburg. Oh and my personal tidbits of info and insight. :)

Since most of the information is from a while ago, I'm sure the home has been used for other events since then in addition to those at the end of the post too.

Yeah! We're here!







"This Malibu compound sits atop a 50-foot bluff on Zuma Beach facing the ocean and due south on clear days Santa Barbara Island some 80 miles offshore can easily be seen. Perched on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean, this home, originally designed by Ron Goldman, has now been redesigned by Bussell Livingstone Interiors.



"Our clients wanted the home to be a peaceful family retreat," says Bussell. "At the same time, they wanted the space to be a suitable location for film shoots." Bussell Livingstone created an interior that focuses on scale and colors.

"From the outset, the owners specified a simple palette of white, lilac and blue, because these colors promote tranquility, creativity and spirituality," says Bussell. "Instead of mixing diverse colors in the design, we mixed materials - marble, stainless steel, glass and sheer fabrics."

The main living area has 18ft-high ceilings with full-height sliding doors that open onto broad, stone walkways that surround the house. These provide film crews with easy access to most areas of the house.







Most walls on the ground level are Azure light glass allowing the main living space to command dramatic 360 degree views.



AAA Pure White Thassos marble was selected for the flooring. It was tracked down on the Greek Isle of Thassos known for this magical white stone. Slabs are used on the stairs as the main living area is on three levels and the entire floor is heated with a copper line heating system.



My first tidbit of insight... See the photo with barstools at the bar? There is a waterfall like fountain running down the wall behind the bar. I think it must use oil or something to make it look like tiny beads of water trickling down. It's very pretty and mesmerizing.













The kitchen is by Italy’s own Snaidero using their now famous finish designed by Ferrari's Pininfarina. The finish is glasslike and reflective and is like no other. Doors are made from injection molded plastic and are light as a feather, some are even curved.



The following article, "A Vision in Azure, Awash With Ocean Hues and Technological Tricks" by Barbara Thornburg, February 8, 2004 offers detailed information about the amazing kitchen.

Record company executive Jan Stevens has a stunning $250,000 kitchen, bathed in blue to match the Pacific Ocean visible from the food 'n' fun room of the Malibu home she co-owns with business partner Stephen Graham. But she has a confession: They rarely cook.

"We're both so busy," Stevens says. A chef comes weekly to chop vegetables and fruits and store lettuce in the refrigerator for Stevens, who has been a vegetarian since she was 19. Graham, although a talented cook, uses the kitchen principally to make coffee. The couple do entertain, however, on a large scale. "We usually have 250 guests at a time," Stevens says. Then there's the weekly boys' night, when a dozen friends drop by to shoot pool, play computer games and just hang out.

Graham and Stevens wanted a stunning kitchen to go with the dramatically modern home. Stevens was thumbing through a Shelter magazine when she first saw the periwinkle blue kitchen - her favorite color, she says. "It was love at first sight." The creation of Ferrari auto designer Paolo Pininfarina, the award-winning Ola kitchen (click for close up pics) sports many of the same features as a car: sensuous curved lines in the foam-injected, molded cabinet doors, one of which opens via a pneumatic lift, and a metallic, reflective paint finish. "We Turtle Wax it every couple of months," Graham says.



The kitchen opens to an expansive dining and entertainment area that includes a pool table with a custom blue felt surface. Graham set up his Apple Computer's iTunes program to flash images on the 60-inch Zenith plasma-screen TV that pulsate with the music from his playlist of 31,000 songs. Guests can shoot pool or stargaze through the telescope in the corner or perch on stools along the low kitchen bar opposite the billiards table. Stevens puts out snacks and lets the guys help themselves to chilled drinks and ice from the refrigerator and freezer drawers located in the bar. They can also make themselves a cappuccino from the built-in Miele coffee maker, which grinds its own beans, or throw a bag of popcorn into the overhead KitchenAid microwave.





Even though the owners don't cook often, they wanted a functional space that could handle several people preparing food at the same time - caterers mostly, and during the holidays, family - without getting in each other's way. Working with designers Janet Bussell and Barrie Livingstone of Bussell-Livingstone Interiors in Malibu, and Snaidero kitchen designer Lois O'Malley, they decided on a double-alley kitchen with a large central island that allows for easy access and a number of cooking triangles. The bar and back wall of the kitchen each have custom stainless steel sinks that are a swivel turn away from an oven. They have four, plus two warming drawers. A free-standing GE Monogram refrigerator stands nearby to complete the triangle.

The top of the island features a Miele griddle and cooktop with a central wok burner. A flush-mounted telescopic vent system emerges with the press of a button to suction smoke and odors from the cooktop and replaces a conventional hood that would have blocked views of the ocean.



The client said that the kitchen, usually full of young, hip singles, turned into a "vibrant family center" during the holidays. "My mom cooked, the kids ate every meal at the counter, sitting on the swivel bar stools and watching Nickelodeon; my sister and brother-in-law danced to country music and I played pool with my dad."





Moving out of the kitchen...

Of special note is the Azurelite glass on the homes windows. On even the greyest of Malibu mornings, it’s blueness pierces the air and sets a hip cool contrast to the brilliant white smoothness of the stucco walls.

Highly polished stainless steel furnishings by Brueton “wave bench” and dining table. Cool bar stools from Sweden, Johanson Design and dining chairs from Cantoni had to be custom lacquered in brilliant white to dazzle off the floor.





Let's go outside...

The pool is lined in a lilac glass tile with seamless hidden waterfalls and the only fifteen-person whirlpool hot tub.

















At last, the fire pit. It is surrounded by a crystal clear diamonite glass wall to protect from the chilly pacific wind. Lilac exterior canvas fabric warms you and when the pit is on, the whole area becomes a sexy, romantic retreat away from the rest of the home that leaves you free to gaze up at the stars.

Hopefully you've read this far because this is where I get to add another one of my personal tidbits... The outdoor fire pit is amazing! Toss a hand full of magic dust on it to make it change all different colors at night! And even better... I know where the marshmellows are in the kitchen for roasting over the flame! Yum!





This home may look familiar to you because it is featured regularly on many T.V. shows, movies and music videos. Before it’s renovation, it was featured in “Life as a House” and Terminator 2. Now it has been used for CSI Miami, Paris Hilton’s Global Guess Campaign, videos for Jennifer Lopez and Luther Vandross, and several private videos from the Cooking Channel to Yoga & Fitness. It is also currently used for National Ad Campaigns for Kreiss Furniture and Frontgate Catalog." The home was also featured in "Win A Date with Tad Hamilton" and is also used for Weddings and Events. I'm still looking for more pics and videos that show the home... let me know if you find any! :)

One last tidbit... the front doors were "blown up" or shot out in a movie or TV show. I just forget if it was for an episode of "Miami CSI" or "The Fast and Furious" (I think it was the latter). I haven't looked through all the shows to find it. The real doors were taken off and replaced with the kind of glass they use when blowing stuff up in movies. It was quite an elaborate shoot!

Kreiss Furniture



Luther Vandross Video - Take You Out



Win A Date With Tad Hamilton (Home shown at 1:51-2:01)



Steamy video with Josh Duhamel...



What? You wanna see more? Josh Duhamel is Hot.
Don't forget to look at the house!



Stunning... marble floors! For your pic files of course.



I hope you've enjoyed the seeing the beautiful home. We Love Your Place! :)