No More Missing Socks {DIY Laundry Room Counter}

Hi everyone! It's Karen again. Thanks for having me back to post a project I just finished. So for a long, long time, pretty much since the day after we moved into our house 8 years ago, I have dreamed of a countertop over my washer and dryer in my laundry room. A couple of years ago, I redid the countertops throughout the house and I had a bit of laminate left over. It has been sitting in my attic as I have contemplated how in the world I was to make this project a reality. It's a really complicated project because my dryer gets hot and I need something that can easily be removed by a lady of my size alone when her man is busy bringing home the bacon. 

I had a 6 inch gap behind the dryer and the wall. 

And about a 2 inch gap on the side.

So one day while I am discussing this problem of how to get the countertop over the washer and dryer to my friend Carol she says, "Hey, what if you use those really heavy duty shelf brackets?" What?!! Awesome! I had been trying to figure out wood along the back and sides and a pole down the middle for support. I found some brackets at a garage sale and they worked perfect. Can't beat $2 for those. 

They are all screwed into studs and are super sturdy.

Then I found a door.  A hollow core door with oak veneers on the exterior for $3 at my favorite thrift store. It didn't have a door knob hole in it and it was light weight. I trimmed it down to size (actually my man used the circular saw that's not my cup of tea). I had to re-build the door a bit with the pieces that were no longer supporting the edge. I added the oak trim along the face of it because it matches all the custom cabinetry in my house. I notched out the area for the water lines and where the plugs need to drop down through the back.

I used my router (thanks Dad) to bevel the front at a 45 degree angle also to match my house. Do you like my saw horses? Who knew two tall garbage cans are the perfect working height?

I wish I would have taken more pictures of putting the laminate on but the day I did, I put the contact cement on the laminate and the wood and just as it was about ready to stick them together, it started to rain and I was in a hurry. So just put your laminate on your wood by working one side to the other as to avoid big air bubbles, use a J roller (buy a nice one, and you will smile that you did) and roll the entire surface out. After that, don't leave it in the sun when you go to the pool - learned that this time. And yes it rained and was hot enough to go to the pool all in one day. I re-rolled the edge that was in the sun and then beveled the front with my 45 degree bit on my router. 

I then used the straight bit (thanks Carol) around the other edges and into my notches. Work slow and steady. Take your time otherwise the laminate can chip if you work too fast.

Ta da! Here we are! I love my countertop and am so excited not to use my BBQ tongs to have to reach all those missing socks!