My New Washer & Dryer And Our Current “Laundry Room”
I finally got my new washer and dryer last week! I spent about two months without a washer because I just couldn’t make up my mind. I had pretty much decided to go with the Speed Queen because so many people recommended that brand, but I just couldn’t make myself go through with that final purchase.
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So I kept putting off the decision and washing clothes by hand 😀 . Matt had already given me one deadline about four weeks into not having a washer, and I blew right past that deadline because of my indecision. So around the six week mark, I was heading to Home Depot to get some paint or something like that, and as I was walking out the door, I heard Matt say, “And PLEASE buy a washer and dryer!!” So I knew I had better at least give the washers and dryers at Home Depot a very serious look before coming home.
Well, the Home Depot employee that helped me that evening made things so simple. He was an older man, and he reminded me so much of my late step-father. Talking to him felt like I was talking with an old friend, and quite honestly, he probably could have sold me anything. He could have easily convinced me that I needed a new refrigerator, and I probably would have bought one. 😀
When I started looking at the washers and dryers that evening, I went directly to the top loaders with the agitators. I was about 99% sure that’s what I wanted. But when my new friend told me that he would only ever buy a front load washer, I wasn’t going to doubt him!
So we headed to the front loaders, he pointed me to a set that he recommended, and while he told me all about his wife, his travels, his adventures, his semi-retirement, I looked up the customer reviews on this set. And it just so happens that my new trusted friend led me directly to one of the most highly-rated washer and dryer sets I’ve ever come across. So I didn’t even question the decision or call Matt to talk it over with him. I just bought them. Let me show you what I bought.
First up, this GE Smart Sapphire Blue front load washer with UltraFresh vent system. Check out those ratings!! It has 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 6000 customer reviews! And after having it for a few days, I can see why. It’s amazing.
And then I got the matching dryer — the GE Smart Sapphire Blue electric dryer. It’s also highly rated! It has 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 4000 customer reviews.
I absolutely love this set. It was delivered last Thursday, and I used it pretty much nonstop for three days. The first time I did load of laundry, I stood there watching it almost the whole time thinking to myself, “There’s no way that’s going to get clothes clean!” 😀 I still don’t understand how these front loaders get clothes clean, but I’m a believer now! My towels have never come out of the wash this clean before!
This particular washer holds 50 ounces of laundry detergent at a time, and meters out the amount it needs for each load. Then it notifies me on my phone when it’s running low. I also love that the washer and dryer both send notifications to my phone when the laundry is 5 minutes from being done, and then when it’s done.
The washer is also capable of washing AND drying a small load of laundry without having to move the load to the dryer. I’ll probably never use that feature because it takes forever (I’ve had an all-in-one before, and I hated it), but it’s a nice feature to have just in case I need to be gone all afternoon and need a particular something to be washed and dried by the time I get home.
Anyway, I absolutely love this set, and I’m so thrilled with my purchase. And I LOVE the UltraFresh vent system so that I can keep the door closed and not have to worry about bad smells in the washer. The idea of having to keep the door open to keep it from stinking was one of my biggest issues with a front loader, but with this one, it’s not an issue.
So while I’m absolutely thrilled with my purchases, it’s such a huge disappointment seeing these beautiful new appliances in my current hideous “laundry room”. People frequently ask me where our laundry room is because I never show it or talk about it. Well, I never show it or talk about it because it’s literally the worst room in the house. While every other room in our house started out rough, they were all worth saving. They had good bones, so to speak.
Our washer and dryer sit in the so-called “sunroom”, which is the one room in the house that doesn’t even have good bones. It’s not even worthy of a lipstick-on-a-pig kind of makeover. I wouldn’t even want to waste money on paint for this room. The only option is to tear it down and start over, which is exactly what we plan to do…eventually. It’s a huge room (about 13 feet by 30-something feet) where I store my tools and home improvement supplies on one side, and the on the other side is the “laundry room.” So here’s a glimpse at my “laundry room”.
The room makes me feel sad. And scared. It doesn’t have a light, so I absolutely hate going in there at night. The floor is layers of plastic, particle board, and commercial carpeting placed over what I presume is the original patio. A couple of years ago, an animal chewed a hole in the very thin wall, and a possum got in and couldn’t find its way out and died in the corner. So the room just freaks me out. I keep the doors at the back of the music room closed 100% of the time, and any time someone has to come back here, I apologize profusely. I’m tired of doing that. I want this room gone so badly.
If you’re confused about where this room is, let me clarify. This is the room that is just beyond the back music room doors, which are always closed.
See this closed up window above the washer and dryer?
That’s the window that used to be in the hallway bathroom.
When I remodeled that bathroom, many people couldn’t understand why in the world I would remove a window.
Well, it’s because that window wasn’t an exterior window. So here’s what the floor plan of our house looks like right now…
And the goal is to tear down that sunroom, as well as the original tiny “master bathroom” (which is still sitting there, but is now completely inaccessible), and to add on three rooms, including a laundry room.
I long for that day! I’m so thankful for my new washer and dryer, but I’m ready to have an actual laundry room that I’m not afraid to walk into at night, and that doesn’t have a squishy particle board floor, and that I know will be free of wild animals. But for now, I make do with what we have. It’s the only option I have.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I love the sapphire blue color!!!
I will be looking forward to reading about your new washer/dryer.
Yay! You bought my exact set that I had recommended even the same color! I’ve had it two years exactly and I still love it as much as I did the first day! I love getting notifications on the app that my laundry is done so I don’t waste time! I even use the wash plus dry in just the washer for small loads like our swim suits and towel after a dip in the pool! It’s so fabulous! I hope you will be as happy with your set!
They’re beautiful! They definitely need to be showcased. Your studio is huge. Are you going to use every inch of that or could you incorporate a “closet” to put your new washer and dryer into (I’m thinking of that beautiful blue with your gorgeous studio wallpaper, so you’d have to work that into your “closet” somehow. Then just build a little closet for your water heater, tear the rest of that sunroom down and open it up into a back porch or something.
That’s a good idea! Or what about that little closet opposite the half bath in the back entry? I don’t know what’s in there or whether they would fit but that seems like a good spot. Of course it’s a huge hassle to move them plus install the plumbing/electrical. Just a thought.
That’s the exact I recommended to you! 😂 We LOVE ours! We also have the sapphire blue. 😍 Does not having the pedestals both you? It seemed low for me. I hope you enjoy as much as you can enjoy a washer and dryer! 😂
Every time you show the goal floor plan with the family room, laundry, master bedroom suite I remember how much I love this future floor plan. I’m a floor plan enthusiast – have drawn out my own since I was little, and worked with an architect to design our house that we then built a few years ago. I really admire how you are taking an existing house plan and making it so perfect with the changes and additions. I’m a longtime reader so I know this floor plan didn’t come quick or automatic! 🙂 But I think you landed on a real winner. For a couple with no kids (just like my husband and me), it really is a great floor plan. If I hadn’t already built my dream house plan I could absolutely see us doing something very similar to yours.
Well, of course I am very happy for you! However… I do love my Speed Queen 😂😜
I love these! Wish I’d seen your post about 2 months ago…
Congratulations on your new washer and dryer! It makes us feel human again. Just a note, my brother the firefighter says most house fires start with dryers that are running while homeowners are away. Stay safe.
I’ve heard that too, so I never run any appliance while we are out of the house, or while we are going to sleep! We also clean the dryer lint piping every spring and fall.
Love this set of laundry appliances! The color is gorgeous. I wish you could get started on that addition while you are finishing the studio. It would probably take a while just to get on the contractors schedule!
You are SO correct about the dryer vent. We do ours twice a year now too…I can always tell it is time by the way the clothes take too long to dry. AND it is dangerous, as well as costly to ruin your dryer. I can’t believe how many people don’t take care of it. We even did my cousin’s and now they get it done because we showed them the PILE of lint in the hose…and most of ours in Florida go through the roof…that is A LOT of lint! I too am too scared to run the dryer when I’m out…I always think of my sweet dogs sleeping in the house alone…can not do it!
Temporary suggestion for your “laundry room”, until you can remodel?…..tack up some old/cheap bed sheets along both walls to brighten it up?
And add a battery operated motion detected or remote control light so it’s not dark in there at night.
Why are making decisions so hard for you?
We all have something that it is a hard decision for us. For me it is picking a paint color. Not trying to be “mean”, but so what if it is hard for her, it is not bothering anyone. I find that when I rush it never turns out good for me, I never like whatever it is and end up having to choose something else.
Sometimes making a decision is difficult because there are so many options it’s hard to weigh them all objectively.
I never had much difficulty making home decorating choices before I bought my own home because as a renter my choices were limited to purely cosmetic changes and I had very accommodating landlords who didn’t object to whatever paint or paper I might want to utilize. Once I had my own home it took me longer to make choices because they were unlimited. I could even make structural changes if I wanted. The possibilities are almost limitless.
Do you have any outlets in that room that you could plug a lamp into?
Washer and dryer sound fabulous! Out of curiosity, where will the W/D and anything else in the sunroom go when you tear it down?
Love the color and especially the Ultrafresh vent system. I am front load user and I definitely want that on my next washer. Sadly my 10 yr old Electrolux doesn’t seem like it’s going to die soon.
are the walls in you landry room slanted or does your photo just make it look like they are ?
They’re slanted, and the back wall is only about seven feet tall.
I have a GE like that—well the washer doesn’t dry a small load—but 3 years and it still smells fresh. I don’t use a soap that is blue in color—the salesperson said it is one of the reasons front loaders can smell. I use Tide Free and Clear. Love the notifications that the load is just about done—and the reminder that it’s time to run the clean cycle AND the clothes are so clean!!
I know that you will keep on and get it all done. Don’t give up. You have overcome incredible obstacles. You have made more steps forward than backward. Take and deep breath. Relax. And, then, get back on the horse! Hugs.
“ oh, and please buy a washer and dryer”……I love Matt!!
I was thinking the same thing too, and also how that little comment shows why Kristi and Matt are so well suited for each other!
What a great choice. Sometimes we try too hard to make the right choice. I saw the other day a picture of a front loader on an elevated cabinet with two drawers and a pullout shelf. Best design ever. Place to put a basket or folded clothes. Good times ahead
OK…this did make me smile! The flooring, the animals, sounds like where I grew up! I am so glad you are back in business and do NOT have to go to a laundromat…I absolutely hate them…even the cleanest one…people put horrible dirty things in there because they don’t want to put them in THEIR washer…I just cannot use them. (only in an emergency) I love your new W/D. They sound wonderful, and the rating are so good. I’ve been waiting to see what you pick to get mine. I know ours are on their last legs, and when we move I need to get new. I do love the front loader, and I like that the dryer is stackable…we might do that to save some space in a smaller laundry room. Thank you for the update…I’ve been waiting for that. ALSO I wish I could shop where you went – the salesman sounds like your grandpa…lots of talk and takes you right to the best one in his opinion…he took such good care of you!
You have my exact set! I have had the washer for almost 2 years and you actually taught me some things about it. Since day one, I just threw in laundry and let it do its thing. I have never set it up to my phone. I just wanted a high quality washing machine and the people at Lowe’s highly recommended these. I love them!
I am currently on my third front loading washing machine – my new one is part of an LG set which I absolutely love. I can honestly say that I have never experienced the smell that so many people complain about and I don’t ever leave my washer door open after a wash. I can’t say why some people experience the problem – but I can’t help wonder if it might be something to do with certain kinds of detergent or possibly fabric softener.
Your new set is gorgeous but one caution, please. Never leave your house while the dryer is running. I have vivid memories of a beautiful home on Lt. River in CT. That burned to the ground when the owner left the dryer running while she went to the grocery store 2 miles away.
I have the vent fresh washer but it’s not as fancy as yours. The venting system was the main reason I went with that washer. I have mostly GE appliances in my home and have not had any problems with any of them.