It’s clear the biggest upgrades our laundry area needs are energy-efficient appliances and built-in storage to make the most of the small space. While we save and plan for those larger changes, we spent a few hours after Clara’s bedtime tackling smaller projects on our list a few nights ago.
First on the list was addressing the glass side door — the one that gives anyone a direct view from the carport through the laundry area into the kitchen. We’ve written about the problem before, and it was time to replace the temporary privacy solution we’d been using.
Originally we considered a cheap wooden blind over the glass, removing the dark pocket door and calling it a day. After buying a bamboo rolling shade we discovered it blocked too much light. Our kitchen is already the darkest room in the morning — it has no exterior windows and the sink window looks into the sunroom — so we couldn’t sacrifice more daylight.
Instead we decided to apply frosted window film. We used the same materials and methods we’d used in the basement project, and followed the same step-by-step approach. The process usually works well, but this time we ran into stubborn bubbles that wouldn’t go away.
These were the kind of bubbles that don’t respond to repeated squeegeeing. We suspected they might be caused by not enough application spray or by temperature — the instructions warned against applying the film below 40°F, and the other side of the glass was definitely cold. We peeled off the bubbled sheet, scraped residual adhesive clean, and tried again with a larger amount of applicator solution to keep the surface slippery while we smoothed the film into place.
That extra slipperiness did the trick and the second attempt came out smooth.
Next we removed the shelves beside the door. While extra storage is useful, these shelves weren’t hidden and we often bumped whatever was on them when carrying items through the door. Removing them opened the wall and created a spot where we can someday hang art or a gallery of frames. A little artwork will help the laundry room feel more inviting and less purely functional.
While I was taking things apart (it was about 10:30 pm), we also decided to remove the shutters on the laundry room window to make room for future blinds, a Roman shade, or curtains.
By morning, the laundry area looked much cleaner and less cluttered.
No shutters, no shelves, just a little touch-up paint left to do.
Best of all, the frosting film still lets plenty of morning light filter into the kitchen, which was our main goal. Frosted film proved to be an inexpensive, effective way to add privacy without sacrificing natural light.
Have you used frosted window film from a big-box store? Did you ever encounter bubbles that wouldn’t smooth out? Was it related to temperature, not enough applicator spray, or something else in your experience?
Psst — we announced this week’s giveaway winners on the original post.