go for it, James!
When I was a kid, our laundry was in the basement (we lived in Pittsburgh, PA) and it was sort of drab. My mom had a 57 Westinghouse Laundromat and 55 Frigidaire Filrator and a big set of cement stationary tubs, like you would use with a wringer washer. (She still had the old Dexter wringer washer in the corner too, but no longer used it.)
There was an article in one of her magazines about "sprucing up your laundry area," and so we decided to do it. She made some curtains for the window (which was below ground, in a well) and bought some bright paint. We painted the cement block walls yellow, and the pipes red enamel. Even the outside of the stationary tubs got it in purple. I remember being so excited about being allowed to help paint at the age of eight.
It sure wasn't one of those cool laundry rooms in the This Old House magazine, but that little splash of color helped. We had six kids and she did laundry six days a week, so I'm sure it helped make the task a bit more pleasant by brightening up that corner of the basement.
