Child Item

How to add storage in a small laundry?

Hi,

I have one of those "closet' Laundry rooms and i want to improve the storage without spending too much but also don't have a great idea where i should start.

I want to put a bench-top over my existing basin so there is a small workbench space that my washing machine will fit under but so I can keep the sink as is, then I want to put in some wall mounted shelving above the sink to hold towels. I had a look at ikea but the width is quite narrow at 62cm so I couldn't see any option that would fit.

Please excuse the mess

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Renovation

Organising

Accepted answers

All comments

RenoRach1

Hi Jordon,

This looks like a great project and one that will pay dividends to make your 'laundry life' easier.

I'm assuming that you still want to access your sink. Straight off the top of my head, you could either put in one long benchtop that is removeable or fix one narrow benchtop above your washing machine and then either put another removable one above your sink or add in some hinge so that it can fold up to the right, with a catch, or something to keep to out of the way, when you access your sink. Again, just quickly, something like a Beech timber panel could do just nicely. Depending on what tools you have and if you have time, you could use the off-cuts to make shelves or install some floating shelves, like these, for extra storage.

Exactly one year ago, I finished a full demolition of my laundry/utility room and completely rebuilt it from the ground up and it has made my life so much easier.

All the best with your laundry project!

DIYGnome

Hello @Jordon11 welcome to the Bunnings Workshop, various 600mm wide Cabinet shells made by Lugna can be found on the Bunnings website, not sure it you were thinking of a closed or open approach to storage but doors can be added to suit your needs.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/lugna-1024-x-600-x-580mm-white-cabinet-shell_p0430556

I really like the suggestion by @RenoRach1 for the folding bench but mounting locations will be sparse depending on storage solution, have you considered some type of slide out shelf-to-bench similar to the drawer systems (in the space between the appliances) as commonly seen in 4WDs? 🤔

Akanksha

Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @Jordon11. We're delighted to have you join us and trust you'll find the site a wonderful resource containing useful advice and inspiring ideas for your D.I.Y. projects.

Great to see you've received advice from our members on renovating your small laundry. I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc will also be happy to provide some suggestions as soon as he can.

If you select the laundry room in our Featured Projects section, you'll see this is a popular topic and that members have had some great success renovating spaces like yours for very modest sums. Sharing a few popular projects and discussions below in case they spark any creative ideas for your own laundry reno:

You can find more inspiration with our Top 10 most popular laundry projects. Experienced Workshop member Adam has also compiled this comprehensive guide How to plan a laundry makeover, which includes space-saving ideas.

I hope this helps. Looking forward to seeing how you transform your laundry. Please do keep us updated as your project progresses.

Akanksha

Jordon11

Hi @RenoRach1,

Do you think it would be possible to cut out a hole in some bench material and retro fit it to the sink if I were to run it from wall to wall?

I was thinking of replacing the sink cupboard altogether to something that would suit the bench top and look a little more aesthetic than the generic one put in by the builders.

RenoRach1

Hi Jordon,

That sounds like a great idea and I'm sure it would be possible. A new sink is definitely possible, however, it may need to be done by a registered plumber. Certainly, if you haven't done any plumbing before, you'll at least need to get the sink and tap connections done by a plumber, but you could do the prep work and the finishing off and that would help to keep costs down.

I installed a Belfast sink in my Utility/Laundry Room. All of the cabinets (and benchtop) were from the Kaboodle range, so installing a fireclay Belfast sink required some modifications to the cabinetry e.g. cutting down the cabinet door below the sink and extra reinforcing supports to take the significant weight of the sink.

Because the sink was handmade, I waited until I took delivery of it and I hand-traced a series of cardboard templates of the sink to transfer to the Kaboodle benchtop (you can just see one of the benchtop templates in the photo). I could then accurately cut out the outline of the sink with my jigsaw and was confident that my sink would fit perfectly.

If you're doing a drop-in sink, they usually come with a template and a set of instructions (I had to freestyle it because I wanted my sink to sit proud of the benchtop and cabinetry in the Victorian-era style) and there is usually a 'lip' on the sink of several millimetres, so you don't have to be ABSOLUTELY exactly perfect with your measuring - I had no margin for error (slightly stressful) and so I made sure to take my time before I pressed the buttons of my trusty jigsaw.

Cardboard sink template

Before the benchtop...

I created a digital folder of my own plans, photos and sketches (digital as well as hand-drawn) so I had a strong vision in my head of what I wanted. I made regular use of the Bunnings Kaboodle digital planning site - it was invaluable!

2D render.jpg

From my experience, don't measure twice and cut once - measure at least FOUR times! 😂 Also, use whatever digital platforms you can (e.g. Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, bathroom/laundry websites and the Bunnings Workshop site, of course - I had some fabulous solutions, advice and feedback from @MitchellMc, @EricL and @Jason) to find photos of sink set-ups/laundries that you like, do some more revision of your plan, believe in yourself...and then GO FOR IT! You'll be so happy when it's done and feel the best sense of achievement because YOU did it.

These are some photos of the finished room; my Utility room transformation post has a longer post of the steps of my whole project; very happy to answer any questions you might have, if you see anything that sparks your curiosity.

Can't wait to see what you create - have fun with the process!

Finished!

Utility Room.jpg

MitchellMc

Hi @Jordon11,

I think it would be well worth the cost of a budget reno to remove the laundry tub and install a sink cabinet. A 600mm wall cabinet could go above it. You could then use the cutout section of the benchtop to make an insert for the sink to cover it. I've created a rendering for you below.

Mitchell

Child Item