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Last time, I shared how I built custom oak cabinets for our laundry room makeover. I needed them to fit perfectly in the space and had a few specific functions, so store-bought cabinets just weren’t going to cut it. Custom-built was the only way to make it work (and you know I love a good DIY challenge!).
Next up was building a face frame for the cabinets to hide those raw plywood edges and give everything a clean, finished look. I used 1×2 oak boards for most of the frame, but on the two sides closest to the walls, I went with 1×3 oak to give the cabinet doors a little extra breathing room from the walls. After measuring everything out, I assembled the frame in my garage using pocket holes on the back sides. I personally have upgraded my pocket hole jig to the Kreg Foreman, which I’m obsessed with! But they also have a more affordable version that works really well too! I just use A LOT of pocket holes so the investment was worth it to me! Wood clamps kept everything nice and flush while I screwed it together, and of course, I used plenty of wood glue, because it’s basically the secret sauce of any good DIY project.
And of course, standing on the joints while clamping them together helps keep everything nice and flush, DIY problems require DIY solutions, right? You’ve got to use what you have! I used a sheet of plywood as my “workbench” on the floor since my garage floor isn’t exactly level anymore (thanks to a few too many project spills… including epoxy).
Above, I built the larger face frame for the floor-to-ceiling cabinets, the ones that stick out the farthest. Now it’s time to tackle the smaller (and easier) face frame for the upper cabinets that sit back a bit and attach directly to the wall.
Next up, stain time! I’m still completely obsessed with this color: Spice Brown by DuraSeal. My neighbor originally bought it for a project and let me borrow some, and I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s not something you’ll find at Home Depot or Lowe’s, so I never would’ve discovered it on my own! For staining, I use medical-grade gloves and blue paper towels, it’s my tried-and-true method. I actually prefer this over brushing the stain on and wiping it off later. It’s quicker, less messy, and gives a super even finish on my oak cabinets.
Then it was time for installation! I had already test-fit both face frames before staining to make sure everything lined up perfectly (learned that one the hard way on past projects!). To install, I held each frame in place, made sure it was level and even, and then secured it using my brad nailer with 1.5-inch brad nails. Simple, satisfying, and officially one step closer to having functional DIY built-ins in the laundry room.
I actually installed the larger face frame a few weeks before tackling the smaller ones, because I had to patch a hole in the ceiling where we removed an air vent that used to sit right above the cabinets where the face frame was going. Don’t worry, it didn’t disappear forever! We relocated it to a better spot (more on that in the next post). Just another classic case of “one project turns into three” during a laundry room remodel.
I built the smaller face frame in two separate sections, one for the tall, skinny cabinet and another for the higher, wider one. I did this because I knew space would be tight, and installing them as two pieces would make the job a lot easier. Sometimes it’s all about working smarter, not harder… especially when you’re wrestling cabinets into place during a laundry room remodel! Shhh, don’t tell Tyler I’m standing on the washer/dryer!
Now, let’s rewind for a second and talk about that big hole in the ceiling! That used to be a vent in our laundry room that we literally never used. But since this is a builder-grade home, I’m pretty sure the builder wouldn’t spend extra money on something that wasn’t required by code. So instead of getting rid of it completely, we decided to keep the vent, just in a better spot. We removed the old one, patched up the drywall, and added texture so everything blended in seamlessly.
Side note: I am no good at texturing! We have orange peel texture throughout our home, and let me tell you, matching that with canned spray texture is no easy task. I put up plastic to protect my freshly built cabinets (and even used a few trusty trash bags and painters tape when I ran out of the plastic with the tape attached! Seriously, that stuff is amazing!). Then I did my best to blend the new drywall patch in. It’s definitely not perfect, but good enough that no one will notice unless they’re staring at the ceiling… and if they are, that’s on them.
Next up, let’s talk about the seam where the two pieces of plywood cabinetry meet. Since my ceilings are 9.5 feet tall and a standard sheet of plywood is only 8 feet, I had to build the cabinets in two sections, which, of course, left a seam. To hide it, I grabbed a scrap piece of 1×2 oak, ran it through my table saw, and shaved off a super thin strip, about 1/16 inch thick. After staining it to match, I glued it right over the seam and used a level to make sure it was straight and painter’s tape to hold it in place while it dried. Easy, seamless fix (literally)! If I did this again, I’d glue it first and then stain it, because the stain made it curl just slightly.
While that seam cover was drying, and since I already had my stain out, I went ahead and stained the wooden closet rod holders we bought to go above the washer/dryer. It’s one of those small details that makes the whole laundry room feel more custom and put-together. Plus, staining everything at once means fewer times pulling out the gloves and paper towels later!
Just look at the difference that little piece of trim made! Such a small detail, but it makes it look sooo much better!
Let’s hang that closet rod holder! This rod is going to be tall, like “I’ll need a step ladder every time I want to hang something” tall. Luckily, Tyler’s 6’4″ and can reach it just fine, he’s the only one who hangs clothes in here anyway!
Now it’s time to measure for the rod itself! Tyler picked up an oak rod so it would match the rest of the cabinetry (he knows me well). I measured it out, cut it to size, and did a quick test fit before staining and securing it permanently in place. It’s such a simple but functional addition.
I installed the rod high enough to give Tyler’s tall shirts plenty of room to hang freely underneath. It’s all about using every inch of vertical space, especially when you’re designing a small but functional laundry room that still looks custom and put together.
Now, you might’ve noticed something interesting on the wall in the photo above, good eye! I added a custom stencil design using joint compound instead of paint to give the wall some texture and depth. It was such a fun idea… until I ran into a small, but annoying, problem with it (because of course, no DIY project goes perfectly the first time).
In our dining room, I did the same kind of textured stencil years ago and absolutely loved how it turned out! But wow, apparently I forgot just how tedious this process is. It’s one of those projects that looks so easy on Pinterest… until you’re knee-deep in joint compound wondering why you ever started.
Actually, I ran into a few small problems! I already had the stencils from the last time I did this, a big pack full of different botanical designs to choose from, and I even had a huge tub of joint compound left over. Perfect, right? Well… not quite. When I opened it, it was completely moldy. So, off to the store I went! This time I grabbed a smaller sized container instead of another giant tub.
Here’s how I did it: I taped the stencil to the wall in several spots using painter’s tape, then carefully spread the joint compound over it with a drywall knife, trying my best not to squish it underneath (easier said than done!). The tedious part is having to wash the stencil every three or four uses because it starts getting messy fast. I also like to flip the stencil over each time I wash it so the pattern isn’t all facing the same direction throughout the laundry room. It takes some patience, but the end result is totally worth it!
But it turned out cute right??? Would it be worth the hassle for you?
Now for the truly tedious part… I decided to do the entire laundry room. Yep, every single wall and the ceiling. What was I thinking?! It definitely tested my patience, I was so over it after this initial wall that it took me about a month to get it done. And spoiler alert…I still haven’t finished the ceiling, and the rest of the laundry room is complete as I type this!
And then came the next problem, because of course there’s always another one, right? Since I only bought a small sized container of joint compound, I ended up running out before finishing. When I went back for more, the new batch was a different color! I didn’t plan to paint over it because I actually like leaving it raw, if I ever change my mind later, I can just spritz it with water and wipe it off the drywall. Once it’s painted, that’s basically impossible. Plus, I love that the natural joint compound color is just slightly different from the wall paint, it gives the design a little extra dimension. You can see what I mean in the photos below, I circled the area where the color doesn’t quite match.
So of course, I headed back to Home Depot, fingers crossed, hoping the next bucket would be closer in color to the original batch. The problem is, joint compound isn’t made with a color consistency because it’s almost always primed and painted, not meant for art projects. Speaking of, if you ever do one of those joint compound art projects on canvas, make sure you use ONE CONTAINER so the color stays the same!
But sadly, that new bucket was just as dark as the second one, not like my original lighter batch. The problem? I now had three choices, and I didn’t like any of them: paint over everything, live with the mismatched colors and hope no one noticed, or wipe off all the lighter ones (a.k.a. erase hours of work). None of those sounded appealing, especially after how long that texture took to do in the first place! Some people said to live with the mismatch and it would be fine, however, the first WHOLE WALL was only the whiter ones and not a mix of both.
What I ended up doing was trying to remove some of the lighter textured spots, but that turned out to be way more work than I was willing to take on. So instead, I reapplied the stencil over the small section I wiped off and redid it using the darker joint compound. For the rest, I decided to experiment a little: I laid the stencil right back over the lighter spots and added another thin layer of the darker compound to see if it would help blend the colors and mask the difference. Makes sense, right? A little trial and error never hurt anyone in DIY land! I actually like the darker color better anyways.
Next up, building and installing the drawer I designed this tall cabinet for! This drawer is going to hold my Tineco vacuum and mop, with an outlet inside so they can stay plugged in and charging out of sight. Finally, no more random vacuums parked in the hallway! Our house is about 1,800 square feet, which is a great size, but there’s just no extra space for things like that. This built-in setup keeps everything neat, hidden, and actually functional.
First, I had to build a platform for the drawer slides to sit on. There was about a three-inch gap between the cabinet floor and the top of the face frame, and the slides needed to clear that frame. So, I grabbed some scrap wood, cut it to size, and built a sturdy platform. I assembled the frame using pocket hole screws and wood glue (my favorite combo!) and then secured it to the bottom of the cabinet with more pocket hole screws.
Next, I cut the top piece to size so it would sit perfectly on top of the platform frame. I secured it in place with wood glue and a few brad nails, quick, simple, and solid!
Then I did a quick test fit to make sure the drawer slide would clear the face frame, and thankfully, it did! Always better to double-check before moving on to the next step (learned that one the hard way more than once).
Next, I grabbed some 1×2 pieces of oak for the drawer frame and a scrap piece of 3/4in oak plywood for the center panel. I made sure I measured the bases of the vacuum and mop for the right size. I mitered the edges of the frame for a clean, seamless look, then used wood glue and brad nails to assemble everything. It came together quickly!
I stained it the same color as the cabinets, Spice Brown by DuraSeal, and sealed it for protection. I swear, this color looks good on everything! It tied the drawer in perfectly with the rest of the cabinetry!
Since I used bottom-mount drawer slides, I started by attaching them to the bottom of the drawer first. It’s a little different from side-mount slides, these should be stronger.
I had Tyler handle installing the slides inside the cabinet, he’s taller and has a much longer reach than I do, so it just made sense. Sometimes you’ve gotta call in the height advantage for those tricky angles!
Once Tyler got the slides installed, I immediately tested it out, and my Tineco vacuum and mop fit perfectly! Seriously, it’s like I custom-built this drawer just for them (because… well, I did). Now they can stay plugged in and charging inside the cabinet instead of taking up hallway space. Total game-changer for laundry room organization!
We grabbed a converter plug that turns the dryer outlet into multiple regular outlets so we can plug the vacuum and mop in directly inside the cabinet. Super handy and no need to run extra wiring! It keeps everything tucked away, charging, and ready to go without adding any clutter to the laundry room.
Next up, what we ended up doing with the vent, I’ll be walking you through how I built a custom plywood countertop with a hatch so I can easily access the lint trap on our washer/dryer combo, and how I gave it a marble look without the marble price tag! After that, I’ll share how I added a beautiful tile backsplash in a fun pattern and built my own drying rack (mostly from scrap wood, of course!). Stay tuned, because Part 4 is where the laundry room really starts to com together!
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