Laundry Room Shelf

Everyone that has a washer and dryer in there home knows just how annoying it gets without enough space to fold laundry, or having the bottles of detergent fall of from the vibration. I know our laundry room is a nice size, but the cabinets did not have enough space to hold everything. After having a bottle of detergent fall off the washer and spill on the floor, I’d had enough. So I said we need to build a shelf, one thats enough space for everything. Heres how to make a shelf above your washer & dryer. 

This was before, Look at all those bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First I took the measurements, how tall I need it to be from the floor to above the washer, from the left to right side, and from the front to back. I wanted to be prepare when I went to Home Depot to get my lumber and supplies. 

Here’s What I used to make the shelf:
1  1 inch” thick Pine Plywood cute  to my measurements (Make sure its plywood thats thick and not flimsy, and not particle board)
2 2×4′s cut to the width
2 2×4′s cut to the depth (front/back) minus the thickness of the front and back 2×4′s (ex. my 2×4 for the front & back were 1.5 inch thick, so I should of subtracted 3″ from the measurement)
2 2×4′s cut to the height
1 box of 8″ long screws (I used regular wood screws)

 

 

First, drill the back 2×4 to the wall, make sure its screwed into the studs in the wall and that the top is the same height as the top of the boards cut for the height

 

 

 

 

 

Then attach the sides (ok So I didnt subtract the 3″ when I got them cut, so I had to use the scrap pieces, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SUBTRACT THE THICKNESS OF THE 2X4′S FOR THE SIDE BOARDS)

 

 

 

 

 

Next, attach the height boards to a piece of lumber like this for the legs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, attach the legs to the plywood, and set the plywood on top of the back and side  brackets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now attach the front board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to make the shelf dark stained to match the cherry finished cabinets, but if you prefer you can just paint it. 

I applied the dark primer first to tint the wood

 

 

 

 

 

Then apply the cherry stain.

 

 

 

 

 

Then apply a coat of  polyurethane to make the surface smooth and sealed. (if the polyurethane is a little rough, smooth it down with a fine grind sand paper)

 

 

 

After it dried, I applied a front piece of molding, and painted the walls, and I also hung the ironing board on the wall, along with iron, behind the laundry room door.
 

 

 

TIP ALERT Place your fabric softener and washing detergent (If its liquid) in beverage dispensers, for easy dispensing when washing (and removes all those bottles)