Home Update: Laundry Room Stalemate, Living Room Refresh, and Life with Two Dogs
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Hey y’all! Welcome back to Keepin’ Up with KJ. If you’ve been following my journey, you know that I’ve been transforming my first home one DIY project at a time. And let me tell you—there’s been a lot going on lately… and a lot NOT going on, all at the same time. From my never-ending laundry room makeover to a potential living room refresh and adjusting to life with two dogs, I’ve got some updates to share. Let’s get into it!
Laundry Room: A Year-Long Stalemate
My laundry room project has been in the works for over a year now, and honestly, I feel like I’ve hit a wall. Last spring, I partnered with LG to receive a washer-dryer combo unit that I absolutely love. That sparked my idea to create a built-in look with a countertop and upper cabinets for storage.
I even found some discounted cabinets at Lowe’s and painted the space, but here’s the issue—I’m not in love with the cabinets OR the color I chose. Since my kitchen and laundry room are connected, I feel like I need to finalize my kitchen renovation plans before committing to cabinets in the laundry room. And, well… since I haven’t figured that out yet, the laundry room has been at a standstill.
At this point, the project just isn’t exciting me anymore, which is why it’s been on pause. But who knows? Maybe inspiration will strike soon!
Living Room Refresh: Inspired by a DIY Fail
Now, what HAS been exciting me lately is the idea of refreshing my living room! And funny enough, it all started because of a DIY fail. Yep, my most viral video ever? A total fail.
One of my first projects was an IKEA Kallax hack where I built a floating TV stand. But here’s the problem—I didn’t add any bottom support. I just secured it with L-brackets, and now, it’s sagging. It looks awful, and I’m officially over it.
So, I’m scrapping the floating TV stand and replacing it with a dark wood console that will add some much-needed contrast to my space. I also want to bring in more color since my current setup is very white-on-white.
I created a mood board for the new design, which includes:
A light-colored L-shaped couch (slightly nervous about this with two dogs, but the cushion covers are machine washable, so we’ll see!)
A dark wood TV console to replace the old floating unit
Black accent artwork to add depth
A dark walnut coffee table that will complement my dining table
New chairs (maybe) to match the wood tone, but I might keep my current black ones for now
More greenery to warm up the space
Wallpaper that I’ll use to create a beautiful stairway backdrop
I’m still debating a few things, like whether I should switch out my dining chairs or keep them, but overall, I’m excited about this refresh!
Life with Two Dogs: Adjusting to the Chaos
Let’s talk about the REAL transformation happening in my home—life with two dogs! Roux is now four months old, and he’s definitely keeping me on my toes. His crate and playpen are still set up in the living room, which means my dream aesthetic has to work around his setup for now.
I also want to wait until he’s fully grown before investing in a more permanent crate cover, but for now, I’m just rolling with it. If parents can have baby gates all over their house, I can have a dog playpen, right?
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Journey
As much as I love DIY and home projects, this journey has reminded me that you don’t have to do everything at once. I’ve been in my home for almost four years now, and even though I transformed my living room when I first moved in, my style has evolved. And that’s okay!
Home isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about making a space work for you as you grow and change. So if you’re feeling stuck on a project, don’t stress. Take your time, find what excites you, and know that it’s perfectly fine to refresh your space as your needs shift.
If you want to keep up with my DIY projects and home updates, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow along on Instagram. And let me know in the comments—what do you think of my living room mood board? Should I switch up my dining chairs or keep them? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time, happy DIY-ing!
- Kanisha | Keepin’ Up with KJ
