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Wall Mounted Laundry Room Cabinets with Shelving

Learn how to add laundry room cabinets and shelving for extra laundry toom storage.
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DIY laundry room wall cabinets and open shelving over the washer, dryer and utility tub.
Active Time:4 hours
Total Time:4 hours

Equipment

  • 2.5" Angled Paintbrush Use a high-qualtity paintbrush like a Purdy 2 ½” Angular Trim Brush or equivalent from Wooster
  • Small High-Density Foam Roller and Handle
  • Small Paint Tray
  • Old Rag
  • 220 Sandpaper
  • Stud Finder
  • 4' Level
  • Pencil
  • Shims (maybe)
  • Cordless Drill
  • 3.5” Screws
  • Tape Measurer

Supplies

  • Enamel Paint in Semi-Gloss
  • Latex Primer
  • Hardware Pulls or Knobs
  • Shelf brackets These come in a variety of sizes. Use 9.25” width so you can cut 1 x 10” to our desired distance.
  • 1 x 10" pine board cut to desired length we had two boards that were 30" long

Instructions

Paint Laundry Cabinets

  • Lightly sand the cabinets with extra-fine paper (220) for any rough spots you see. The doors had some wood shavings or extra particles on them.
  • Wipe down the cabinets before priming with a damp rag.
  • Use a primer (we love SW latex primer) with a brush and foam roller to completely cover the areas you need.
  • Once dry, start painting the first coat of enamel paint. Use a brush and a small roller and at least 2 coats. Propping doors on 2 x 4s will make this easier for you. 

Hang Cabinets

  • Decide on design and height you would like cabinets and shelves.
  • Remove old items, cabinets and prep the walls as need.
  • Find studs using a stud finder.
  • Use 4’ level to mark the line where the bottom of the cabinets will go. This will determine the hanging height of the cabinets and how much extra room there will be on the top of the cabinets.
  • Put up and hold up cabinets while a second person puts a 4’ level on the face of cabinets vertically to see if they will be plumb.
  • Use a cordless drill and 3.5” screws to anchor cabinets to studs. Each cabinet ideally would be anchored to two (2) separate studs that are typically located 16”s apart.
  • Once cabinets are hung drill and add a screw horizontally behind the doors to attach them to each other.
  • Put the doors back on the cabinets. You can also try to put the painted doors back before hanging, but we just thought this way was easier.

Make and Attach Laundry Shelves

  • Cut 2 boards to size. Our shelves are 30" wide.
  • Prime wood with a latex primer.
  • Let dry.
  • Paint 2 coats of a latex enamel or cabinet paint on yoru wood.
  • Find studs.
  • Attach shelf brackets to studs using anchors and hardware provided.
  • Place wood on the shelf brackets
  • Screw in from the bottom of the shelf in the space provided in the bracket.

Notes

  • If your cabinets are not plumb, use wood shims to plumb (you might have to do this if the wall is in/out).
  • When attaching the cabinets to studs, the big trick is to use a tape measurer and your brain to transfer the stud location from the wall to the inside of the cabinet. You have to subtract the thickness of the cabinet's sidewall.
  • You can add hardware to stock cabinets or even spray paint old hardware for a new look.
Author: Erin Nutter
Cost: under $250