A "Floating" Cabinet

Our laundry room has been in dire need of some storage solutions. Currently, we have one wall that we use to stack things up against, but we also wanted to figure out a way to utilize the space above the washer and dryer for additional storage.

Awhile back, Luke scored some free cabinets from a school/office that was being renovated, and we’ve had a couple of them sitting in our basement ever since then, just waiting to be put to use. (And let me just say, these things are heavy.)

I wasn't sure how to go about hanging a cabinet in this space, with all the plumbing/drain pipes against the wall. But Luke had the idea to built a “floating” frame of sorts to house one of the cabinets above our washer. In theory, it seemed pretty simple, but it ended up taking quite a bit of figuring, measuring, leveling, squaring, and tweaking. In a nutshell, this is how it all went down:

First, we measured the depth of one of the cabinets and cut a 2x4 that length, then screwed it into the studs of the wall in the laundry room. Then, we cut a treated 2x3 to the height of the cabinet and glued it to the concrete wall with LocTite. Once it had set, we also nailed it in for extra reinforcement, using our handy Duo-Fast Strike Tool. (We used a 2x3 here because we were up so close next to the drain pipe.)

Next, we attached a 2x4 to the joist above, in case we ever decide to finish the laundry room and add a ceiling.

After that, we cut two more pieces to support the other side of the cabinet. These were screwed together at the corners, and then screwed into the treated 2x3 and the 2x4 above. Now we had a frame for the cabinet to rest in.

It wasn’t fun trying to lift that sucker up above our shoulders and shove it into the space, but we finally managed. It was a very snug fit. From the inside of the cabinet, Luke also added screws to attach it to the frame. I have to admit, I was a little paranoid about how this set-up would support the weight of the cabinet, but it seems pretty sturdy. We may go in and add another 2x4 beneath for extra reinforcement.

Now I have a convenient place to store detergent, dryer sheets, and miscellaneous items that would otherwise be scattered haphazardly around the room.

As you can see, I still need to fill it up. Not a bad problem to have. Eventually, I'd also like to add a rod to the left of the cabinet to hang clothes to air-dry.

What's your laundry room storage situation?