One Room Challenge, Week 4 – Decision Fatigue

I think I’ve made another mistake, a big one, but I’m not going to fix it. If you have been following along, I’ve really been struggling with the design of the cabinets in the laundry room. Last week, we removed the drawers under the wash tower, so now we have one large cabinet on one side and the wash tower on the other. The intent was that the large storage area would hold our vacuum, brooms, and dust buster, among other things.

Originally, the wash tower was on the left side and the cabinet was on the right. While discussing plans with my carpenter, it was suggested that since the washer/dryer hook-ups were justified more on the right, then I should flip the placement. Seemed reasonable, so we did. He started building and I focused on other tasks.

It wasn’t until I woke up in the middle of the night, panicked that I realized moving the washer and dryer to the right side would mean doing laundry between an ajar washer and dryer door and the wall, creating a claustrophobic laundry experience that I knew over time would annoy us all. A panicked stop work call later and the new plan was to center the wash tower and create two small storage units on either side. Making these rapid-fire decisions is what led to my mistake. The wash tower was going to have pocket doors on it (doors that can slide into the cavity around the wash tower). I wanted to be able to hide the unit when I saw fit. With it now centered, that meant I had to eliminate the doors completely to make the side cabinets large enough to fit our vacuum.

However, it turns out that after accounting for the door swing and adding trim, our vacuum still won’t fit. I should have just kept the original design of one larger cabinet next to the wash tower rather than two smaller ones on either side. Since I’m paying for someone else to build this, I don’t want to incur the cost of yet another change, so we are going to have to live with it and find another space in our home for our vacuum. This is one of the disadvantages of not building something yourself. I only hope in the long run this new storage space works for us.

Oh and I found out that my out of stock wallpaper that was supposed to be restocked in May is now showing a restocking in June. The hits just keep coming.

To-do (in no particular order):

Over the next 8 weeks I must complete the following:

• Order the wash tower (done)
• Prime raw drywall (done)
• Order hinges (done)
• Clear out the clutter (done)
• Sell old washer and dryer (done)
• Prime paneling (done)
• Order light (done)

• Build cabinets (outsourced)
• Install paneling
• Add Wallpaper primer
• Install base
• Re-install door
• Install door trim
• Install pegs
• Hang wallpaper
• Specify and purchase paint
• Paint cabinets, trim, door, paneling
• Paint sink
• Install sink
• Order hanger for sink
• Order faucet
• Order new trap (is that what it is called?)
• Order drain
• Install light

Weekly, I will post room challenges and progress. Subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss out on a post, Also, follow along on insta, I’ll share behind-the-scenes content in stories!

What is the One Room Challenge?

Beginning in 2011 with the desire to finally finish ONE room in her home, Linda had the idea to motivate herself and a small group of online friends by setting up a challenge to work alongside one another with the goal of having one finished room. She titled the event One Room Challenge®, as it became evident that staying focused on one room, from start to finish, was indeed a challenge. 

Today, the bi-annual event showcases designers and Influencers. The first Wednesday of every April & October marks the start of another exciting season guaranteed to inspire, entertain, and inform the audience of new ideas and trends in the world of home design. 

Don’t forget to check out the featured designers and guest designers to support them and see the awesome things they are doing in their rooms too!

Catch up on last week’s progress here                                               ORC Week 2 Update