Add storage space to your laundry room with this affordable makeover. Learn how to install cabinets and shelves yourself in the laundry room to store detergents, cleaning supplies and other laundry room items.
Whether you have a small laundry closet or a dark basement, installing cabinets and shelves increases the function and storage space. Closed cabinets add a sleek style while open shelving is convenient and can increase your workspace. Including a mix of storage types helps you maximize space while being a breath of fresh air in an otherwise utilitarian space.
Laundry room cabinets boost function in your washer-dryer space. Providing streamlined organization and a polished look, they can make laundry-day tasks feel like less of a chore. Design smart laundry room storage with these helpful tips.
We often get questions about our design builds, especially because we do everything ourselves. Today, I thought I would take your though our design process, step-by-step of how to install cabinets in a laundry room, and answer many of the questions we have received about this affordable makeover.
Options for Cabinets and Shelving
Let’s start with the “Before”: This is the condition in which we purchased the house.
We have a small laundry closet which I put shelves in before this. This space is so small that I am literally standing inside that tiny 2×2 closet to get this photo.
I’m not sure if there is any organizational item that I hate more than cheap wire shelving. Stuff falls off or tips over, it often bows from weight, and it is very unattractive. The absolute worst is that these builder grade wire shelves never utilize the space well.
This makeover utilizes stock cabinets you can find at a big box home improvement store. We used a 30-inch cabinet, but standard widths for double hanging cabinets include 24, 30, 33, 36, and 48 inches. Single cabinets are usually 12 or 18 inches wide.
Installation Materials
Cabinets:
- Cabinets
- Stud Finder (Optional)
- Laser Level (Optional)
- Tape Measure
- A straight board to use as a ledger
- Wood shims
- Padded Clamps
- Level
- Ladder
- Drill and Bits for screws
- 2 ½ inch Cabinet Screws
- Filler Bar if a gap exists between the wall and the cabinets
Shelves:
- Shelving material – we used Melamine shelves and cut them to size
- Screws and Nails
- Caulk (Optional)
How To Install Cabinets
The great thing is that cabinet installation isn’t really any harder than putting up shelves. You will need some help lifting the cabinets up onto a wall, but the process is fairly simple.
Step One: Measure and Mark the Wall
Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. The wall studs are crucial to properly support the weight of the cabinets.
Measure the height and width of the cabinets and mark their placement on the wall. I recommend having at least two studs to bear the weight of a larger or multiple cabinets.
Draw a level horizontal line across the wall where the bottom of the cabinet will sit. The line should be a true level. On this line, mark the studs so you can see the marks when the cabinet is hung.
***Note: Pay careful attention to the position of all electrical wiring and plumbing.
Step 2: Put Up A Ledger Board (Recommended, Not Required)
A ledger board can make it easier to hang a cabinet level. Basically, it is just a board that the cabinet sits on while you level and attach it to the wall. Screw the board into marked studs and level for the cabinet to sit on.
The benefit of a ledger board is that you have something to support the weight of the cabinet and is level. If hanging cabinets by yourself (which I don’t recommend), or if the weight is a lot to handle, a ledger board is essential.
The negative of using a ledger board is that you remove it after the cabinet is installed and have to patch and paint the holes you made.
Step 3: Hanging Multiple Laundry Room Cabinets
If hanging multiple cabinets, screw 2 or 3 cabinets together before attaching them on the wall. To do this, clamp the cabinets together how you want them to match up and secure with screws where the cabinets meet.
***Pro Tip: It is extremely important to pre-drill holes to hang them. It is much more difficult to drill and hold the cabinet, plus you risk splitting the wood of the cabinet. You don’t have to predrill the walls, just the cabinets themselves.
Step 4: Mount the laundry wall cabinets
Lift the cabinets onto the ledger board and check for plumb and level. Shim the cabinets if necessary to make them level front to back.
Once you have shimmed for plumb and level, secure the cabinets into the wall at the studs.
Step 5: How to Fix Wall Gaps
If a gap exists between wall and the last cabinet, use a filler bar (supplied by the manufacturer) to enclose the gap. Before securing the last cabinet, measure, mark, cut and secure this piece to the side of the last cabinet.
After all the cabinets are in place, attach the doors and hardware. Remove the ledger board and patch and paint the wall if necessary.
Adding Laundry Room Shelves
You can also add shelves very easily on the sides of the cabinets or between them. There are lots of ideas here from using floating shelves to a hanging bar for drying clothes.
In our laundry room, the open shelves on either side make the room feel a little bigger and give options for a decorative touch. The shelves are supported by a small piece of trim. All of the shelves were cut from some melamine sheets for shelving
.
The shelf above the washer and dryer is also added using this method and a center support. This smaller shelf is great since it hides cords and gives a cleaner look. It easily comes out in case we need to work behind the washer and dryer.
Caulking for Built-Ins
Caulking around the edges where the wall meets the shelving is optional. While it does give a more built-in appearance, but it won’t add anything to the structure or rigidity of the cabinetry. Always caulk before painting or use clear caulk. We have more tips in our post on caulking baseboards here.
FAQs
Add items you reach for most on lower shelves. We also have lot more ideas included in our post on Small laundry room organization ideas here.
You can purchase stock cabinets at a big home improvement store like Home Depot. Another option is a local installer or a kitchen cabinet specialty store. Custom cabinets can also be ordered at both locations
Base cabinets are 24 inches deep, not including any countertop overhang. Hanging Wall cabinets are usually 12 or 15 inches deep.
The size of your cabinets depends on how much wall space you have to work with. Stock widths for double hanging cabinets include 24, 30, 33, 36, and 48 inches. Single cabinets are usually 12 or 18 inches wide.
I have shared how I added the trim at the top of the cabinet here in a post. It’s a relatively simple project and the detail give the room a much more polished look.
Yes, generally kitchen cabinets are the same as those used in laundry rooms. The application is just a different room.
DIY Laundry Room Makeover
In our laundry room makeover, I was mostly focused on adding storage and a lot more function than decorating. Of course, I added a few items to both increase my happiness level while facing the laundry task and make things a little easier to work with.
I created my own stencil with a Cricut machine and painted it on the wall.
Sources for our Affordable Laundry Room Makeover:
Cabinet and trim molding – $120
Shelves – $40
Organizer between washer and dryer – $56 (LOVE THIS!)
Platform – free (scrap wood)
Baskets – $26
Paint – free (leftover from my son’s room and the kitchen)
Accessories and artwork – $35 (most are either made by me or re-purposed from around the house)
Total – $277 !!!
Check Out Our New Laundry Room Makeover and Organization Here.
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Marita Chambers says
I love this Makeover and my Laundry space is identical to this . I have gotten at least two Quotes from companies that will install the cabinets and the shelves and just wondering is $1500.00 too much for Materials and Labor for this Makeover ?
Rachel says
That seems high to me and I live in one of the more expensive areas of the country, but there are many factors like whether they have to move the washer and dryer out the way. Another big factor is how much the cabinet cost is. Cabinets can range from $120-400 each or more. I priced them a few months ago and decided to build our own set because they wanted almost $2800 just for 4 base cabinets with nicer doors. It may take two people to lift the cabinet up, but the full job takes less than four hours for professionals.
Marita Chambers says
I agree with you , so I decided to get another quote and the gentleman said for installing the one cabinet with all four shelves including Labor and material would be $900.00.It’s always good to get several quotes because people will try and take advantage of you if you allow them.
Rachel says
I am so glad it worked out for you! Yes, it is always a good idea to get multiple quotes.
Sharon says
The between the washer/dryer drawers are now $120 🙁
Tina says
Please tell me where you purchased that stencil! I love it! Perfect & not too wordy!
Rachel says
I actually made the stencil myself with a craft cutter machine, like a Cricut. I can’t remember where I had seen it unfortunately. There are some super cute ones on Etsy though so I would look there.
Mary L Amber says
I love it! Great job! Just wondering how you pull your washer and drying (especially) to clean behind them. I know most people don’t, but I pull mine out at least every few months to clean the dust and mop.
Mary
Rachel says
Great question! To be honest, it is such a small space that it is very difficult to get behind there and the shelf on top seems to help a lot with keeping the dust out from behind. However, I would say that it has gotten pulled out every 4-5 months for various reasons. To be honest, me and my husband just manhandle them or I get my son to pull out the drawers that sit between them and have him clean out the area. Wish I could be of more help.
Mary says
👍🏻 No worries.
Just curious what “ you” do. Thx
David says
I am late to the party, but great job! My question is how did you nail the molding to the cabinet, when the stock cabinet doors end very close to the top of the cabinet (maybe 3/8 to 1/2 inch space)?
Rachel says
I shared how I added the trim at the top of the cabinet here in a post. It’s a pretty easy project and made the cabinet look so much better.
Christy says
It looks awesome. I am working on my laundry room now. I painted it a soft yellow and just put up similar cabinets. I was thinking about added the shelves on the side. You’ve given me direction on how to do that. I also like the shelf above the washer/dryer. My space just fits them side by side so I have not room in between for the drawers like you have. I’m planning to put up another shelf on the opposite wall. Thanks for the ideas!
Susan says
Hi there!
Can you please tell me what type of laundry detergent containers you use and where you place them in your laundry room?? Are they in the center console or stored in the cabinet?? Just wondering for ease of reaching/pouring, etc.
Rachel says
For me, I use Norwex Laundry Detergent, which comes in small bags. If you aren’t familiar with Norwex, you can learn about it here and why I use this detergent. Since they are just small bags, I just put them in the baskets on either side of the cabinet. When I used larger detergent bottles, I fit them in the cabinet. The kind with a spout on the side (you press a button and it pours) fit perfectly with the door closed and I could slide them out a bit to put into a detergent cup. However, I did have some problems when they leaked so I left a microfiber rag underneath them to catch any drips.
Judi says
Rachel, what an amazing job! I have the same before laundry room and can’t reach anything! We just bought the 36” wide cabinet and the shelving to start our project. We’re problems finding the crown moulding trim on the top of the cabinet. Could you tell me where you found?
Rachel says
Thank you so much. I usually purchase my moldings and such from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Sometimes crown molding is a combination of more than one molding (like in our bathroom here). That’s generally the cheapest option, however there are often local places that can either make specific molding if you are trying to match or online sources, such as newmoldings.com or crown-molding.com I hope that helps!
Michelle says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your makeover! Totally stealing your “chalkboard” sign idea for our kids! I’ve not done their laundry for several years and have struggled with getting them to use the “equipment” correctly!
How did you husband get the Washer/Dryer to be the same height? The fronts look to be the same. .
Rachel says
Hi Michelle, thank you for your kind words. In our washer/dryer, there are little feet on the bottom that can raise or lower the appliances, but ours are pretty similar in height. I also have both the washer and dryer on a platform that we built out of scrap boards.
Mary Elizabeth Thompson says
I LOVE what you did to your laundry room. I desperately need to find some organizing drawers to put between my washer and dryer. Where did you find those?
Rachel says
Hi Mary! On a whim, I started redesigning the website a week ago, and you have stumbled on one of things I need to fix unfortunately. The drawer organizer I purchased is linked to in the post under supplies or costs, however, the links are indistinguishable from plain text. (Gah!) Anyways, I purchased the drawer set on sale here on amazon. (here on amazon is linked if that doesn’t look right). I think it does still go on sale occasionally. Thank you for letting me know because I didn’t realize that was happening!
Beverly says
Great job you did with the laundry room organization! Could you tell me what size two-door cabinet you used? Thanks again for the ideas.
Rachel says
Hi Beverly! Thank you so much. The stock cabinet we purchased was 30 inches wide but I believe they vary from 28-36 inches.
Katie says
Hi! I really like the shelves you used. Where did you get them? Thanks!
Rachel says
Thanks! We actually sort of made them. You can buy long boards at home depot/Lowe’s in various widths that have laminate on them. They are usually found in the closet organization section. You can cut them with a circular saw or a table saw, or I believe the staff can cut them to size for you. The shelves are just sitting on trim that is attached to the wall and takes the weight. Good luck on your project!
Emily says
This turned out amazing! I love the pops of yellow and all of the added storage and function!
Rachel says
Thank you so much! It is so much better and a happier place to be.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Cutest laundry room EVER! I absolutely love this, Rachel! You are so creative and your decorations are just perfect. I think I would be in my laundry room ALL the time if this was mine! I’m definitely remembering this for when I need a makeover (we’re currently house hunting right now, so this will come in handy)!
Erlene says
That looks amazing. We have a super tiny laundry room too and always wondered how a cabinet would look in there. I also loved your cost breakdown.
Rachel says
Thank you so much, Erlene! You could actually get a cabinet much cheaper off of Craigslist or a thrift shop. I looked at our local Habitat Restore but they didn’t have anything that would work with our 9 foot ceilings.