Thank you so much for the love on yesterday's post!  I'm so excited about this laundry room that is both super functional and happy!! I wanted to share a few details on the organization and how we put this all together.

First up: the washer and dryer.  I love these.  I've heard a lot of negative things about front loaders, but I really wanted the counter over the top, and we have been diligent so far to wipe it out quickly after use, and leave the door open slightly to air out.  Plus, both of these models have a child lock, so the kids (i.e. Ellie) can't re-program them when in use or randomly start them up.

They also make the cutest little chime when they are done (I know this isn't unusual, but our old washer and dryer were so old that these feel incredibly advanced) and I almost cried when I heard it for the first time.  No annoying buzzing!!

We ordered them from Home Depot, and they delivered them, and took away our old appliances, which was super helpful.

Next: the counters and the bench.  We used this IKEA counter, which Chip cut to size.  If you decide to do something similar, know that it isn't solid; it's actually particle board with a veneer, but it works fine for this.  We managed to cut it so that the raw edges can't be seen.  If you have a different space layout, though, take that into consideration.  Chip used 3/4" plywood for the side and middle supports and some square molding on the front edge to make it look finished.

For the bench, we cut down the same counter for the top, with 3/4" plywood for supports.  Chip attached the supports with corner braces for a simple and sturdy assembly.

Some of you have asked about the height of the counter above the washer and dryer; yes, it's perfect for folding!  It's just right for folding laundry while standing, with the added bonus that little hands can't reach to, um, "help."

The girls love the tennis rackets!  I bought vintage ones from Etsy, and used some yarn and plastic needles (would be fun to do with older girls!) to stitch the letters on there.  I'll work on a DIY with more details, but it's really pretty simple!  I paired them with these awesome hook racks, which hold a lot of stuff, without having to pack everything onto one hook.

In the little cubbies underneath the bench, I placed these bins for corralling all the shoes (I love these bins - I have quite a few because they are so cute and handy for storing things!).  It's great, because even Ellie can put her shoes away; it doesn't have to be perfect, just stick them into the bin!

For the shelves, we used this smaller shelf and this longer one. I spray painted the brackets gold, and these work great for storing items.  I have another bin for some of our cleaning supplies.

As a side note, I've been converted to these wool dryer balls (love them!) and I finally tried out the Laundress detergent.  I'm obsessed.  It smells SO good.  Like I can't stop smelling my kids' clothes good. It's awesome because the whole laundry room smells like it, and it greets me now when I walk in the door.  Rather than stinky kid shoes like this room used to, ha!  I haven't tried this one yet, but it smells good in the bottle, too.  Also, I have these laundry strips that Vivi uses to do her laundry.  It's SO easy, because she can just get out one strip and throw it in with her laundry to do it herself.  There is no worrying about detergent spills, etc.  Amazing!!!

I also love love love this ladder (this one is great, too!).  Chip mounted it to the wall using some brass corner braces, and it's the perfect drying rack.  I love that it's so pretty!  It's the perfect thing for the job.  If you have a ton of stuff to air dry, it doesn't hold as much, but since the laundry room is so accessible, I'm doing more smaller loads now, rather than gigantic ones (that made me want to cry!) every now and then.

I think that is about it!  It's so nice to have a system for the girls when we get home; they can hang up their bags, put their shoes away (and I have a hamper in there for socks, so they don't get strewn all over the house!), and Vivi can wash her uniform.  Let me know if you have any questions on anything I may have missed!!