Beautiful Launderette Project 2

Though I have to do some cleaning and prep in my studio (a few items that aren't needed in the laundry room can live there) and I have to finish a client project with a deadline, I'm starting the actual hunting and gathering phase of the laundry room project and that means making some early (but still reversible) decisions. First, I want to make sure the color scheme is:  1. Bright and cheerful, since I find doing laundry pure drudgery  and 2. a complement to the backyard's color scheme.  This second one is important because the laundry room contains a toilet.  That combined with the laundry sink turns the room into a half bath--great for parties, especially our outdoor parties, as the only full bath is upstairs.  However, since I've let the room devolve into a dirty storage room, I've been too embarrassed to let anyone use it unless their potty situation was truly desperate.  I'd really like it to be pretty enough to function as a powder room.

This is the color scheme I'm leaning toward.  However, I'm thinking of aqua on the ceiling and keeping the concrete floors natural, but polished.

Anyway, because I want it to blend with the exterior, that means the scheme needs to be some combination of yellow, aqua, lime, hot pink, or orange.  An additional element is that the floor is just concrete, which means I can paint it.  However, I've always loved the look of polished concrete, and the floor is in good shape, so I may just seal and polish it and use an indoor outdoor rug.  Finally, fabric will play an important part, since the room's Roman shade and the skirt to hide the appliance will be the first thing one sees when one enters.  Since the room is small, and I plan on adding partitions to break it up even more, I think it will be important for the background color of the fabric to be the same as the wall color for a seamless look.  I'm planning to use indoor/outdoor fabric for practicality's sake since it is a room where there will be lots of water, and it is not climate controlled.

This is the outdoor dining area that is close to the laundry room/powder room and from where I'm pulling the palette.

So here are some inspirational color schemes, as well as some fabric choices (price is not a deciding factor, as all the fabric prices are within $2/yard of each other).  I'll tell you the one I'm leaning toward.

As much as I'm feeling the yellow walls, all that turquoise has me considering it as the main color.

I can't tell what the floor actually is, but this wouldn't be far from the look of concrete with yellow walls.

This is my favorite, but I'm wondering if the gray makes it a little too subdued (if you can call a fabric with a sunshine yellow background subdued)

I absolutely love this, and it's a very close second.  However, no matter what the wall color I choose, no fabric color dominates enough for a seamless look between window treatment/skirt and walls.

If I decided to go with aqua walls, this is definitely the one

*Note, if you wonder why I'm calling it a "beautiful launderette", it's a reference to an English movie from the eighties "My Beautiful Launderette" with Daniel Day Lewis in one of his first major roles.* 

Works In Progress: How I spent the first part of the summer

A bedroom installation. Waiting on the custom draperies, the most beautiful broad horizonatal silk stripes in pale gold, champagne and pewter. The pics are dark as photos were taken at night, but I thought you might like to see it in progress, bags and all.

*NOTE*  In the comments section, Marlo mentioned the great headboard.  It's a vintage piece, I'm not sure what era.  If you live in the New Orleans area, the shop had a full size one available.  e-mail me for details.*

Here's a sampling of what I've been working on the past few weeks.  They're photos of works in progress, so they're not polished, and a couple are downright fuzzy (like my brain lately), but they'll keep you in the design loop.  I'll publish some better photos when everything is finished.

Some hotel dining chairs in the midst of a makeover.  The one in front is primed with tinted primer.  The ones in back are waiting their turn.

Painted, distressed and antiqued waiting for fabric, a fabu faux croc.

After a couple of  days with the upholsterer.

Some commissioned drawings for a client:  abstract studies of the water and greenspaces of New Orelans neighbor hoods in vintage frames.

In place, waiting for hanging

Two abstracts painted on wine crates flanking a door way.  in the bottom, you can just catch a glimpse of another painting I did.