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Laundry Room 5: Wall Shelves

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I’m trying to catch up on posting some projects.  The laundry room isn’t totally finished, but these shelves have been done for a L-O-N-G time.  I am just such a slacker I never wrote the post.  So let me scrounge up the pics and get writing!Smalll laundry shelves installed over folding counter

Smalll laundry shelves installed over folding counterIn the meantime… You can refresh your memory on my laundry room renovation with these posts:

1: The Initial Renovation 
2: Shelf Over Stacked Washer/Dryer 
3: Wallpaper, Outlets, and Doors
4: Laundry Basket Shelf and Counter Top

We left off here, in desperate need of some wall shelves.

Laundry room makeover - needs shelves

This was a super cheap project, as the only thing I purchased were 4 corbels from Home Depot.  They are the same as these, but the 9.5″ version.  They came unfinished so I had to paint them white, which I’m sure I whined about, but I painted them in the kitchen while watching TV.  Let me tell you, those corbels come as smooth as a baby’s bottom!  They were sanded to perfection, so I didn’t have to worry about that.
 Waddell 5 in. x 1-3/4 in. x 5 in. Small Arch Wood Corbel

I always wanted the look of shelves on corbels for in here, but I somehow convinced myself it would be too much work to build shelves like that.  Crazy I know.  In my first round of laundry room renovations I put these ugly shelves up. {Which were totally not finished in this pic.}  I think part of the problem was the amount of wall space that needed to be covered.  That and I was trying to incorporate a drying rack at that time. Laundry Room - initial renovationThe corbels come with a mounting system, which hubby used to hang them.  Ladies, this is totally an easy job and in no way am I trying to insinuate that you can’t do this yourself.  Sometimes you’ve just got to throw your man a bone.  This is the perfect type of job for my hubby.  Remember, I was the one who built the partition wall and shelf above the washer/dryer.  🙂Mounting hardware comes with corbelsOf course he stopped to make the same joke he always does a funny joke about the stud finder.Smart Girls DIY - Stud FinderI came back to make sure they were level.

Make sure corbels are level check for
I made sure I liked the corbels and the length of my shelf before proceeding.  This shelf was a little long, so I cut it down before I added trim molding.  The shelf is a scrap 3/4″ plywood strip, probably left over from making the cabinet around the washer/dryer or the laundry basket shelf.  Or from another project.  All I know is I found it in the garage and it does the trick!
Adding wall shelves with corbels
Then hubby attached the upper two corbels.  {Don’t we make an awesome team!}  I want to be able to put heavy stuff, like laundry detergent, on these shelves and not worry about them ever coming out of the wall.  For that reason, I added extra screws in toward the bottom of each corbel.  Hubby gasped as I “ruined” my newly painted and installed corbels.  Update: Those puppies are holding strong!  The shelves have been up for almost a year now, with both a giant-sized detergent and fabric softener, and they haven’t even broken a sweat. 
Smart Girls DIY: Laundry Room Renovation
The bottom shelf got its trim.  I used a decorative 3/4″ molding, but really a straight piece of wood would have been a lot easier and looked just as good.  I used my miter saw to cut the right end of the front piece and the left end of the side piece.  My shelf butts up against a wall, so there is only one visible corner and no need to add trim on the left side.  The mitered corners are tricky to match up, that’s why I say it’s easier to go with a blunt 90 degree match up.  I attached the molding to the plywood with my finish nailer and air compressor.  And then I had to fill the gaps and sand before I could paint.
Smart Girls DIY: Layndry Room Renovation
Here’s the bottom shelf all trimmed out and ready for paint.  Now looky what I found for the top shelf… it’s an old shelf from a desk I re-imagine for Smart Jr. when she was about 5.  I bought a desk at Goodwill and painted it to look like Cinderella’s castle. Anyway, for some reason I saved the shelf even though I got rid of the hutch long ago.  I just trimmed it a little lengthwise and it was good to go!
The pink shelf got trim added to it the same as the other shelf and then I painted both shelves.
Smart Girls DIY Painting Shelves 1
 I don’t like painting.  And I had to paint the underside too.  🙁Smart Girls DIY Painting Shelves 2
When they were dry, I sprayed them with polyacrylic so they’d stand up better to all the stuff that would soon be on top of them.
Smart Girls DIY - polyacrylic
The shelves were looking pretty good and already being put to use, even before I filled the holes.Smart Girls DIY - 2 Laundry Room Shelves 2
Then it was time to fill the holes.  I counter sunk the screws so they weren’t visible, leaving the holes pretty deep.
Smart Girls DIY: Layndry Room Renovation
I am NOT a fan of wood filler, so I filled the majority of the hole with white caulk.  When this was dry, I used regular spackle to fill the hole so I could sand it to perfection.
Smart Girls DIY: Laundry Room Renovation

Linking up to: Remodelaholic

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Man humor… you gotta love it! The only thing left in the laundry room is a drying rack of some sort for the back of the door. I am back and forth with what to use. The door is not the ideal spot, but there is really no other option. I bought an old ladder, but now I think it’s too big. I need to just make a decision already! 🙂

      Reply

  2. They have retractable drying lines. I think you would be able to do something really nice with that. Your children are beautiful. You are a beautiful family. My kids are 15 months apart. They are now 18 and 19. Best friends. I wish you all the happiness I had/have and more.

    Reply

  3. My children are 13 months apart, they are now 18 and 19. I hope you have as much fun as I have had and still have. Look at retractable drying racks. That would be cool. Your family is beautiful, have a happy life.

    Reply

    • Thanks John! I will give the retractable racks another look. The space is just so tight in there, I feel like I’d walk into anything that was hanging from a line. I’ll figure something out eventually. 😉

      Reply

  4. Hey Liz! Thanks for sharing this over at the Remodelaholics Anonymous link party. My husband makes the SAME joke every time we pull out the stud finder! 🙂 Also, I wanted to let you know that this will be included in our party features post (going up tomorrow morning) and we’d love to have you link up other projects at this weekend’s link party (also starting tomorrow morning).

    Thanks and have a great day,
    Lorene @Remodelaholic

    Reply

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