Harold's Renovation Blog: Laundry room hack

We had laundry room in need of counter space measuring 67” x 34”. Normal countertops are 26 inches deep and leave a gapping hole in the back for items to disappear. We were also needing additional storage space with room to hang garments.

Before:

Materials:

Shelves/Counter
10”x72” white laminate shelf – cut to fit length
1”x2” pine board – cut to fit length
Aluminum bracket for blinds
EKBY Bjarnum Brackets – Ikea
EKBY Jarpen 46 7/8”x11” – Ikea
LILLTRASK counter top 98” – Ikea
FIXA countertop support – Ikea
Metal plates

Base Cabinet – Ikea

HAGGEBY Door 12×30 (2)
SE Base cabinet 12x24x30
UTRUSTA cabinet pull-out 12” (002.724.73 – may be disc, see photo)
ORRNAS Handle
VARIERA recycling bin
VARIERA lid

Wall Cabinet – Ikea

HAGGEBY Door 12×30 (2)
SE wall cabinet 24×14 3/4×30
UTRUSTA hinge (x2)
UTRUSTA shelf
UTRUSTA hinge damper
ORRNAS Handle

Misc

BJARNUM Folding Hook – Ikea
Flexible Foam (4 yards) – Joanne Fabrics
Clothing rod – left over from a closet

The Project
Wall cabinet installed first in the top right side with the EKBY shelf to the left to create an even shelf across the top. We have a built-in cabinet on the left so we had to make sure there was enough space for the cabinet door to swing open and clearance to hang clothes on the clothing rod.

We had just over 12 inches of space between the washer and dryer for a cabinet. Dog food storage was essential so we opted for a cabinet that had a pull-out for easy access. The standard base cabinet wasn’t tall enough to be flush with the washer and dryer so we cut a few spare pieces of laminate board to increase the height. Using the spaces from the wall cabinet and an extra HAGGEBY door, we were able to create a small panel to match the door below.

Since the countertop doesn’t span the entire depth of the washer/dryer, we decided to create another shelf that was slightly elevated. First the laminate counter was cut to fit using a circular saw with a blade with plenty of teeth (lots of research online) using blue painters tape to prevent chipping.

Next we screwed metal plates to the bottom of the counter top so that about an inch overlapped. We then attached the 1×2 pine board (painted gray) to the overlapping metal plate. This gave us one support for the 10” elevated laminate shelf. An aluminum rod for blinds worked well for the second support on the back wall.

We wrapped the top of the washer and dryer with flexible foam to prevent movement and unnecessary noise. The countertop is supported by the middle base cabinet and FIXA supports on the left and right wall. Since there is some weight to the countertop we opted not to secure it to either support. The 10” laminate shelf floats on the two supports for easy access behind the W/D if necessary. I was able to use a file to cut out the frame of the access panel in the laminate shelf for a flush mount.