Reader Space: Creative & Compact Laundry Storage

By now, you all know that I can't get enough of IKEA when it comes to my organizing habits.  I love to "hack" their items, combine their different pieces and even use them "as is", because no matter how you slice it, they offer inexpensive and versatile storage.

So when I saw how Kim simply and creatively pieced a few IKEA items together for her laundry space, I just knew I had to pass the awesomeness along.

Kim is in the process of updating and falling in love with her bungalow, and one room she focused on was her laundry room.

Kim blogged: 

"The space always felt like a dingy closet instead of a laundry room.  First things first, we changed the wall colors from boring beige to a bright blue.  We also resurfaced the floor with peel and stick floor tiles so the floor felt nice, new and clean.  The challenge then became storage. We had a ton of hanging space but nowhere to fold clothes or store laundry soap, towels, etc.  So we cleared out one corner to make room for some furniture.  However I couldn't find any prefab furniture to fit the space.

I'm not quite sure how I came up with this, but I'm sure my weekly trips to IKEA at this time had a lot to do with it.  I decided to construct my own laundry storage/folding station...and here's how I did it!

If you've ever been to IKEA, you've probably seen the Expedit storage system.  It comes in 3 colors and at just $39 it's a pretty good bargain! This will act as the base for the unit. IKEA also sells standalone table tops in a variety of sizes and colors at about $20 each.  I opted for white, but they also have a black-brown and a stainless steel option if you want a more of a modern look.  The table top functions as the folding space.  In order to complete the piece, legs are needed to hold up 3 out of the 4 corners.  The 4th corner is held up by the Expedit.  The legs can be as cheap as $3.50 each if you don't need an adjustable size.  Otherwise, the legs ended up costing me about $45...which is kind of crazy because neither the table top or Expedit cost that much!  

 

Here's the final product! We added a couple of baskets, shelves and a pendant light shade to finish off the space. 

It now functions as the perfect space for us to fold our laundry!"

• All of the items pieced together really finish off the laundry room!  Such a difference!
• I always love when the standard options don't work, and peeps don't settle.  It's all about finding ways to mix and match items until we truly achieve practical and versatile storage!
• The table top makes for a great place to instantly fold the laundry as it comes out of the dryer.  A total back-saver!
• I adore that the laundry basket tucks nicely under the table top.  Using the space under the counter really maximized a small room.
• The Expedits go down as my favorite piece of storage furniture ever and this just another example why!  The cubbies are fabulous for stashing away laundry essentials and also acting as a base to the table.

Simple, pretty, practical and affordable.  Seems like a major win to me!  You can find more details over on Kim's blog here.

It got me wondering, what is your favorite IKEA combination?  Anyone else piecing a few pieces of furniture together, to achieve the storage you were longing for?

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!