I am a big believer in spreading your design budget around so you can have it all. And by all, I mean as much as possible.
Most homeowners have a very long list of renovations and updates that need to be completed.
This is why it’s so important that you don’t spend ALL your money on just the renovation or new build.
Updating your staircase, installing crown moulding or installing the most expensive countertops and lighting for example, will still not leave you with a look and a feel.
Decorating is what will infuse your house with atmosphere and make you want to spend time there instead of in a hotel on a weekend away.
When Crystal and I talked about updating her laundry room, I suggested painting the cabinets, installing 2″ hex floor tile and a black laminate (Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone) countertop instead of stone.
She loved that idea, so that’s what we did:
After {Interior Design and styling by Maria Killam} SW6681
Here’s my sweet design assistant Kelly Parkinson ironing the bedding for the master bedroom photos here.
This laundry room didn’t have closet doors so I suggested we cover the laundry room shelving with some inexpensive grommet curtains from IKEA (below):
I kept the roman shade neutral so Crystal can change the laundry room colour anytime!
And we picked up some hashtag artwork for a little hit of black and white!
Love this laundry with the butcher block countertops. Also a less expensive countertop option:
I posted about laminate countertops and how far they’ve come when I was at the KBIS show in January here.
Terreeia and I board our flight tonight for Spain (First Seville for 3 nights and then we take the train to Barcelona for 3 nights) and then the Amalfi Coast for 3 weeks. We will arrive in Naples, take a boat to Capri, then Praiano, then Positano, then somewhere on the Amalfi Coast and then Sorrento, watch all the fun on my Instagram and stories here.
Any advice on what not to miss in Seville or Barcelona or restaurants to experience would be appreciated in the comments below!
Related posts:
Where to Start When you Have a Blank Slate (Laundry Room Makeover)
Best Countertops for Stained Wood Cabinets
How to Create an Ethereal Colour Scheme
Love this laundry. What is the name of this yellow color?
Thank you
In Seville, the old Jewish section of town… really cool at night. Have a wonderful time!
Maria – try The 4 Cats in Barcelona. We had a lovely three course meal there for a very reasonable price and the place is just oozing with history. Seville is a stunning city – you must see the cathedral and the Alcazar Palace and Gardens! If you take a windy road down to the beach in Sorrento, there are some lovely beach side restaurants where you can eat with views of the sea and Mount Vesuvius. Enjoy yourselves.
Maria, Have so much fun in Barcelona. We loved it!
HIGHLIGHTS:
– Palo Cortao. Every bite was perfection (esp the ceviche and steak tartare and cheesecake). This was our favorite meal of our trip.
– Casa Batllo was my favorite Gaudi. Not to be missed.
– Stayed one night at Montserrat, a monastery in geologically unique mountains an hour outside of Barcelona. Most people day trip but staying at the hotel allowed us to enjoy it at night and in the early morning without any crowds. Magic. The hotel is VERY basic but for us it was worth the magical experience of having the place to ourselves. Worth a day trip, too. There’s a great hike (or you can ride a tram to the top for the view) and an incredible monastary to check out.
– Day trip to the Dali Museum and Theater in Figueres. Dali spent decades of his life designing a one of a kind experience.
Other things we did and loved: Sagrada Familia. Tour of the Catalonian Music Hall. Exploring the Gothic Quarter. Light show at the magic fountain (certain nights/times only). Checking out architecture/shopping on Passeig de Gràcia. La Boqueria market.
The coffee in Spain is to dye for!
May I tell you all how much I love laminate! It breaks my heart to see so much granite (which is a stone and once mined is gone forever) being dumped as “landfill” because someone “needed” to be with the current trend! If you “need” to be a “trendite”, fine -use laminate, it’s relatively inexpensive and with the new edging you can’t even tell it’s laminate (no more brown lines) and you can install new laminate when you want a change – although if you follow Maria’s advice your laminate will be “timeless”.
It’s really true, there’s way too much hype out there with stone, laminates are so beautiful now. Granite does not need to be installed in every nook and cranny! Thanks for your comment! Maria
Maria & Nikki,
Such timely comments for me to read! As I result of this thread I read a much older post discussing granite. I have friends who have granite in their kitchens and it looks spectacular. They also have beautiful wood cabinets, but I am a white kitchen girl thru and thru so I want a different look, not just color, than what they have for countertops. I have a great contractor who loves granite and so I can’t let his passion cloud my judgment on what’s right for me. I was just in a massive warehouse of granite and it was gorgeous and dramatic and seductive. Fortunately, I have Maria’s voice in my ear asking if I really want that bossy slab in my house.
Yes big pet peeve of mine, seeing gorgeous granite ripped off because it is not “trendy” anymore. How frivolous and unconscientious is that?
Nice makeover. And I see nothing wrong with using a laminate counter. They are very durable.
I’ve been saving my money to give my laundry room an update. I don’t have room for a countertop & my washer is a top-load. But I’m greatful that I even have a laundry room.
Enjoy your vacation. It sounds like a trip of a lifetime.
Have a fun-filled trip you two! You will absolutely fall in love with the islands! We have only been to Capri and Naples and would love to go to the Amalfi Coast! So envious! Can’t wait to see all of your pictures! Stay safe!
Absolutely stunning, I adore the hex with the dark grout, and paired with the yellow paint – oooh la la!
Be sure to take a long walk down Las Ramblas and you’ll see a lot of the city as it rambles through different neighborhoods. But beware of pickpockets! I can’t remember how to get there but you can ask around but visit the old Jewish quarter and there should be several worthwhile shops there. It has been a long time since I was there in college in 78-79!
Hi Maria. We just got back frim Portugal and Spain. Do nothing t miss a visit to Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Be sure to go with a guide as you will get so much more out of it. Enjoy!
Gorgeous laundry room transformation, Maria! Hope you and Terreeia have a wonderful vacation!
Lovely laundry room makeover … amazing how a pretty laundry room can make a chore seem “less worse”.
Enjoy your trip! We were in Barcelona for 5 nights in 2014, such beautiful city with gorgeous architecture everywhere. Some things to do/see that we loved: anything Gaudi particularly the breathtaking Sagrada Familia (get tickets online to avoid long lineups), a walk along the waterfront by the old Expo site (loved the human statues that start to move as you walk by!), La Boqueria market (like Granville Island market on steroids times 10!!) and of course sipping Sangria and people watching in a cafe along Las Ramblas. Oh, and be sure to have some authentic paella too! Recommend Rias de Vigo restaurant near the Placa Catalunya. We are planning to take a European cruise out of Barcelona next year so looking forward to spending a few more days there to see the things we missed. Looking forward to seeing your posts! Have fun!
In Barcelona, don’t miss the Gaudi sites. Take your time and enjoy them all. Barcelona is the only place in the world to see Gaudi’s best work. And so much of it!
Safe travels! In Sevilla. Don’t miss the most beautiful nighttime view of the cathedral…go to the roof top terrace bar of the Hotel Doña Maria. Fabulous view!
Maria – is there a seam on the edge of the counter? Curious what shape this edge is considered. It looks really nice!
In Barcelona …
El Xampanyet – rowdy, crowded, tapas, local crowd
El Felice – Gràcia district; very small, make reservations; so, so good we went back 2 (3?) times!
Nice update. Love the floor. We had thought of the same counter for the kitchen in our previous home. It looks great here. Two houses ago we also used the same trick of curtains instead of closet doors. It was much more interesting than doors. Enjoy the trip!
In the linked post you wrote: “There’s a hotel not far from where I live that was built with orange brick however all the windows and the standing seam roof is forest green. So instead of being classic and timeless, it’s forever stuck in the 80s”
So, given that you have recently written that forest green is “in” again, does your view change?
No, I think forest green with brick is still trendy. That hotel still screams 80s even if Forest Green is in again. Black is beautiful with red or orange brick. Maria
We picked a similar laminate for our laundry room, but my contractor encouraged me to look at the stone yard for remnants. We found granite for the laundry and quartz for a half bath for LESS than the cost of laminate. I was surprised, but with working a smaller space, there were many remnants to choose from. So nice to have options.
Great idea too thanks Ginny! Maria
I second the other reader about the Gaudi sites and can’t get enough of that. We saw a concert at the Palau de la Musica and it was magical. Also, Parque Guell, though it’s always mobbed with tourists now. I enjoyed the little museum shops at the Gaudi houses for unique gifts. For food, try the horchata (if you enjoy sweet). We often had cava and tapas at a bar for dinner in the early evening since regular dinner hours start so late in Spain. Barcelona has a nice slow food scene if you look for it and I recommend Somorrostro in Barceloneta.
I would love to know the color of the yellow on the walls! 🙂
Ack of course, I’ll post it as soon as I can! Maria
Very pretty laundry rooms. I am now 63 years old and my suggestion is to also include ideas using pedestals, or other type of platforms, for the washer and dryer. It can get a little bit difficult bending down that far as one ages! Thanks Maria.
Great suggestion Thanks Jean! x Maria
What a great trip! We were in Spain a few weeks ago and loved, loved Con Gracia and La Pepita and Luzia off Las Ramblas. The food in BCN and Spain in general is amazing! Buen viaje! Someday I want to take your color workshop, you are the bombdiggity of color!
What to do?
Putting in a kitchen island and can’t match existing granite……
Please suggest a countertop
Many thanks
Estelle
Hi Estelle,
Choose something that coordinates with your existing granite, if you need help choosing the right one, we can help you in our eDesign department: https://mariakillam.com/product/hard-finish-selection/
Hope that helps, Maria
Butcher block? Or a solid white or cream or black that picks up a colour in the granite? Also depends on what colour your cabinets/flooring and backsplash are.
Make sure to stop at La Manual Alpargatera For the original Spanish espadrilles. I bought 2 pairs years ago and still love them.
Hi Maria. I might suggest that you take a 4 hour private Gaudi exclusive tour in Barcelona. Through the eyes of a trained guide, you can truely appreciate the genius of Gaudi by touring Casa Batllo, La Sagrada Familia (which is still under construction) and Guell Park. The first two are a must. If you have to skip one, I would skip the park. Your concierge can arrange a tour guide for you. Enjoy this amazing trip ! Hugs to you and Terreia ! Marianne Pawlicki
Warning! Sevilla will be the highlight…it’s all down hill from there 😉
Don’t miss http://milagritos.eltenedor.rest/en_GB/ … it’s right near the Cathedral, with great veggie options. If you do fish, the cuttlefish is amazing. The flamenco experience is included if you dine after 21h.
And don’t overlook the little silver pill boxes as a souvenir. They make having a headache a work of art!
We lived in Rota Spain [a half hour or so from Sevilla] in the mid 60’s. There was a prison there where the inmates were taught crafts…glass blowing, furniture making, etc. If still there it was great for shopping for home goods. We still have some of the pieces that my family purchased.
This is a beautiful reno. I have been reading your blog for the past year and consulted with you on our bathroom remodel-we are very happy with your recommendations on that. Thanks to you Maria, I am exchanging the barstools that arrived yesterday, we ordered them from a furniture store b/c we live 2 hours from a metropolitan city. The color of the wood stain looked good on the computer but when they arrived it was all wrong for our house. I told my husband the color was too “cool” with gray undertones and everything in our kitchen/great room is “warm”. He agreed and back they go. Its not worth the money for them to look just ok. Thank you for sharpening my eye to color and tones.
In Barcelona, the subway is super easy to use. There’s an app that will route you and tell you which lines to take. As someone else said, just be wary of pickpockets. We visited Barcelona and then took the high-speed train to Seville. Loved them both for different reasons. The tile work in Seville is amazing, but the food in Barcelona can’t be topped. Have fun!
So glad I read the comments, since I am going to Sevilla and Barcelona in Oct. I got more good tips here than in travel forums!
Surprised to see that about the dark green windows also. Seems pretty classic to me. Mountain homes have used dark green as a neutral for decades and it never seems dated.
What a lovely makeover for this laundry room, well done. The second laundry rooms decor chosen was super cute as well, I love the deep sink and dark cabinets too, nice touch.
I love the yellow color on the wall. What color is it if you don’t mind me asking? I have been looking for something for my laundry room