Hey Y'all, it’s Samantha from @thepinkenvelope, and I am SUPER excited to chat with you about multifunctional spaces in your home. A couple years ago, I moved from a 3200 sq ft home with a 2000 sq ft studio/office down to a 2300 sq ft home/studio/office.  This major downsize was intentional and so freeing, but it also made me become the queen of making my space multifunctional. I have a few of these spaces throughout my home, but my all-time favorite is my Mud/Laundry/Pantry room.

My 3 in 1 Mud Room / Laundry Room / Pantry with Baking area was created on tight space and a tight budget.  Every ounce of every wall has a purpose!  Check out these before photos.  The house had no pantry, no air conditioning or heating, no space for bags and backpacks, but it did have a couple of shelves, an indoor, antiquated hot water heater, and barely enough room for a washer and a dryer.

So off to work my creative, mom brain went.  This is the fun part, take the space you want to transform and start sketching. Draw out your ideas first. Note, you don’t have to draw well, I am terrible at it, but it does allow your concepts to become more of a reality when you can share them.  Grab a ruler and use a pencil.  Once you have your sketch down, sit with a friend or two and have them work on it with you.  Can moving something save some space or money?  Can re-prioritizing an area allow for better use of the space?  

Next, get to work.  My example here is a significant room change, but yours doesn’t have to be.  It can be a simple swap with a big impact!  We did half DIY on this space and half with a contractor.  Middle of the project, I realized my dream of a sink with a window above it was not wise. It added too much money and wasted too much space, so I canned it and added more storage.  Such a good choice!  After the construction side of your project is behind you, the real fun begins….Decorating!

I decorate this space for every season.  My kids actually call it Mom’s Playroom!  I have found that making a space functional is wise, but making it welcoming is priceless.  As much as I love the functionality behind the Mud/Laundry/Pantry room, if it wasn’t decorated cute, I wouldn’t want to be in there.  So, I set off with a vengeance to decorate my new 3 in 1 space.  Check out the after photos.

So fun, huh!  Want to recreate this look in your laundry space?  I think you should!  A happy workspace makes working happy!  Run to the Decocrated Shop and check out these 2 laundry signs – Black on White Wash & Fold Laundry sign or White on Black Vintage Laundry Room sign.  Grab the lamp and greenery of your choice.  The succulent from the Spring 2019 box would work perfectly as your greenery.  And get to decorating; it really is that easy.

Check out my Spring 2021 look below.  You will notice some changes from the original photos above.  After 2 years with the space, I moved things around to add better functionality and more areas to decorate!  Hurray!

And when I say I decorate everything, check out my baking area, located to the pantry’s left.  When the pantry is in use, the sliding vintage door covers this area; however, once the pantry door is closed again, this cute baking area is what you see.  See what I’m talking about, make your space work for YOU!  Here are a few of the DecoCrated store items I recommend to create a space like mine: 2 Tier Round White & Wood Tray, the Decorative White Enamel Milk Jug, and a sign like Let The Good Times Flow.

And this concept can be done in any room.  If I had more time, I would show you how I took the underneath of our stairs and turned it into a secret hideout for my kids.  Mom Win right there!  Or how I got rid of the formal dining and created my husband and me a fantastic home office.  You can see some of these on my blog here – DIY Home Remodel or by hanging with me on Insta.  But I want to encourage you to get creative!  Get out there and design the space of your dreams!  It’s easier and cheaper than you would think.

About the Author

Samantha is a mid 30’s mom of 2 daughters and wife to a commercial photographer.  She thrives on her DIY cash home remodel, wine, subscription boxes, Curly Girl Method, and empowering other women to be their best selves.  She loves animals and the great outdoors, including her cats, fish, turtle, and her backyard chickens.  Honest, sincere, and tons of fun, Samantha loves her Jesus and attributes all joy and success to Him!

The Pink Envelope is an online community that follows the journey of Samantha as she reviews subscription boxes, shows how to renovate your home on a budget, tips, and tricks to tackling the Curly Girl Method (and only washing your hair once a week), as well as San Antonio’s charm to curate the best of the best to add intentionality and joy to her family and yours.  See more on Samantha’s blog www.thepinkenvelope.com and on her YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/thepinkenvelope