After much deliberation, our laundry area is finally getting a proper makeover. Well hello there, washer… shall we take this to the bedroom?
Yes — literally, we moved the washer into the bedroom. Jealous?
It’s been a hectic week here, mostly because of unrelated book projects, but we’ve also managed to make real progress upstairs. After a lot of planning and plenty of helpful comments from readers, we decided to take on more of the work ourselves while coordinating a handful of trusted subcontractors.
Our first contractor estimate landed at $5,000, which felt steep. The second estimate came in at $3,300 — a lot more reasonable — but that contractor was about to leave for vacation and actually encouraged us to do much of the work ourselves. So we reached out to people we’ve worked with before: the framer who helped with our sunroom, our usual electrician, and the plumber who assisted on the showhouse. Many of them were available this week, and suddenly we had a team assembled.
Sherry wanted me to toss in a Team Sonja joke about mystics and dog psychics, but I’ll spare you the reality-TV commentary. Still, having a small crew we trust made a huge difference. With pros lined up, we were ready to start demolition — and while I didn’t literally use only my bare hands, I did take part in knocking down a few walls.
To keep the project moving while work is happening upstairs, I wanted to share a quick rundown of what we demoed on Monday and what we hope to accomplish next. The plan for the coming days includes framing, plumbing, and electrical updates, assuming everything goes smoothly. We didn’t want an entire week to pass without any laundry-room progress, so here’s a brief midweek update.
Demolition was focused and efficient: we removed a few non-load-bearing partitions to improve layout and circulation, cleared out old trim and cabinetry, and opened wall cavities where new plumbing and electrical runs will go. Taking down those short walls made a dramatic difference in how the space reads — it immediately felt larger and more practical. The pros will handle the structural tweaks and the technical systems, while we’ll tackle many of the finishing tasks ourselves to keep costs down.
Coordinating multiple trades in a small, active house can be tricky, but our strategy is to manage the schedule closely and let each trade work in sequence where possible. The framer will reinforce and install new blocking where needed, the plumber will relocate the washer drain and hook-ups to the new spot near the bedroom area, and the electrician will run circuits and install outlets and lighting planned for the updated layout. With that groundwork in place, we’ll move into insulation, drywall, and then the fun finishing stages.
We’re trying to balance speed and quality — getting essential systems updated first, then focusing on finishes that will make the laundry area feel intentional and styled. We plan to add practical storage, durable surfaces that handle moisture and wear, and a few personal touches so the space is both functional and pleasant to spend time in. Moving the washer closer to the bedroom simplifies laundry flow and creates an opportunity for better organization.
Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and encouragement — your feedback helped shape the choices we made. We’ll keep sharing updates as the week progresses and the framing, plumbing, and electrical work gets completed. For now, the house is on an underwear ration until the laundry zone is fully operational. #nolaundryproblems