Basement Laundry Room The Victorian House

Choosing Countertops for the Laundry Room

The laundry room is so close to being done! I just need to sew a shade for the window, and the sink installation is being held up by the countertop selection. Originally, I was thinking I would go with laminate in either a marble or soapstone look.

Formica and Wilsonart Laminate Countertop Options - Marble and Soapstone
Lowe’s is sponsoring the reveal, so I grabbed a million little swatches from them to see what I liked. These were the ones I had narrowed it down to; Marmo Bianco and Basalt Slate are my favorites.

The laminate options on the market today look amazing, and I still stand by them as a solid choice, but I’ve realized that it isn’t what I want for the room.

I’ve shimmed and leveled the cabinets and they’re secured in place, and I laid a faux-marble tabletop across so we would have a surface to use while I decided on the real counters. It’s pretty! But I like continuity throughout a home and I’m not planning on adding Carrara marble to the house (other than on furniture — love that table in my office), and it feels out of place. The dark soapstone look was becoming less appealing to me too as other elements came together. I got it in my head that butcher block might actually be the way to go, but that didn’t seem like the perfect solution either.

What I really wanted, I realized, was to do a wood counter like in our kitchen, or the tops of the cabinet sections in the library. And you can’t just buy them in the store because you have to make them. Eureka. I need to make my counters.

Counters for the Laundry Room

Because what is this house missing? Unpainted wood. Nope, none of that to be found here.

Kitchen Windows with Indow Inserts | Making it Lovely

Rejuvenation Hood Pendant and Collen and Company Tassel Sconces in Making it Lovely's Library

It’s going to be great. It’s certainly going to have continuity (ha)!

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  • crownmeDeb
    September 10, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    It’s nice to see someone break away from the marble look. Can’t wait to see your new countertops!

    • Making it Lovely
      September 12, 2018 at 11:42 am

      I do love the look, but yep, going in a different direction. Thanks!

  • Linda
    September 11, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Hope this works well for you in the long run. As someone who works in the kitchen and bath business it is making me wince with all that can go wrong. I know you have them in your kitchen and I can not imagine how careful you must be in there, but I doubt that the newer woods will stand up to the wear and tear of water and laundry baskets sliding on them. I know in my house, even with just my husband and me I would not consider these a good, long lasting choice.

    • Making it Lovely
      September 12, 2018 at 11:41 am

      Fair point! Our kitchen has been hodge-podged together, and the counter area between the window is old while the sink portion is maybe 20 years old at the most? We’re not careful with it at all and it has held up nicely so I’m hopeful that the laundry room will be the same. The carpenter that built our library shelves also did the kitchen before the house was ours, so I’m going to talk to him about how to do it the same way.

  • Kate S.
    September 11, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    I’m super disappointed you’re moving away from the laminate. When you mentioned before you were planning to use it, I was really excited to see a blogger with your design taste/skill make such a great, economical choice! That said, I also see your point about continuity–that’s one of my goals for our Victorian and I so often see bloggers do every room in their house different. So, well, I guess, I’m excited to see how it comes out, but also, wouldn’t be sad if you did stick with the laminate!

    • Making it Lovely
      September 12, 2018 at 11:39 am

      I’m sorry! It will still be as economical, just going for a different look.

  • Lisa
    September 11, 2018 at 8:38 pm

    Nice choice! I just made wood countertops to go on our ikea cabinetry flanking our fireplace. Two sheets of 3/4” plywood (construction grade on the bottom and then oak on top) glued and screwed together and trimmed out with oak 1x2s made for a nice substantial look. I just stained then did 3 coats of poly, but you could use waterlox or something for better protection next to a sink. Good luck!

    • Making it Lovely
      September 12, 2018 at 11:37 am

      Yep, that’s how my library tops were made!

  • Holly
    September 12, 2018 at 11:28 am

    If the wood counter tops get a nice patina over time, I think they will look great.

    Can you tell us more about making your own window shade? I want to make one, too.

  • Sarah
    September 18, 2018 at 6:43 pm

    I absolutely can’t wait to see this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also thanks to Lisa above for the direction! Our kitchen refresh is coming next year and DIY countertops will def be on our lists.

  • infinitequery
    November 29, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    we need to make a wooden countertop for our kitchen. Dishwasher flooded and took out the floor and the bottom of cupboards. We are in our eighties rancher and it is the archetype of murphy’s law. 4000$ to replace wall to wall white carpeting(what were they thinking?)no dogs, dummy me -is what they were thinking. Mud sill,4 metal sliders,asphalt driveway to eliminate car slamming to street level-new lenox HVAC-12,000.00 -replace blue and dark brown bath fixtures. termites from top to bottom of house. Very interesting to see a perfect 2×4 that is completely intact outside,totally hollow inside- x 2 complete walls. Now the windows are showing mold and holes,there’s more but I’ll shut up and wait for the counter instructions. Thanks Nicole..