Hide a Washer and Dryer with Easy DIY Gathered Laundry Room Curtains on a Track

Last time you saw the laundry room it was a thoroughly scrubbed, and freshly painted, blank canvas.  I'd love to swap out our clunky washer and dryer for something new and sleek - and build custom storage, plus install a statement-making tile wall while I'm at it - but for now the mission is concealment.  I use a wall-mounted dry rack to dry our laundry and I don't relish the idea of airing the laundry (dirty or not) to every guest who needs to use the adjacent powder room.  I was really happy with our laundry room curtains in the townhouse, so I decided to improve on the idea for the lakehouse and rooked my Mom into helping me sew pretty curtains to hide my washer, dryer and laundry room sink.

The first change I made to the laundry room curtain idea: a curtain track instead of a curtain rod.  I picked this curtain track from Country Curtains (with extra track rod slides) because I thought it had a nice style and finish and looked the least industrial.  I believe that this Levelor Track System (found on Amazon) is the same one. 

I've thought about adding a mini-pelmet, but in the end I liked how the track looked on its own.

How to Hack a Curtain Track so it Lies Flat:

(One issue I had was that the curtain track arrived bent from shipping, but the customer service at Country Curtains was fabulous.  They were apologetic and helpful, and immediately remedied the situation, which was hassle-free on my end).

The track actually comes with brackets so it can be ceiling or wall mounted (first and second pictures below), but I didn't like the look of them - plus they made the track angle away from the ceiling slightly.  I decided that drilling right through the track would look better.  It was really easy to do and doesn't interfere with the function at all. 

We used a hammer to tap in a nail to mark where we wanted to drill (to keep the bit from wandering), and then simply drilled through using a bit slightly larger than our screw.  We affixed it to the ceiling using the screws that came with the track, plus our own wall anchors.  We opted for four screws: two at the ends and two spaced out evenly in the middle.  Thanks to our little hack, it's a much cleaner look (see our adjustment in the photo on the right) and functions perfectly. 

I never liked the gap between the ceiling and the curtains that the Ikea rod in the old laundry room had, and this curtain track has solved that problem for me!

The track is adjustable from 66" to 120", which means we got a perfect wall-to-wall fit.  The track is totally worth the $45.50 I forked over!  It slides so smoothly and easily.  If I'm carrying a load of laundry, I can just nudge the curtain with my shoulder and it slides (no glides) out of the way.  But even though the track functions so smoothly, because I chose a heavier weight fabric, it doesn't wiggle around or flutter when people walk past or we open a window. 



How to Sew Gathered Curtains:

While the track is fabulous, what also makes these curtains better than the original is that my Mom and I sewed gathers into them so when I close them, I don't need to fuss to make them look good.  I just shut them so the panels overlap slightly and the gathers do all of the work for me, making sure the curtains billow and drape just so. 

How to Make a Hem with Twill Tape:

To sew the top, my Mom used twill tape.  We decided on twill tape instead of folding over the edge twice because we wanted it to look finished, but be less bulky, for the next step.

How to Sew a Gathered Curtain Panel:

We determined how many gathers we could have by first measuring the total width of curtain panel, plus the width of the space each panel needed to cover.  Then we figured out how many folds we could have given not only the distance we wanted between folds, but also the width of curtain lost in the folds. 

For the laundry room, the space is 8" long and per panel we have 16 gathers but 18 clips (for the two ends).  We couldn't have really added more, but we could have opted for fewer.  Once we did our math (and double and triple checked), we marked the fabric and then Mom sewed the gathers:

Then we just affixed the clips!  We double checked the length we wanted and pinned the curtain in place.



How to Add an Invisible Hem to Curtains:

For the bottom hem, Mom turned the edge over once and sewed it by machine.  Then, for a more polished look, she turned up the edge again and hand sewed it in place so that from the front there is no visible stitching.  The fabric is thick, so she could easily hide the stitches on the back.  I wanted a pretty substantial hem so that there is more weight to the curtain and also so that in case it shrinks in the wash, we have plenty of extra to let the hem down.  

It's like it was hemmed with invisible thread!  My Mom is so talented.

Lucky for us, the side edges had this really neat fringe that we decided to keep.  That decision really made this project go more quickly.

I found the fabric at Fabricland and it's really substantial.  As a bonus, it's reversible!  It's made by Rosedale Coordinates and the colour is "Lakeside colour story" - which is pretty appropriate.  It also comes in an orange polka dot and a pink, if I remember correctly.  I couldn't find it sold online, but this polka dot fabric is kind of similar.  I've included a photo of the tag below, so if you show your local fabric store, they might be able to track it down for you.

It's supposedly not machine-washable, but that seemed horribly impractical so I tossed it in the washer and dryer before we got started.  I had purchased a little bit extra, which was a good call because it shrank quite a few inches and became a little more textured (and wrinkly, despite a good ironing), but I'd say it washed pretty well overall.  I think it will relax a bit more.  I needed 6 meters for the curtains, but there was a 50% off sale.

Obviously I liked this fabric for the turquoise (!), but it was the cream polka dots that really sealed the deal.  I think the cream - as opposed to white - looks great with the beige and cream flooring that the kitchen, laundry, and powder room all have (which we aren't changing until we renovate this space in a few years).

My white socks are there not only to show off how clean my socks are, but also how beige the floor is.

The turquoise is actually really similar to the turquoise kitchen cupboards (a little more subdued), but because the laundry room gets so little light, the fabric looks even more muted in there.  It's perfect!

Before Szuka joined us, I would have told you that dogs don't really care about decorating, but this gal is weirdly interested in anything different.  She has been visibly excited, and disappointed, by certain aesthetic changes we have made so far, so it worries me that she has been contemplating the laundry room from the hallway. 

UPDATE: see the rest of the budget-friendly laundry room makeover here.

Old New House: Rug Envy

I am still on the hunt for a pretty, cheery, washable rug for the laundry room.  Between my life-long struggle with allergies, and now Szuka, I've always been a bit resistant to rugs, although I do admire their beauty.  Actually shopping for a rug has me appreciating the selection from Old New House even more.  How I wish that I could toss one of these beauties into the laundry room to add some vibrancy (hopefully these curtains will do the trick!) . . .

This antique Tekke rug has an unusual pattern and a warm, inviting colour palette.  

This vintage Turkish rug has a glimmer of turquoise that caught my eye and made me pine for it:

This primitive antique braided rug would lend a homespun vibe to any space:

This antique Beshir runner has a striking pattern and rich colours:

This blanched Turkish runner is a refreshing antithesis to the on-trend over-dyed rugs:

If you're in the market for something more elegant than the washable version I'm after, take a peek at Old New House and their ever-changing inventory of antique and vintage rugs.  And, if you missed it, click here for my interview with Melissa and Dave about shopping and caring for antique rugs. 



This post was sponsored by Old New House but all opinions and words (and editorial decisions) are my own, as always.

Read more »

Eames Dreams Realized

When I opened my Instagram account a week ago, I decided that it would be a fun place to share thrifted treasures and vintage finds.  But my most recent find is too juicy not to share here as well! 

I was trolling kijiji last week and spotted a pair of chairs described as "retro-style plastic chairs".  From the picture they looked just like Herman Miller Eames DAX fibreglass chairs, but there had been 98 views and the ad had been up for 16 hours.  I thought it unlikely that they were the real deal but, if they were, I figured they had been snapped up already (especially for $15 each).  Just in case, I sent the seller a message saying I'd love to buy them and could pick them up at her convenience.  Surprisingly, they hadn't sold.  

When I arrived at the seller's house, it was apparent the chairs were fibreglass, not plastic.  So, yay! 

They were in excellent condition (just dirty and smudgy), except some of the plastic feet were missing and mismatched.  I handed over the cash and we scurried off with them.  She told me 10 other people had expressed interest, but no one else had been willing to drive through the snowstorm to pick them up.  As we loaded the chairs into my truck, the Herman Miller embossed logo (along with paper labels) were abundantly clear - along with the distinctive shock mounts and H-base!

This is ALL dirt . . . blech.  Cleaned up nicely now!

This might be my best find to date (although the velvet chair and krenit bowl are close contenders).



I've done a little sleuthing but I still know so little about these.  The one on the left has the Herman Miller embossed logo, a double triangle (not pictured), as well as an embossed flame.  I haven't been able to figure out what the flame means (others also seem stumped).  I believe the triangle signifies the manufacturer - Summit Plastics.  The paper label has patents, with the last one issued in 1958.  It's translucent, but the one on the right is not.  The right one also has the Herman Miller embossed logo, the double triangle (not pictured), and an S inside a circle.  It has a stamp that reads, "Summit, 3, Prime".  So they both seem to be manufactured by Summit.  The paper label has a piece missing, so I can't see the last patent to Google what year it was issued. 

My uneducated guess is that these are from the (late?) 1960s, most likely the 1970s - they look a lot like these and a little like these these on Ebay.  I read on a forum that Zenith Plastics was the first manufacturer (which I knew), that Cincinnati Milicron was the second, and Summit Plastics the third (before Vitra), but I haven't been able to find info on when each company produced these chairs.  What I do know is that this pair came from a hospital that closed down awhile ago.  My heart hurts thinking about how many others there might have been, just waiting to get taken home (for free, or next to nothing, I imagine).  I wonder how many ended up at the dump . . . try not to think about it.  At least these ones have a good home (and by "good," I mean mine).  They've been given a preliminary cleaning, but they need a good clean, the metal needs a little polishing, and I need to order new feet.

I'm so thrilled.  The snow that fell last week wasn't a dusting, it stuck around and I'm just so over winter.  It was funny after the fact, but when I first got my truck stuck in the snow I burst into tears of frustration (it took three hours of shoveling, I went through a lot of emotions).  Ridiculous, I know, but other people I've spoken to feel really beaten down by just how much snow Thunder Bay and area have gotten, and how it's still falling.  I really needed a silly little pick-me-up, and these fit the bill.  You know, I'll happily put up with copious amounts of springtime snow if it means I can scoop other treasure hunters. 

Read more »

Kitchen Progress: Our DIY Solid Wood Kitchen Counters

Ordinarily Hubby and I tackle projects together so I always say "we" did this, and "we" did that.  Concerning the construction of our beautiful new kitchen counters, however, Hubby and his woodworker Dad deserve all of the credit.  I only came into the picture to do the staining; it was Hubs and his Dad who did all of the hard work so today I'm handing over the blog to the Handiest Hubby out there, who is going to explain how he made our insanely gorgeous, solid maple kitchen counters:

I first measured the existing counters and drew up a fairly detailed plan in order to get the dimensions that we needed.  After my first draft it was noticed that the measurements did not add up.  I went over them again and they were closer, but still not exact.  There was no way that all the numbers were going to work.  This is because the house and existing counter was not perfectly square.  Of course.  I only have experience with two houses but have found that nothing is exactly square.  This is why I found it important to measure all sides of the installation, not just one side.

We chose to use solid maple for this project.  We purchased 2" rough planks in about 10 - 12" widths (which cost $611).  This wood was already dried and was ready to work with:

I didn't manage to get any pictures of this process (I was busy actually doing it), but here are the first steps.  We started with the largest section and cut the boards to length (about 2" longer than the finished length) with a radial arm saw.  We then ran one edge over a jointer to get one flat, straight edge.  Once that was done we were able to run the boards across a table saw and rip them into approximate widths of 5-6".  The one flat edge was necessary to be able to get a straight cut on the table saw.  The narrower widths will help ensure that the finished product will not warp as much when the humidity changes.

The boards were then run over the jointer again on one of the wider sides to get a flat surface.  Once this was achieved they were all put through a planer to get them to a uniform thickness.  The one flat side is necessary so you don't get a gradual curve over the length of the board.  A planer doesn't really make things flat, just thinner.

Here's what we ended up with (compared to the rougher wood underneath):

At this stage we laid out the boards to get the desired layout.  You may be wondering why we didn't keep the boards in the original widths instead of ripping them basically in half.  We did this so that when they change shape due to humidity the effect is not as great (you can see an example of a counter with wider boards which warped in this post Tanya wrote on wood movement).  If a narrow board curves one degree, it is harder to see than if a wide board curves one degree.  Also, when laying out the boards we do the "smiles and frowns" method.  If you look at the end grain of most boards (depending on how they were cut) the grain curves in a fairly obvious direction.  You lay the boards next to each other so that one curves upwards and the ones next to it curve downwards, alternating across the whole width.  This minimizes the overall warping of the counter as the moisture content of the board changes and they warp slightly.  Even if a slight wave develops, the overall levelness of the top remains decent.



Once the boards were placed in the correct order and orientation, we then fine tuned the edges that were to be joined.  Instead of making them perfectly flat we used the jointer and made them slightly concave, to the tune of about a half millimeter gap in the center, over the full length of about 77".  The reason for this is so that when it is glued and clamped, there is a bit more compressive force on the ends and it reduces the chances of gaps developing between the boards as they swell and shrink over time.

Next came the gluing.  The boards are simply butt jointed together with a strong wood glue.  There are no connectors of any kind.  We brushed the glue on to both surfaces and clamped it together.  The long pipe clamps are alternated along the top and bottom of the counter to ensure that the clamping pressure is even and doesn't curve the top.  The smaller clamps that are seen around the edges are holding a number of slats that are keeping the boards even with each other.  It is a good thing to be able to see a little bit of glue squish out, as this tells you that you have full coverage on the glued surface.

We allowed the glue to dry for awhile (follow manufacturer's directions) until the excess glue was not sticky to touch, but not completely dry and hard.  We then slowly removed the clamps while ensuring none of the joints moved.  The excess glue was then scraped off using a couple scrapers.  Then it was left overnight.

I don't have any pictures of this, but once the glue was completely dry I went over the seams with a cabinet scraper to remove all glue residue from the surface.  This not only increases the life of your sandpaper, but also speeds the sanding process.  You can also use a hand plane for this; just take very little off at a time.

We then put the pieces on a stroke sander (pictured below) to even out and smooth out the top.  The planer leaves slight marks on the surface.  A stroke sander is basically a large belt sander with a moving table under it.  You slide the table in and out while pressing the belt into the work piece.  You could also do this with a belt sander but a stroke sander is much faster and will give you a more even surface.

Once this was done we cut the pieces to their final length on the table saw.

In order to hold the counter pieces together there are a series of bolts on the underside that are basically clamping the sections together.  Below is a picture of the underside of the original counter joint where the bolts go.

We reused the original bolts and basically mimicked the original designed holes.  Using scrap plywood we made a template for the area to cut out and cut them using a plunge router.

The boards in our counters do not have any connectors between them but we did decide to use batons running across the grain.  These are there to help hold it flat as it shifts.  To make them invisible from the edges, we sunk them into the counter and set them back from the edges.  Using a template and plunge router again we cut them out.  To keep the template from moving we actually screwed it down.  It's the bottom of the counter and nobody will ever see the holes unless the counter is removed.

Below is a photo of the batons.  As you already know, you can't stop wood from expanding but you can control where it expands to.  We decided to have the counter expand towards the wall so that the edges that you see and touch do not move in relation to you or the cabinets.  This was more important for us because we have grain running 90 degrees to other pieces.  We didn't want to see an edge where one section slides against another.

To achieve this all of the holes in the batons are slotted except one.  This allows the counter top to slide on the baton as it expands and contracts.  We are not sure yet, but we will not be surprised if the largest section (facing the dining room) "grows" by half an inch in the warmer months.

Below are the counters, all ready for a final hand sand and finishing.  Once they were at this stage we had laid them out in their final orientation and ran a trim router with a 1/8 inch round over bit along all the edges that would be exposed.  We did not route any edges that joined with another section so that the seam was smooth and square.  But by routing the edges that we touch, they became smooth and not sharp.

After my father and I finished building them, Tanya stained them white (which you saw here) and then we left them with my father who applied the top coat.  He used Campbell brand Krystal high-solids conversion varnish in semi-gloss (pictured at the bottom of this post).  He applied it with a sprayer, sanding between coats.  The Saman stain and Krystal varnish wasn't the best combination, because the grain was raised a lot (we think from the water-based stain) and sanding to a smooth finish required a lot of extra effort, but in the end the finish looks great and is very durable - perfect for kitchen use.  The stain alone seemed chalky in my father's woodworking shop, but once varnished and in our kitchen, the finish is warmer and creamier.  Tanya wanted it whiter (and regrets not applying the fourth coat), but I think the colour is perfect and I like that the grain of the maple has not been hidden. 

Regarding installation [Tanya's making me write this: because my wife is so awesome and wanted to make things as straightforward as possible], we chose not to go with mitered corners.  Instead, we opted for 90 degree joints.  This is a lot easier to make; we did not have access to machinery that could accurately cut a 45 degree angle across a 39" piece.  It was a good decision, because I think 90 degree corners look better with the blocky 90 degree corners on the counter edges and sink.  Mitered corners would not have suited the style of the counters or sink as well, in my opinion.

To attach the counter to the cabinets, the tops are simply screwed to the cabinets from underneath.  I measured out where I wanted to put the screws and pre-drilled the holes into the tops of the cabinets before the counter sections were in place.  This stage of the process definitely requires a partner, as there is a lot of lifting and shifting of the pieces for correct placement.  We left about a 3/8 - 1/2 inch gap between the counter and the wall to allow for expansion (which will be covered by the wood paneling).  Before driving the screws we ran a very small amount of clear kitchen silicon along the seams between the sections.  We didn't want any to squish out (because when it did, it stained the wood!).  The sections (one at a time) were then bolted together (with the bolts you saw above), and screwed in by driving the screws from the bottom. 

The photo below shows the joint between two sections.  The round peg is at the front.  This places the section in relation to each other and does not allow one section to slide against the other.  The biscuits that you see in the other slots are there to prevent any relative vertical movement between the pieces while still allowing one to slide in relation to the other.  As the grains run 90 degrees to each other there will be relative movement.  This it just to direct it away from where we will see it.

It definitely wasn't a quick project, but that's how I took a pile of lumber and made kitchen counters!

Read more »