Small Laundry Room Makeover – DIY Renovation

The Solution

I’m not sure what to call this removable shelf, but it works. It serves two purposes. The first is to cover the ugly utilities, obviously. The second is for me. A shelf that I can decorate. 🙂 No more ugly utilities! My itty-bitty small laundry room makeover is taking shape, and I couldn’t be happier with the new folding station. Now it’s time to add a little gel stain and paint for a clean, classic look.

Blending Gel Stain On Wood

I used my SurfPrep Sander and a fine grit pad for a super smooth wood surface to smooth out any rough areas on the wood countertop and shelf before staining. Use a soft cotton cloth to remove any residual wood dust before applying the gel stain.

To achieve the weathered wood look I was wanting I used two colors of stains. Here’s how I did it.

1. First, apply a light color gel stain to the raw wood with a cotton applicator pad. I like to cut them in half. Remove any excess with the cotton applicator pad.
2. While the light-colored stain (Fruitwood Gel Stain) is still wet, apply the Weathered Gray Gel Stain in random areas and blend it in the direction of the wood grain using long strokes.
3. Next, with a dab of mineral spirits on a cotton or paper towel cloth, continue blending the two stain colors. The mineral spirits will act as an eraser and remove the stain, so you don’t want to overdo it. Basically, you’re thinning the gel stain to create a lighter color. You will want to practice this technique on a small piece of wood before tackling a big project.
4. Seal the wood once it is fully cured with Gator Hide topcoat for an amazing durable finish.

*Since this laundry room has an entry from the garage, aka man cave, it was imperative that the countertop/folding station be durable. I’ve already found HIS tools on the top of my beautiful wood folding table. It’s a catch-all!

The Results of Blending Gel Stain On Wood

And here are the result of blending gel stains on raw wood. I loved it so much that I decided to use a similar finish on the new cabinets too. Yep! I even splurged with custom cabinets made from the same wood (Poplar) to give us that extra storage space we needed. Our ceilings are 10 ft, and I wanted to utilize every inch in that small room. No, we didn’t build them. Let’s say we love each other too much, and a laundry room makeover is a kind of like building a house but on a much smaller scale.

Adding Faux Shiplap Accent Wall

With the custom cabinets installed (that was an ordeal that took 6 weeks), we began building a faux shiplap accent wall over the folding station and between the two cabinets. Oh ya, I also found this fun wall decal, and I couldn’t resist. Folding laundry needs to be fun, and who would laugh when they were standing in front of a laundry room sign that says “drop your pants here.” The faux shiplap accent wall was made from 1/4 inch plywood we had leftover from another shiplap wall project.

The Laundry Room Makeover Reveal!!!

Check out the cool industrial hardware on the cabinets.. and that metal pipe clothes hanger!!! Well, that was all Mr. Honey Do right there. I think it adds so much to this small room and a touch of manliness that will make HIM happy when he’s folding clothes.

Extra Work Space And Storage

And directly across from the laundry room makeover folding station is another small work area that includes a set of vintage lockers. We made sure when we ordered the cabinets that there would be enough room for these gray rusty beauties (broom and cleaning supplies closet) and if we ever decided to use the space for something else (not happening), a full-size freezer would fit into the spot. This room also doubles as a mudroom without a sink.