DIY Laundry Room Storage Center

This DIY laundry room storage center makes clever use of black pipe, a towel rack and robe hooks keep everything tidy and organized. It adds some personality to what is often a not-so-inspiring part of the house.

Here's the step-by-step tutorial so you can make your own laundry room storage center.

Materials for Laundry Room Storage Center

• Liberty Hardware Flat Black Robe Hook Value Pack


• Liberty Hardware Coat and Hat Hook with Ceramic Accents


• Plywood


• 1 x 8 Common Board


• Base Cap Moulding


• Minwax Wood Stain in Honey


• Americana Decor Chalk Paint in Vintage


• Steel Pipes and Flanges (see below)


• Wood Glue

Tools

• Drill


• Miter Saw


• Nail Gun

You can rent these tools from The Home Depot. Visit our Tool and Truck Rental Center.

Pipe Pieces to Build the Shelf Bracket

• (1) 18-in. Black pipe


• (4) Flanges


• (2) Elbow pieces


• (4) Nipples

Cut plywood to 28 in. wide by 24 in. tall

Cut 1 x 8 common board to 22 in.

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Step 1: Build Steel Pipe Shelf Bracket

Lay out all of your pipe pieces, and then thread them together to build your bracket, according to the images below.

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Step 2: Cut the Moulding for the Frame

This organization center will be 28 in. wide by 24 in. tall.

You can have an associate at your local Home Depot store cut your plywood to that size. If you prefer to cut it yourself but don't have your own tools, Home Depot has a great tool rental service, which is the perfect way to try out tools at home before purchasing your own.

Since I had my plywood cut to size at Home Depot, I asked them to also cut my 1 x 8 common board for my shelf. I had this cut to 22 in. so that it would fit between my moulding frame.

Here, we're using moulding that's already primed for painting, but you can always choose an unfinished moulding if you will be staining yours.

Cut a 45-degree angle at one end of your moulding using a miter saw.

Measure the outside edge of your moulding to 28 inches.

Make a second 45-degree cut at this other end, but be sure that the angle is at the opposite direction! It helps if you place your cut moulding pieces in place on the board to be sure that your cuts were done correctly.

Repeat for the remaining three sides of the moulding frame.

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Step 3: Stain and Paint

Lightly sand the plywood, edges of your moulding, and shelf. If you are going to stain your moulding, you should lightly sand this, as well.

Wipe off the sawdust.

Apply a thin coat of stain to your plywood base and shelves using a foam brush or wiping cloth. We're using Honey wood stain from Minwax for its warm wood tone.

Let the stain sit for about five minutes, then wipe off the excess stain with a clean rag.

Repeat these steps for the shelf.

Tip: We left the sides of the plywood unstained, in order to paint them later, once the moulding is attached.

Apply a coat of paint to the moulding. You can add a second coat, depending on how saturated you want the color. We used Americana Decor's Chalky Paint in Vintage; this light blue color looks great against the Honey stain.

Let everything dry before moving on to the next step.

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Step 4: Attach the Moulding

Apply a thin beading of wood glue to the back of the moulding, and press the moulding firmly on to your plywood.

Once the glue has cured, use a brad nailer and 3/4 -in. brad nails for additional support.

Tip: You might need different size nails depending on the thickness of your moulding and plywood.

Tip: You might find that some glue seeps out after nailing the moulding down. If this happens, you can remove the excess glue by wiping it off with a damp cloth.

Since we did not stain the side of the plywood earlier, we now paint the side since the moulding is attached. It is much easier to do this step now, rather than when doing the painting earlier, because this way you don't have to worry about getting paint on the top of the board.

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Step 5: Attach Hooks and Pipe Shelf

To be sure all your laundry supplies will fit properly on your organization center, position everything you're going to store on the board before committing to a layout. Once you're confident that everything will fit, center the pipe shelf bracket left to right, and made sure it's level by measuring down from the moulding.

We're using Liberty Hardware's single prong robe hooks for this organization center. They're the perfect size for all of the products the kinds of products that will hang on the organization center. Black is a good color, too, because they coordinate well with the black pipe.

Use a pen to mark all your screw holes. Drill the holes for the screws using a 3/16-in. drill bit. This helps to prevent your wood from splitting.

Depending on the thickness of your plywood, you might need to pick up some screws, in case the provided hardware is too long.

Use a drill or screw driver to attach your hooks, pipe shelf bracket, and shelf.

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Step 6: Hang Your Organization Center

To attach your organization center to the wall, pre-drill holes in the the plywood board, and then screw it directly into wood studs. If you aren't sure where your wood studs are, be sure to use wall anchors for your appropriate type of wall.

To hang the ironing board, use the coat and hat hook with aqua blue ceramic accents. The aqua blue color looks great with the trim on this organization center.

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Step 7: Style!

Check out our tutorial for laundry room storage shelves made from pipe, and many more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog.

Follow our Easy DIY Projects board on Pinterest, too, for more DIY tutorials and ideas.

The post DIY Laundry Room Storage Center appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

We CLEANED UP in this Laundry Room Redo!

We recently completed another project for our friend. She wanted to redo her laundry room. Yes, it was in serious need of a redo!

Here is what we started with:

We pulled everything out and took the washer and dryer off their pedestals. We made platforms for them to sit on, then added moulding around the edges. We attached the moulding with Velcro. It pops off and the washer and dryer can easily be brought down from the pedestals. We also added pads to the bottom of the pedestals so they can slide out to access everything.

While we were halfway through the project, her washer died. What timing! :(

We added beadboard, dark grey paint and chair railing to the walls, a new light fixture and new dark flooring.

A new cabinet and shelves up above keep the supplies hidden and provide a place for some cute accessories.

A plain door from Home Depot was cut and painted to provide a place to fold and set clothes.

I think it turned out SO cute!

Thanks for your visit!

Pam

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Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Colored Grout and New Tile Create Fresh Bathroom Look

New tile and colored grout can give a small, out-of-date bathroom a fresh new look.

Leslie Davis of Paper Daisy Design has a keen eye for design and a love for all things DIY. Leslie knows all about laying tile and applying grout, too.

She shares with us how she created a totally gorgeous bathroom for her teen-aged daughter. Here's Leslie's thorough tutorial for a full bathroom makeover.

Bathroom Makeover for a Teen

Our daughter's bathroom was previously lacking in function and style, but with the help of today's modern tile options the space is now hip and fresh, perfectly fitting for a modern teenager.

Above, you see the bathroom as we found it when we moved here two years ago.

While the room is not small, it was dark, drab and dysfunctional. Soon after we moved in we relocated the pedestal sink to a half bath downstairs, installed a vanity, painted the walls white and called it done, at least functionally.

But it still had not reached it's full potential, the old tile was tired and the room still felt dated.

The New Bathroom

Here is the bathroom with its new look. It's amazing what tile and the new colored grout can do for a space.

The hexagon tiles by Merola Tile may seem like an super modern choice, but the pattern I designed using a light matte gray and a darker, glossy gray tile was inspired by a historic restoration of Brooklyn brownstone.

And of course subway tile is a classic, clean choice for any space. Here, laying the Jeffrey Court Allegro flat 3 x 12-in. tiles in a vertical orientation, literally upturns the traditional look.

The gray grout, in Delorean Gray by Fusion Pro, provides a hint of contrast while still keeping the space a calm and relaxing retreat. Today's teenagers need a calming retreat too, don't you think?

OK, so let's see how this all happened.

The Tile Tutorial

Tools and Materials

• Delorean Gray by Fusion Pro,


• Jeffrey Court Allegro flat 3 x 12-in. tiles


• Mesh seam tape


• Schluter Kerdi System


• Cement board


• V-notched trowel


• Kerdi-Shower Kit


• Tile spacers

Step 1

We began by removing the cultured marble surround. And when I say "we" I mean my husband. He loves, absolutely loves demo. I just step back and let him do his thing when it comes to this step.

Using a crow bar and hammer he removed the old tile and mortar board. Here's a tip: If the subfloor under the tile is mortar board subfloor, try and get under the mortar board to help release the tiles and subfloor together.

The next step was to run a blade along the tub surround caulk lines before removing to avoid damage to the drywall underneath.

Step 2

After having great success with the Schluter Kerdi System in a previous project, we were happy to use it again. It is quite easy to install and can be applied directly to the drywall. In our master bathroom shower, we removed the drywall and reconfigured the shower using cement board, which is an option with Kerdi, but the preferred and actually easier method is to simply hang it over drywall.

Using unmodified thin-set and a V-notched trowel, apply fairly fluid mortar to the walls and hang the sections of Kerdi membrane. This process is not unlike hanging wallpaper, but unlike flimsy wallpaper, the membrane is very easy to handle. I actually prefer to use a wallpaper smoothing tool to push the Kerdi into the thin-set.

In the photo above, you can see there was a fairly rough horizontal seam between two sheets of drywall. I applied mesh seam tape and covered the seam with mortar. The tape just helps float out the imperfections. This is the time to fix any areas that are out of level. All seams and corners are covered with the Kerdi Band to create a water tight seal.

Step 3

To begin tiling, we hung level 1 x 2's measured exactly the height of the tile up from the tub, plus 2-times the height of tile spacers. We used 1/8 -in. spacers so the measurement was 1/4 in. plus the length of the tile.

This is the preferred method to starting the tile on the top of the tub. While our tub was actually level, there were places where the tub and drywall didn't match up consistently around the lip of the tub.

Using a square 1/4 x 1/4 -in. trowel, spread the unmodified thin-set onto the membrane and set the tiles using 1/8 -in. tile spacers.

I find it very helpful to run a scraper or putty knife along the bottom row of tiles, or in this case, the level board. This helps prevent seepage between the tile joints.

Continue setting the tiles, checking for level as you go. This half-offset pattern was easy to do and went particularly fast for subway tile because a full 12-in. area was covered with each row. If you plan your design right, you can avoid cutting tiles for more than half the corners.

Step 4

To create a water tight project, all meeting places between plumbing and the Kerdi membrane need to be sealed with either waterproofing caulk or special Kerdi pipe seals and valve seals.

Step 5

Once all the shower tiles were set, it was time to work on the floor. To prep the subfloor for tile I used the Schluter Systems Ditra uncoupling underlayment.

The beauty of this product is that it is easy to install, provides exceptional support and reduces movement stress between the floor and the tile thereby reducing the chance of cracking, as well as making it water-proof.

The sheets are pre-cut to fit the room and applied in various manors depending on your subfloor. In our case, the floor was plywood, so I used modified thin-set, spreading it evenly with a V-notched trowel. The mortar should be mixed to a very fluid consistency.

Be sure to check with the detailed information booklet provided for the proper materials to use with your subfloor.

Once the Ditra is set on the mortar, simply smooth the membrane down with a wooden float.

Step 6

Now I was ready to set the hexagon tiles! But first, I did a bit of a dry run of the pattern to be sure the placement was optimal.

Then I marked the center of the room in three spots and then projected a level line using a laser level on the center of floor to set my tiles from.

For the horizontal line, I started at the tub which was square to the room.

To set tiles on the Ditra membrane begin by filling the "waffles" with mortar. Then, apply additional mortar on top. I like to use a bucket scoop to do this. Then drag your trowel, as you would normally to set the tiles.

Half of the tiles were cut in center of the hexagon to achieve starting edge of the pattern. From there it was not unlike laying square tiles.

Except, they are not "square." Did you catch that obvious point? Installing hexagon tiles are probably not an ideal beginner tile project, even with the many tiling projects under my belt I found this tile to be a bit challenging. Doable? Most definitely! Worth a little extra attention to detail? Absolutely. The unique hexagon design and pattern elevates the space and makes it totally worth the extra care and caution required to keep the pattern tight and square.

I found it to be extremely helpful to set about one quarter of the room as perfectly as possible and let it cure over night.

The next morning I had a stable base to continue building upon and the tiling process became much easier.

Then finally, I was ready to grout!

The Grout Tutorial

Tools and Materials

• Fusion Pro Single Component colored grout


• Rubber Float


• Two-sided microfiber sponge


• Tile sponge


• Microfiber cloth


• Gloves


• Paper roll


• Tape


• Grout caulk to match your colored grout


• 2 buckets, for clean water rinsing of sponges

But of course there was a bit of prep for applying the new grout, as well. Be sure to clean out any mortar from between the tiles. I like to use a scraper or a putty knife.

Follow up with a good vacuuming to completely remove any mortar dust for both the floor and the walls.

For my tile projects, I prefer to use pre-mixed Fusion Pro Grout Single Component grout. It comes pre-mixed, which by this time in any tile project is a welcome relief. While it is different from traditional grout, it is superior in color consistency and stain resistance. The application process has a few subtle differences to be noted. These nuances, though, make it much easier and faster grout to use in my opinion.

Step 1

Assemble all materials needed. I use two buckets because I use two different sponges. This reduces the number of times you have to rinse out the buckets. Make sure to wear gloves during grouting.

Step 2

Begin by wetting your tile down thoroughly. This is extremely important to achieve proper spreading consistency of the grout. The moisture on the tile helps the grout flow smoothly into the joints and over the tiles.

Step 3

Using a rubber float, spread the grout, filling the spaces between the tiles thoroughly.

Step 4

Begin wiping the tiles free from grout, first using a two-sided sponge with the microfiber side.

Step 5

Then, flip the sponge over and wipe with the other side in a diagonal manner across the tiles.

Step 6

With the second tile sponge, continue the process of wiping off the grout. Remember to work diagonally.

Step 7

Wipe with damp microfiber cloth. Gently drag the cloth along the tile, removing any remaining film of grout.

Step 8

Empty the buckets and get fresh water after a few sections of application. Give the sponges and towel a good rinse at this time as well. Tiles with a honed or unglazed finish or larger grout lines will likely need the buckets to be emptied more often.

And just like that you have a beautifully grouted floor or wall!

A few more grouting tips to remember

• Work in small sections at a one time. The new grout begins to dry/set rather quickly. Once you feel a bit of resistance with the rubber float, it's probably time to begin the cleaning process.


• If you do find yourself with grout that is dried onto the tile, simply apply more grout to remove it. Easy as that!


• When working on larger projects, it can be helpful to clean the rubber float occasionally to remove any dried grout build-up. Consider doing this about every third time you empty and fill the clean water buckets.


• Grouting a vertical wall and defying gravity takes a bit of practice. I found it was easier to use smaller amounts of grout, about an egg size scoop and push the float up the wall for the first few passes.


• If you find you missed a spot in your grouting, the color consistency of this grout makes touch up easy and worry-free.


• Always use matching grout caulk in transitional planes, like corners of a shower or where wall tile and floor tile meet.

We couldn't be happier with how tile and colored grout transformed this space. Our daughter is not only happy to have her own space back, but is actually feeling pretty lucky and blessed to call this space her own. I may have to disturb her peace occasionally just to get another glimpse at this cool space!

A new tilting mirror and updated chrome lights were welcome additions too, but the seamless, floating, cedar shelf brings a great deal of warmth to the room.

You can check out the tutorial for how to build your own floating, seamless, cedar shelf on my blog.

Leslie Davis is the blogger behind Paper Daisy Design.

Check out more DIY projects and ideas here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Inspiring Tile pinboard on Pinterest.

The post Colored Grout and New Tile Create Fresh Bathroom Look appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Modern Bathroom Remodel with Floor to Ceiling Tile

When Emily Frame of Small Fry Blog was ready to update her bathroom, she used floor-to-ceiling tile and bright white grout to visually expand the small space.

Emily shows us how the new tile and bathroom fixtures to create a new, modern bathroom, look.

We moved into our fixer upper home nearly nine years ago, taking on one project at a time. The very first room in the house we renovated was our guest bath! Now so many years later, it was begging for an update! We decided on a modern bathroom renovation with the help of new grout and tiles.

I knew I wanted to do ceiling to floor tile, I had make the mistake with our first renovation having lots of horizontal lines which broke up the space and made it feel even smaller than before! Having that continuous line for your eye to follow creates the illusion that the space is that much bigger! Ready to see the transformation?

The Bathroom Before the Renovation

Above, you see the bathroom before the renovation. We had chair rails and lots of graphic color, but left all the hardware and fixtures from when it was built in 1998.

Laying the New Bathroom Floor

We ripped up the old tile, tore out the faux shower walls, took out the chair rails and started with a clean slate.

Once everything we didn't need was out, we started with laying the floor tiles.

We loved these MS Metro glazed porcelain tiles in Gris. It's a rich gray with lighter lines through it, so it's interesting, but not busy. We use these 1/16 inch spacers to keep everything uniform.

My husband is in construction, and we were both so impressed with this Fusion Pro Grout, which comes in dozens of colors. We chose Bright White grout for our bathroom remodel. Fusion Pro is pre-mixed and dries super quick, so our project moved so much quicker without the waiting time. It's also stain-resistant and anti-microbial so it lasts and lasts without that dingy look grout can take on.

The tile floors were done in a matter of an hour or so. Then we moved right onto the big project: the walls!

Tiling the Bathroom Walls

Before we started we needed to waterproof since it will be in contact with water often.

Red Gard to the rescue! It seals and protects and has never let us down.

We love this beautiful Delano Blanco tile. It has a mixture of glass, stone, and different shades of white and gray. It comes on mesh sheets, which makes laying it that much easier.

We used Fusion Pro grout in Bright White and just as suspected makes the bathroom look huge!

New Bathroom Fixtures

We created a custom wood vanity and set this Kohler Vox above-counter sink on top. There's a matching shelf below for storage for things like extra towels and all the hair products my boys could need. We paired the sink with this Pfister Venturi faucet.

To keep things affordable, we opted to leave the tub, but update the fixtures with Pfister Venturi shower head and faucet, which match the sink faucet.

It's amazing what that one upgrade did for the space!

We loved the amount of light our old bathroom fixture gave us, so we just swapped it out for a four-light bathroom bar light in brushed nickel that looked much like the old fixture. Also wanted things to feel fresh so we used Edison-style bulbs! This Moen Glenshire Mirror is perfect for our family because it tilts, so we can accommodate even the shortest of members.

Lastly, we also upgraded our house's original lighting and towel holders. Another super inexpensive way to make the bathroom look new and fresh. The Lyndall collection is our favorite, it's so sleek and modern and minimal. We used the 24 in. towel bar, towel ring and toilet paper holder.

We love that the bathroom is really neutral so we can change up the accessories to add color, texture or pattern.

Stay connected with Emily's upcoming projects on Small Fry Blog.Emily re-tiled her bathroom herself, but The Home Depot's Home Services and Installation Department can do it for you.

Follow our Inspiring Tile pinboard on Pinterest for more ideas and tips for bathroom remodels.

The post Modern Bathroom Remodel with Floor to Ceiling Tile appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.