Laundry Room Makeover - Pt 3: Installing new/old Cabinets

Installing New/Old Cabinets Above the Washer and Dryer

Anyone remember this?

This was our kitchen when we bought our house.  See those cabinets on the upper right corner of the picture?  We took those out (along with some others) and they got moved to the basement.  Now that we have finally started getting around to the basement we are reusing the cabinets!  And, some of them went above the washer and dryer.

Yay!  More storage in the laundry room!

The laundry room wall above the washer and dryer was empty.  Our detergent was usually on the floor or sitting on top of the dryer.  This room really was a mess!

I had to take the doors off of the cabinets because of the gas line running through the laundry room (see the black pipe? Yep, that is our gas line heading across the basement before it goes upstairs to the kitchen).

I decided they would look better painted white.

I now have my eyes open for some pretty green bins that will fit inside the open cabinets.

It is starting to come together!

Other Laundry Room Makeover Projects:

• Utility Sink Cover/Lid
• Utility Sink Skirt
• Installing New/Old Cabinets For Storage - (that is this post)
• Even MORE Countertop Space - Building a "cabinet between the washer and dryer 
• Built in Corner Shelves - a basement "pantry"
• Built in Shelves for Laundry Baskets
• DIY wall folding drying rack
• Bringing it all together - artwork and details

Laundry Room Makeover - Part 2: Utility Sink Skirt

Sewing A Skirt For My Utility Sink

After building the lid for my utility sink to create more countertop space, I also wanted to make the space look "pretty".

The lid helped to make the utility sink more utilitarian.

The skirt helped make the sink more enjoyable to look at (and to hide things behind).

I used a tension rod between the wall and the washing machine.

I sewed a simple pocket across the top of the fabric and slid the rod through the hole.  Easy!

Now I can hide all my painting supplies under the sink.  It works great because after washing my paint brushes in the sink, I can just toss them under the sink to store.

Other Laundry Room Makeover Projects:

Links for details on the individual Laundry Room Makeover DIY Projects:

• Utility Sink Cover/Lid

• Utility Sink Skirt

• Installing New/Old Cabinets For Storage
  
• Even MORE Countertop Space - Building a "cabinet" between the washer and dryer with 2x4's
  
• Built in Corner Shelves - a basement "pantry"
  
• Built in Shelves for Laundry Baskets
  
• DIY wall folding drying rack
  
• DIY Fold-Away ironing board
  
• Utility Sink Cover Tutorial
  
• Bringing it all together - artwork and details - The Final Reveal!
  

Laundry Room Makeover - Updated Utility Sink - Creating More Countertop Space

Laundry Room Makeover - Part 1: Updated Utility Sink

I have been working on transforming my laundry room into a place that is more organized and therefore a better place to work in.  Our laundry room is actually quite large (for a laundry room), but it is in a dark basement.

On top of that it is the first room you see when you enter the house from the garage.  The garage entry door opens opposite the laundry room door.

This was actually my Lenten promise: organize the laundry room - even though you really don't want to and there are several other projects on your mind that would be more fun and exciting.  Also, do not start any other project until this project is done!

That was a hard Lenten promise for me!  I love working on several projects at once - one project typically inspires another project.  But, I knew if I started another project the laundry room would never get finished...

So step 1 in transforming my laundry room was making my utility sink more utilitarian.

AFTER:

BEFORE:

I am actually very excited about this part of the Laundry Room Makeover!

We have one of those large plastic utility sinks that is great for when you need a large basin to clean things in that you don't mind getting dirty, but it is also quite an eyesore and takes up quite a lot of space.

The utility sink cover/lid is on a hinge so that if folds up and out of the way for when you need to work in the basins.

Here is a slideshow of pictures showing how the utility sink cover moves from a counter space to a workable sink:

The cover when closed on top of both sink basins

Opening the left basin - hinged in the middle

Another view of the hinges in the middle - one basin is open and one basin is closed

One basin is open and one basin is closed - opened only the left basin

Opening the right basin

Both basins open - cover is sitting on ledge that I built and leaning against the wall

Both basins open

One of the things our laundry room was missing was countertop space.  So, this project helped to provide more counter space and to also be an area where dirty clothes can lie and be stain treated.  My washing machine is directly to the left of the utility sink (it actually empties into the sink via the hose you see entering the sink in the left basin).


A few more views of my new countertop:

Links for details on the individual Laundry Room Makeover DIY Projects:

• Utility Sink Cover/Lid

• Utility Sink Skirt

• Installing New/Old Cabinets For Storage
  
• Even MORE Countertop Space - Building a "cabinet" between the washer and dryer with 2x4's
  
• Built in Corner Shelves - a basement "pantry"
  
• Built in Shelves for Laundry Baskets
  
• DIY wall folding drying rack
  
• DIY Fold-Away ironing board
  
• Utility Sink Cover Tutorial
  
• Bringing it all together - artwork and details - The Final Reveal!