Create a DIY shelf above washer and dryer with this easy step-by-step tutorial!
I used to be so thrilled to share our full laundry room reveal final week—lastly! We’ve needed to make main adjustments on this house for years now, so it was enjoyable to lastly see it come to fruition.
One of many tasks I needed to ensure I included within the laundry room renovation was putting in a shelf above our washer and dryer. I needed this shelf to serve a sensible function—holding gadgets we wanted to maintain shut by. And I additionally needed it to serve an aesthetic function—holding some fairly ornamental gadgets and serving to to camouflage the washer hoses just a little bit.
(You’ll be able to see how the hoses for the washer stick out above the machine on this “earlier than” picture of the laundry room.)
This DIY shelf ended up being a reasonably fast venture, and I like the distinction it has made in our laundry room! Right here is how we created it…
DIY Laundry Room Shelf for Above the Washer and Dryer
This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks. For extra info, see my disclosures right here.
Step 1- Collect all provides wanted to create your shelf above washer and dryer.
We used the next gadgets to create our shelf:
Step 2- Measure your house and reduce wooden items to measurement.
As soon as we bought the wooden items we wanted, the very first thing we did was take precise measurements of our laundry room house.
We needed the shelf to go wall-to-wall, nevertheless it was extra difficult than merely measuring the gap and chopping the board to the proper size. We needed a decent match, so we took our time with this half.
It seems that the 2 again corners of our laundry room drywall are usually not good 90-degree angles. The partitions open up a bit, so if we made 90-degree cuts, we’d have a niche on the aspect of the shelf close to the entrance edge. With our miter noticed, we needed to make cuts not at 90 levels, however nearer to 91 levels. This made an ideal match.
Step 3- Make any needed notches within the board.
One of many causes we needed to put in this shelf was to at the least partially cowl the house the place the hoses for the washer come out of the wall. In our laundry room, there’s a plastic body surrounding the hose space. So we needed to reduce notches in our shelf to accommodate for the body.
As soon as we had reduce our board to the proper size, we held it in place and made marks for the varied notches we would wish to suit it across the body. We then used a mix of a flush-cut oscillating multi-tool and a wooden chisel to make the notches.
Step 3- Connect the 1×2 to the board to create the shelf.
As soon as our boards have been reduce down and notched appropriately, it was time so as to add the entrance piece to the shelf. Including this board helps the shelf to look thicker and extra substantial. It additionally hides the shelf helps that we’ll connect to the wall.
We used Kreg-jig pocket holes to affix the 2 boards collectively. The jig is straightforward to make use of and permits for changes primarily based on the thickness of the 2 boards you’re becoming a member of.
The Kreg-jig equipment even comes with specifically made pocket gap screws.
When it got here time to truly be a part of the 2 boards collectively, we made positive to clamp every little thing down tight and apply a small quantity of wooden glue earlier than screwing the boards collectively.
Within the image beneath you possibly can see the ultimate results of the 2 joined boards.
Step 4- Lower the cove moulding and set up.
We opted to make use of cove moulding to help our shelf as a result of it was sturdy sufficient to carry it up however sufficiently small that we’d have the ability to conceal the moulding beneath the shelf. We occurred to have some cove moulding from earlier window trim tasks, however shoe moulding would work as nicely
As soon as we knew the specified peak of the shelf, we reduce (together with 45-degree inside corners) and put in the cove moulding. We used an extended degree to ensure the moulding (after which the shelf on high) can be degree.
We connected the cove moulding with our Ryobi 18-gauge brad nailer.
Step 5- Patch and paint the cove moulding.
Despite the fact that the cove moulding shall be hidden underneath our shelf, there may be nonetheless an opportunity that we might catch a glimpse of it from completely different angles, so we needed to ensure it blended in in addition to doable.
We used spackling to patch the holes that had been left from the brad nailer. We then sanded the moulding till it was easy and wiped it down with a humid material.
Subsequent, we painted the moulding to match the wall it was connected to. For us, that meant that we painted the items on the aspect partitions Behr Marquee Cameo White. And we painted the items on the again wall Sherwin Williams Rainwashed (combined at half power).
Step 6- Stain and seal the shelf.
Whereas Donnie was engaged on the cove moulding, I used to be making the shelf fairly! First, I used 320 grit sand paper and a sanding block to ensure each floor of my shelf was easy. After going over every little thing with the 320 grit, I wiped down the shelf with a humid material and went over it once more with 400 grit sand paper.
After I was glad that the shelf was as easy because it was going to get, it was time to stain! I simply used a easy rag to use the stain to my shelf. (We used Minwax Darkish Walnut stain.) I solely wanted one coat to get the shade I used to be going for.
I let the stain dry for twenty-four hours. Then, utilizing a foam brush, I utilized a coat of clear polycrylic to seal the shelf. After letting it dry for 2 hours, I gave the shelf a light-weight sanding, wiped it right down to take away the mud, and utilized a second coat of polycrylic. I then repeated the method to use a 3rd coat.
After the third coat of polycrylic, I let the shelf dry for twenty-four hours simply to be secure, after which it was time to put in it within the laundry room.
Step 7- Set up the shelf above washer and dryer and revel in!
Set up was simple. We merely set the shelf onto the helps we created alongside the wall, and we have been good to go! The helps have been sturdy sufficient that we didn’t have to bolster it with screws or something like that.
As a result of we deliberately created a decent match so the shelf would span wall to wall, we did have to the touch up the wall paint just a little bit the place it bought smudged after we dropped the shelf into place. It was a very easy repair, although.
I used to be just a little paranoid and didn’t wish to mess up our new lovely shelf, so I waited just a few days earlier than I added gadgets on high to make it fairly.
I like having a spot to set our gadgets. And I REALLY like that the washer hoses are actually extra inconspicuous than they was! That is a kind of easy tasks that may actually make a giant distinction, and it was so value it on this case.
Have you ever executed any updates to your laundry room not too long ago? I’d love to listen to about them within the feedback beneath!
And in the event you’re planning on including a DIY shelf above washer and dryer in your home, you should definitely pin the picture beneath so you will discover this tutorial once more later!
Thanks a lot for following alongside! Have an exquisite day!
This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks. For extra info, see my disclosures right here.
