Before it was our laundry room, it was a mudroom. Lots of hooks, one shelf, and none of the necessary plumbing or electrical. After contractors installed the dryer vents, water lines, and plug for the dryer, it still needed the final touches.
Patch, Paint, and Drywall Repair
In addition to normal patching/sanding needed for paint prep, we also had a fairly large area of drywall to repair after the plumbing installation. We used some furring strips from a previous project and used the method Lowe’s describes in this video:
The paint color we chose matches the rest of the house: Popular Gray/Low-Luster (Cashmere Paint) from Sherwin Williams.
Washer and Dryer Pedestal Alternative
Washer and dryer pedestals are popular because they raise the height of the appliances making them easier to use. We never realized how much of a luxury it was for the dryer door not to interfere with the laundry basket until we upgraded our washer and dryer.
There are lots of plans for washer & dryer pedestal alternatives. Some look great, others have more functionality with drawers. We wanted something simple, so we went with the most basic design we could come up with.
It’s a rectangular frame/deck with a plywood top and 4×4 posts for legs – painted white. The frame is made from 2x4s and the plywood was ~.75 in thick and cut to size. The platform ended up being 60in by 31in and 15.25in tall.
We used these dimensions since it would hold our washer and dryer, left room for the cabinets we wanted, and had enough room underneath to store the laundry basket.
To hold everything together, I used non-splitting fastener screws so I wouldn’t have to pre-drill holes. These fasteners are specially designed to avoid splitting the wood. Plus, they counter-sink in the wood – making it easy to plug the top with wood filler and sand for a smooth finish.
For reasons I won’t go into now, our dryer vents out the bottom – so I adjusted one of the frame’s crossbars to accommodate ventilation access. Unless your dryer vents down (unlikely), don’t worry about hole in the platform. :)
To finalize the washer/dryer platform, I painted it white. I used an exterior white trim paint from Sherwin Williams since it has more of a moisture barrier than normal trim paint.
Cabinets for Laundry Room
For simplicity sake, we used pre-fabricated storage cabinets that were in-stock at our local Lowe’s store. They take a bit of time to assemble, but they look good for what they are (cheap) and are a nice option to hide our cleaning supplies and extra kitchen stuff.
Links to Tall Cabinet and Upper Cabinets.
Laundry Room Before and After
