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DIY Laundry Room Shelf Over Washer and Dryer
After getting about halfway through my DIY Laundry Room Makeover, I decided that I wanted to build a custom DIY shelf over the washer and dryer. While painting and installing the small towel bar drying rack, I must have dropped three screws behind the washer three times. I also found a fair amount of stray socks and garments back there. I wanted to install a practical and sturdy shelf.
I have limited wood working experience so I wanted to make this project as simple as possible. First, I measured the space across the washer and dryer, wall-to-wall. This was the measurement I took to Home Depot to have them cut.
Secondly, I didn’t want the shelf itself to be screwed down. I wanted to be able to lift it and access the back parts of the washer and dryer, quickly, if I ever needed to.
The design was going to be simple. Around the wall, I installed a perimeter of 1x2s. You can get 1″x2″x8′ boards at Home Depot or at Lowe’s. For this project, I bought 2, enough to go around the perimeter of the wall, and for the front edge of the shelf to make it appear thicker.
I had each of the 1×2 boards cut to fit the left side, back wall (2 pieces), and right side. To install, I used the stud finder and drilled the deck screws into place at those spots. I pre-drilled the deck screws slight into the 1x2s because they are prone to splitting with too much force.
Once those were in place, I tested the larger boards to make sure that they fit comfortably on the 1x2s. They were a perfect fit.
I used 3 larger boards to make the shelf.
Two 1 x 10 x 6 boards like these ones you can find at Home Depot.
One 1x 12 x 6 board like this one at Home Depot.
Before staining the boards with MinWax wood finish, I did use a hand saw to cut out a piece from the front right of the shelf. This notch would allow for my ironing board to slide into the laundry closet along the side. Once, everything was stained, I had to connect the pieces together.
I tested that the boards fit into the laundry room before attaching them with brackets. I have also heard these referred to as hurricane straps or wall ties. They’re just thick pieces of steel that you can use to screw 2 things together. I only attached the front 2 boards together, leaving the back board detached.
Decor Items List
- For decor pieces check out the list at the bottom of the DIY Laundry Room Makeover Blog post.