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Calling the Laundry Cabinets Done!

After we mounted our laundry cabinetry, we waited weeks to finish trimming it out. Instead, we’d say, we have to go to the grocery store today! Or, let’s lay brick pavers instead! Or, want to map out our planter boxes?

I think we were getting burned out on the laundry room. It’s been a long, winding, renovation road since last year – can you believe we started planning this room in November of 2015? – and although we’re so close, I guess you could say we got completely derailed during these summer months. The backyard was calling! (It still is.)

Finally, we looked at our calendar. Together, we blocked out an entire weekend where we’d trim those cabinets. The good news? It only took half a day, plus a few hours the following day to touch up with spackle, caulk and paint! The cabinets make the room. Once we checked that to-do off of our list, we were amazed at what a difference it made! Why did we wait so long?

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Some of you might remember that we teamed up with TheRTAStore.com for our cabinets after feeling frustrated by the size and height limitations from other ready-to-assemble cabinetry brands. But The RTA Store? So. Many. Options! After ordering several samples, we landed on the Aspen White Shaker; the white is bright but warm, a great complement to our ostrich wallpaper. Here’s what we did to complete the project and, as a result, get us that much closer to finishing the whole room!

First, we removed all the cabinet doors. A custom made side panel was attached to the wall using small L-brackets. Due to our unique depth of 32″ to stay flush with the side of our machines combined with our 9′ ceilings, we asked our kitchen cabinet maker if he’d be willing to do the job. It was painted in Sherwin Williams Extra White, a really, really solid match to the Aspen White finish. With the panel in place, we used base and wall fillers (they come in all different lengths and widths!) to fill any and all gaps. Everything had to be measured twice, cut (once) and clamped into place, if possible.

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We opted to use our nail gun with short nails, very carefully angling the gun away from the front face in the off chance a rogue nail would decide to shoot through.

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Behind the scenes, things always look worse before they get better:

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We accounted for a 4″ gap between the cabinets and the ceiling, but to give our filler a place to adhere, we needed to add scrap wood to the top of the cabinets:

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Below, you can see how the crown is now flush with the doors – a result of them laying on top of the scraps. Afterwards, we caulked along every seam (we used this method against the wallpaper) and filled nail holes, and we finished that by touching up the caulk + spackle with paint (a combination of these paint kits and a leftover jar of Sherwin Williams Extra White). The results feel custom and built-in – exactly what we were hoping for!

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The recessed lighting was a last minute inexpensive add-on during the thick of the renovation, and we’re so glad we included them! The option to have the more powerful recessed lights or our dimmable brass flush mount feels weirdly luxurious.

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Soft close hinges are a standard with the cabinets we chose, and the shaker style is so simple and clean-lined when paired with these knobs. So pretty!

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Our counter is still a work in progress. To this point, we’ve cut down a slab of butcher block, but we still need to mount a sink and faucet, both of which have been in waiting for far too long!

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To make the space work for us, we chose 24″ deep uppers for maximum storage. Not having seen many examples of extra deep upper cabinets, we wondered, will it be… too much? Will it feel like a wall? We’re happy to report that choosing the 24″ depth has been a dream. We’re storing everything from thick bed linens to towels, soaps, cleaning supplies and even photo albums! Our base cabinet is pulled far enough away from the wall to create a counter depth of 32.”  We’ve given Libby a cat door to use the facilities, and she has been loving the privacy! (Often times, we’ll find her snoozing the day away inside the cabinet.)

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We couldn’t be more satisfied with our cabinets, and we’ve found our entire experience with TheRTAStore.com to be easy and effortless! From browsing samples to working with one of of their designers, to building and installing, we surprised ourselves with how much we could accomplish on our own. If you’re looking to get started on your own laundry room – or bathroom or kitchen! – you can use the promo code YBH50 for 50% off all sample doors!* Start planning with a free designer now, and you’ll be set to go in time for their upcoming Labor Day Sale!

TheRTAStore.com provided us with cabinets for the laundry room, and all opinions belong to these two. Thank you for supporting the brands that support us, and most importantly, we hope this gives you another budget-friendly option for all the flat-packed cabinetry out there!

*You are responsible for return shipping of sample doors, but original payment method of doors will be credited back to you!

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  • Carol8.19.16 - 6:55 AM

    Love it! This is fantastic!ReplyCancel

  • Michelle Schreib8.19.16 - 7:21 AM

    Thanks for the discount; I just ordered a bunch of samples! I can’t wait to redo my kitchen!

    Love the Laundry room!ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.19.16 - 7:38 AM

      Scott and I often say that we wish we would have known about The RTA Store (.com) for our own kitchen remodel! While we love our cabinets, we couldn’t ‘splurge’ for things like soft close hinges, whereas they’re a standard for most cabinet styles at RTA. Best of luck! I love that the samples are entire doors, so you really can assess color and style in your own home!ReplyCancel

  • Casey8.19.16 - 9:27 AM

    These look awesome! I’ve never heard of the RTA store but I will definitely check them out – I’ve always been frustrated with the standard cabinet options at my local hardware store. Now I’m totally inspired to give my laundry room a much needed update :)ReplyCancel

  • Amanda8.19.16 - 11:49 AM

    Love the room! So nice Libby has her own space!! Can you share a photo of the inside of her cabinet sometime?ReplyCancel

    • Antonella8.20.16 - 9:26 AM

      Yes, please! And also how you organize the inside of the cabinets! I’m in an organizing funk and need all of the pros’inspiration I can get my hands on :-)ReplyCancel

  • Kimberly8.19.16 - 12:22 PM

    They came out great! I love the simple crown you guys used on these and your kitchen cabinets.

    I discovered the RTAstore through your first post about them and have been dreaming of a far off kitchen renovation since. I’m torn between the Aspen White and Frosted White cabinets, so many decisions! I may just have to order sample doors to caress while I wait… Is that too weird?! Haha!ReplyCancel

  • Lindsey8.19.16 - 12:25 PM

    I love everything about this room but…will you be staining the counter? Maybe a richer dark color or closer to your floors? It’s a beautiful wood but I’m hopeful to see some contrast there.ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.19.16 - 12:29 PM

      The counter isn’t done yet! I mentioned in the post that it’s still a work in progress – all we’ve done is cut it down. We’re debating on a finish, but we sort of love the light look. It will get sealed, which will darken it a bit, but we’re still on the fence for the actual finish.ReplyCancel

      • Alex8.23.16 - 10:13 AM

        More questions about the butcher block countertop – did you install yourselves? We are waiting to finish out our laundry room with the same countertop, but now sure how we will do it since our walls aren’t exactly straight. Did you order an already cut down piece somewhere? (I’m in Chicago too so curious where your source is!) I’m scared to just buy a piece and have to figure out how to cut it…ReplyCancel

        • Kim8.23.16 - 10:38 AM

          Hi Alex! We got the butcher block at Menards, and we cut it down ourselves. We will definitely be sharing that whole process once we finish it with the sink and faucet holes AND plumb everything, BUT to get the exact measurements against our crooked walls (crooked walls forever!), we cut out a template using a piece of foam board and used that as a stencil for our butcher block. Then we used a circular saw to carefully cut the two ‘crooked’ sides. In our case, we kept the front and right edge (along the washer/dryer) square.ReplyCancel

  • Hannah H8.19.16 - 7:56 PM

    How is Miss Libby doing without her partner in crime? It’s been fun to see her on the blog/instagram a bit lately. We have two cats and a dog and love reading along with your pets adventures. Also – the laundry room looks amazing!ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.20.16 - 8:58 AM

      You’re so kind for asking. She’s doing pretty good – being her snuggly, sweet self! I always worry so much about the others when we lose a pet! We’re always watching her to make sure she’s happy and content.ReplyCancel

  • Rachel8.22.16 - 11:11 AM

    I just used a very similar wall color in my bathroom makeover and I am in LOVE with it. Your blog is fantastic! Thanks!ReplyCancel

  • Carly Bean3.19.17 - 12:36 PM

    Hi there, did your carpenter put a special paint finish, like lacquer, on the end panel, or is it just regular ol’ SW rolled on? If the latter, is the texture difference very noticeable between the RTA finish?

    Thank you! We are getting closer to our own laundry room install, inspired by you guys!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.19.17 - 4:10 PM

      Hi, Carly! We rolled on the SW paint, and then we followed it up with a couple coats of Polycrylic in a satin finish. It SO closely matches our cabinets, that sometimes I forget it isn’t the exact same finish from the manufacturer!ReplyCancel

  • Kirin9.27.19 - 7:49 PM

    This looks so amazing, that I’m planning to copy your cabinets/layout almost exactly!  I just did an entire kitchen with the Aspen Shaker cabinets from theRTAstore and they were great, so I think it’s time to tackle the laundry room.  I’m wondering how high you mounted the uppers above your countertop?  A standard 18″ or less? More? and do you find that the 8″ difference of depths between uppers and lowers is enough to not feel cramped by the uppers?ReplyCancel

    • Kim9.30.19 - 8:07 AM

      I think it was the standard 18”, and in our laundry room, the depth of the uppers has never bothered us once. It might be annoying in a kitchen or somewhere that you’re hanging out ALL the time, but the storage convenience in here has been sooooo worth it. We’d do it again in a heartbeat!ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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