Rustic Laundry Room Cabinet with Hutch

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DIY custom laundry room cabinet with sink and hutch, farmhouse style.  Free plans by ANA-WHITE.com

Even a small laundry room can be a dream laundry room with the right cabinet choices.  We just completed our custom Laundry Room (full tour here) and couldn't be happier with how things turned out.  It's been a few weeks, and the honeymoon is far from over - I can't wait to use my laundry room and it is so pretty and neat and organized, I love being in the laundry room!  I think the only thing missing is a speaker so I can sing along while folding and sorting.

This is a huge change, going from piles of laundry - both clean and dirty - with clean on the bed and in short baskets and dirty on the floor and in taller hamper baskets.  The family is also loving always having their laundry put away and accessible.  I'm already weeding out closets too - since we don't need as much clothes since it's always clean!

You can see the entire laundry room and how I use it in this video

And the full blog post reveal for our laundry room here.

The big cabinet with sink and hutch has been the game changer.  I kept the height of the countertop at 32" - so folding is the perfect height.

The hutch keeps everything put away

So the countertops are open for folding laundry.  If I run out of space on the countertops, I can use the lower shelves for added clean folded clothes temporary storage area until the kids get it put away. I do the folding, the kids put it all away.  

I orginially thought the sink would rarely be used, but it has quickly become second only to our kitchen sink!

My four year old son has claimed it, and brushes his teeth and get's his own drinking water (we have amazing well water right out of the tap up here in Alaska).  He loves that he can keep a step stool there, and the sink is big enough that he can splash around and not worry about making a mess.

Once our baby gets here, we'll be using it as a bathtub and for cleaning baby accidents, blow outs, spills and stains.  

The drawer directly across from the dryer is slatted on the bottom.  I use it as a "basket" and remove clothes from the dryer directly into the drawer.  I can then either fold immediately, or close the drawer and fold when I get to it.  This has been an amazing addition to the laundry room, completely taking the need for baskets (or bending over for the matter) out of my laundry system.  

The other drawers are "special" purpose - the one below the slatted is for "donate or hand-me-down" clothes that kids have either outgrown or we just aren't wearing.  This is also where old T-Shirts go to become rags.

Another a drawer is used for special washes - for example, delicates, lights, down coats etc, and the fourth drawer is my bonus drawer where I can set things aside. Right now we are prepping for a spring break trip, so all clothes that I want to pack for this trip go direclty from the dryer, folded, and into this drawer.  I'm thinking I'll use it for baby clothes once baby arrives.

Another little customization we did with a huge impact was hold the cabinet 12" from the far wall.  This is to hide our mop bucket and cordless vacuum.  You would never know the mop bucket is there, but it sure is handy when you need it!

The big word on this cabinet is CUSTOM.  We built it to exactly suit our space and needs.  With our laundry room less than 60 square feet overall, we had to go custom to make it all work.  

I'm sharing the plans as we built our laundry cabinet below - but I highly recommend customizing to your family's needs and habbits.  Think of how you use your laundry room, what needs to be stored in it, what processes you dread, and trick your laundry room out so doing laundry is a dream, not a chore.

You can watch us build this cabinet in this video-

And build for yourself with the plans below.

The stain we used on this project is Varathane Dark Walnut, one coat brushed and wiped on.  

Enjoy the plans and please do share if you incorporate some or any of the ideas, we thrive off knowing our time blogging is benefiting you.

XO ANa

 

24" deep, 8 feet long, 7 feet tall approx

Preparation

Shopping List

1 - sheet 3/4" plywood ripped into strips 8 feet long x 23-3/4" wide
5 - 1x4 @ 8 feet long
1 - 1x8 @ 8 feet long
8 - 1x2 @ 8 feet long
4 - 1x3 @ 8 feet long
4 - 1x10 @ 8 feet long (cut the longer drawer pieces first)
5 - 1x6 @ 8 feet long (top planking)
2 sheets 1/4" plywood for back of hutch and drawer bottoms and door backs
2 - 1x12 @ 10 feet long (hutch sides/dividers)
3 - 1x12 @ 8 feet long (hutch shelves)
4 - 22" drawer slides
2 sets of hinges
2 magnetic clasps
4 pulls and 2 knobs

Common Materials
1 1/4 inch finish nails
120 grit sandpaper
Cut List

CARCASS

  • 6 - 3/4" plywood @ 23-3/4" x 31-1/4" - Sides, dividers, middle area shelf/bottom
  • 8 - 1x4 @ 28-1/2" - Drawer area top/bottom supports (NOTE: On drawings shows left side cuts at 27-3/4" - do this only on sides that you want to cover with planked wood.
  • 2 - 1x4 @ 31-1/4" - Sink area top supports

 

CABINET FACE FRAME

  • 4 - 1x2 @ 31-1/4" - Stiles
  • 6 - 1x2 @ 27-3/4" - Rails on Drawer Area
  • 2 - 1x2 @ 29-3/4" - Rails on Sink Area

 

TOP - We used 1x6s planked together to create the top, 3/4" over hang on front and sides

OPTIONAL SIDE PLANKS - We held the left side of carcass in 3/4" and added planking as this side was very exposed in our laundry room.  We used 1x6s to plank.

 

FOOTER

Footer should be cut to fit, using 1x4s.  Cut sides first, then measure and cut front

 

DOORS and DRAWERS

  • Build drawers to fit openings with 1x10s
  • Drawer sides are length of drawer slides (8 - 1x10 @ 22" for 22" drawer slides recommended)
  • Drawer fronts/backs are 2-1/2" less than opening width (8 - 1x10 @ approx 25-1/4").  Place pocket holes on front on inside to avoid showing on front of drawer.

Drawer Face Frames (should be built 1/4" less width and height wise than opening)

  • 8 - 1x3 @ 11-3/4"
  • 8 - 1x3 @ 22-1/2"

Door Face Frames (should be built 1/4" less width and height wise than opening)

  • 4 - 1x3 @ 9-5/8"
  • 4 - 1x3 @ 5-1/4"
  • 1/4" plywood cut 1" larger than opening and stapled to back 

 

HUTCH CARCASS

  • 4 - 1x12 @ 60"
  • 8 - 1x12 @ 29-1/4"
  • 1 - 1x12 @ 29-3/4"
  • 2 - 1x4 @ 29-1/4"

HUTCH TRIM

  • 4 - 1x2 @ 51-1/4"
  • 2 - 1x2 @ 92-3/4"
  • 2 - 1x1 @ 11-1/4" - we ripped 1x scraps down to 3/4" x 3/4"
  • 1 - 1x8 @ 91-1/4"
Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Jigsaw
Miter Saw
Brad Nailer
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set

Instructions

Step 1

Drill two pocket holes on each end of all 28-1/2" long 1x4s.  Attach to plywood panels to make the drawer area carcasses.

Drill two pocket holes on each end of 31-1/4" 1x4s.  Attach to plywood on drawer area carcasses.  Repeat for plywood shelf.

Adjust carcass for square.

Step 2

Assemble the two drawer area face frames with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.  Then attach the two drawer area face frames together with the 1x2s @ 29-3/4" long.  Apply glue to front edge of carcass and nail face frame on with 1-1/4" brad nails.  All outside edges should be flush (unless you do the planking option).

Step 3

Build top out of 1x6s, with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.  Cut down in size so overhangs front and sides by 3/4" and is flush to back.  Nail and glue to top of cabinet.

Step 4

You will need to fur out inside of drawer areas with 1x boards.  I run these vertical, right inside the face frame, and toward the back (any 3/4" thick material will work).  The inside of the drawer area should be flush on both sides.

Measure the opening width, and build drawers to fit out of 1x10s, remembering that drawer slides usually take up 1/2" clearance on both sides (but do double check with your drawer slide instructions).

For drawer fronts, do not place pocket holes on outside, as they may not be covered by drawer face frames.

Install drawers on drawer slides.

Build face frames out of 1x3 and attach to front of drawers, with 1/8" gap all the way around.

If this is confusing, please watch our video on this cabinet where these steps are shown.

Build doors for the sink area and install with hinges.

Step 5

Step 6

Nail 1x2 trim to front edges of 1x12 uprights with glue.  I used 1-1/4" nails.

Then build up header with 1x2s and 1x8s, nailing in place.

NOTE: I also added a piece at the top middle in the back for securing the top of the hutch to the wall.  If your ceilings are lower, you may not be able to do this, so add to the inside of the top.