How To Build an Easy DIY Laundry Shelf Over Washer and Dryer | Thrifty Decor Chick

How to build a shelf to hide the washer and dryer components. 

This easy DIY shelf will hide the ugly washer and dryer components, but also gives you plenty of additional storage for laundry needs. 

This washer and dryer
shelf was something I was really missing in our current laundry area. As a reminder, this is
what we had when we moved in: 

Not bad at all! But the cabinets were hung at a height that were better
suited for front loaders — there was no room underneath to put a shelf, but
it was difficult to reach over the washer and dryer and access the
cabinets. 

It gave us better access to things we reach for most. 

I built this one a little differently so I could add some more storage space. I
started by figuring out the middle spot between the two machines. I hung a
piece of scrap wood and drilled it into studs: 

This acts as a support for the bottom shelf — I like to add a little extra
security wherever I can! 

Then I placed some supports at the sides as well — I used these to secure
my vertical boards (nailed into the side of the supports) as I was
building: 

(Ignore that white scrap on the right, it was just leaning there.) The inside boards were
purely for support at the beginning, but I’m keeping them there so the
vertical pieces won’t move around. You can’t really see these when you’re
done. 

I suggest cutting away your baseboards so the side supports can go flush
against the wall. The wood was 3/4 inch, so I cut the baseboards accordingly: 

The bottom shelf was next — I attached it to the long horizontal support
(the first piece I installed) and the side supports. I nailed it with my
nail gun first: 

And then secured it from underneath using screws. (I
used a Kreg jig
to make pocket holes underneath.)

You can also use wood glue and then screw into the sides to support that shelf. Just be sure to
use a drill bit to make a hole for the screw to go into first — this will
help prevent the wood from splitting. You’ll also want to make sure you
can cover the head of any screws with putty or trim. 

The top piece went on last and I mitered the ends so you don’t see any
rough edges on the side or top of the shelves: 

The whole thing was super secure, except for in the middle of the top shelf. 

It
was bowing a bit with heavier items, so I added a support in the middle that
created two sections: 

I used common pine for this project — the cheapest I could find! I was
planning to paint instead of staining. 

The mud room bench unit right next to it is a bright white, so I went with that: 

I caulked everything, then gave it a few coats of semi-gloss white paint. I
ended up adding a simple MDF trim to the front to cover the irregular edges
of the wood boards, but it’s not needed!    

It turned out SO great! It’s perfect!: 

I’ll share links to all the items on the shelves below. 

I just love it!: 

And here’s how it looked after the wallpaper was added to this wall: 

Here’s where we started: 

And how it looks after the whole makeover: