Countertop Options For The Walk-In Closet
I have to admit that I didn’t get much actual work on the closet done this past weekend. I needed some rest to gear up for the work that needs to be done this week — installing the rest of the molding and trim, moving the washer and dryer into the room, and starting the build for the island. I did get the inside of the washer and dryer cabinets painted, though. That’s not terribly exciting, but I decided the inside of these cabinets needed to be painted to match the washer and dryer instead of being left white.
But other than that, any of my closet-related work was all in planning and trying to make decisions. And the biggest decision I’m trying to make right now is what countertop material to use on the washer and dryer cabinets, as well as on top of the island.
Originally, I had intended to do wood countertops using the same red oak hardwood flooring that’s on the floor. I had a lot of it left over, so I thought I would put it to good use. In fact, I had already cut all of the pieces for the washer cabinet countertop way at the beginning of this closet project.
I’m not ruling out that option completely, but now that my floors have been redone, I’m just not sure about having wood countertops. I’m so excited about how the floors turned out, but I don’t want to go overboard by repeating the same color of wood on three different countertops in the room. There are definitely times when more is better. But there are times when more is just overkill. I kind of feel like adding three more surfaces in the room that are the same color as the floor will fall into the “overkill” category, especially since one of them will be right in the center of the room, and will be 72″ long and 30″ wide.
So I’m pretty sure that I’m going to do something different, and I narrowed it down to three options. I need a total of 30 square feet, so real stone, quartz, etc., is too expensive, even at remnant prices. I don’t want to pay close to or more than $1000 for countertops for a closet. I’ll save the nice stuff for our future new kitchen, but not for a closet.
The first option is laminate. Laminate has come a long way in the past few years. There are ways they can do the edges now which makes some laminate countertops pretty hard to distinguish from real stone countertops…until you touch it, of course. But I thought laminate might be a perfect option for the closet since I don’t need anything that’s really hard wearing in a closet like I would in a kitchen.
The only sample I really liked was this one from Formica called Manhattan Marble. And of course, it’s not cheap. I think the install price came to about $900 or so. I just don’t want to pay that much for closet countertops. It’s crazy to me that the install price for Formica these days is just a little less than the install price for solid stone remnants.
The next idea I had was to do concrete. I know, I know! Been there, done that, right? I have concrete countertops in our kitchen, and I’ve vowed never again to have concrete kitchen countertops after they stained so badly the first time around.
But that was many years ago, and after I had them refinished (which you can read about here), they looked so much better. And for the most part (other than the area where I spilled isopropyl alcohol on it and didn’t realize it until two days later, so it ate through the finish), the countertops have held up remarkably well and still look really good.
And I have a feeling that concrete countertop sealers have come a long way since my very first attempt. But again, I won’t be doing anything in a closet that might stain the countertops. I don’t bring mustard or turmeric into my closet 😀 , so I think it would turn out much better being used as closet countertops. I priced it out for all of the concrete, edge forms, and other materials. The price came to about $450, including shipping. But then I’d have to have someone come help me because I can’t lift and pour all of that concrete by myself. And sadly, my brother wouldn’t be available to help me this time around because of his job.
So this leads me to the one option that I’m really tempted to try. I did a faux paint treatment on my living room coffee table to make it look like marble. I know, some of us cringe when we hear (or read) those words “faux paint treatment”, right? It takes us back to the 80s when that stuff was all the rage.
But I think I did a pretty good job on my coffee table! And people who have actually been inside my home have thought that it was real marble…until they touched it. 😀
So I think I might give that a try. It would only cost me the price of two sheets of plywood to get all three countertops since I already have all of the other supplies needed. And I don’t even need to use the expensive plywood, so it would cost less than $100. I think I’ll at least give it a try. If I don’t like it, at least I will have learned something (i.e., keep the faux painting to something small like a coffee table), I can share my DIY faux marble countertop fail with y’all so that you don’t have to go to the expense of trying it out, and I can move to Plan B for my countertops. I think this is going to be my Plan A.
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Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Good thinking! It will look great and I look forward to your tutorial. This closet is going to be a knockout beauty!
Yes, I agree. Maybe you could do a video of the process for us that are artistically – challenged 😉
When it is done, this closet will be a show-stopper. I would spend the extra money on porcelain countertops.
I love that option of you doing the faux marble. Because it’s yours, only you can make it, and you can customize this to the space. Laminate is great, but you are right about the expense these days. I’ve got laminate countertops in our laundry room and the most they’ve seen is a few drops of detergent, and dust, lots and lots of dust. They still look great at 14 years.
Cheers to you and Matt, and the furry helpers!
IKEA!
The problem with IKEA is probably dimensional. They only have limited sizing, and probably not the sizes she needs for her tops. Especially the washer/dryer cabinets.
That’s the problem I’m finding with any of the ready-made options. The countertops I need are 32″ x 37″, which is a very strange size. So all of the ready-made options are either too narrow (24 inch for standard cabinets) or too large (for islands) that would need to be cut down. And then I’m right back to DIYing at least part of it anyway.
Would PVC work. Lowe’s has PVC in sheets. Don’t know about measurements though.
As I was reading, *faux* kept repeating. At worst, you’ll have a template made for plan B.
You may want to Echo/repeat how terrible the laminate-from-flooring countertops were a bad idea. Great in looks, but the materials they are made with are varied (and not all documented in budget price products) It’s likely you’d disturb and create dust from a material (fiberglass, silca) you don’t need to deal with. Especially if you miter edges.
Do you have a restore store near? You might check there for counter tops that has come out of someone’s kitchen. Just a thought.
Maybe consider a tile top if faux doesn’t work out.
Yes, we see beautiful tile in Floor & Decor in huge sizes…we are doing our backsplash and entertainment wall in our new house. Looks like black/white/gray marble and comes in a sheets, big enough for the Island. And they have tiles 40 X 40 as well. The cost is way less than any of the other options. All you do is edge the cut edge and it is perfect. They have a decent amount of designs, but not sure if Kristi wants it in the patterns…maybe looking for a more quiet look. Looking forward to seeing what she does.
Have you considered epoxy countertops? I haven’t tried them yet…but his guy makes them look amazing.
https://stonecoatcountertops.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqnmPiOJwuqoulmU9QtYli85xOGVVVtsEC8x2dN2k0B0sFmlbJc
I was just thinking that as well. Here is another video as well; they use wallpaper. Looks like you have a bit leftover?
Have you considered buying the laminate you like in a sheet and edging form and gluing it on your counters yourself? It is pretty easy and much cheaper than buying it as ready made counters.
That’s what I would do, and Kristi knows how to do it if I recall. But maybe it’s too costly? I have no idea.
Maybe something like this to apply to the tops of the w/d and island tops:
https://www.amazon.com/Formica-Sheet-Laminate-Portico-Marble/dp/B003TH92PK/ref=pd_vtp_strm_d_sccl_2_4/135-2066668-1202929#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor
More durable than a painted on finish yet a similar look.
Here are more options to choose from:
https://www.amazon.com/s?srs=20159184011
With your artistic talents, I think it is your best option, and I’m sure you can do it! I would keep the veining to a minimum though, a bit less than the coffee table. You have enough pattern/texture in the room, in my opinion. And on the island, I think it would be pretty to add a glass top, to tie in with the jewelry drawer. (But it won’t NEED it.)
I vote paint. You’re good at it. It will be beautiful.
What about poured epoxy? You have done plenty of that, and I imagine it could look really great.
I love this idea! That would give it the special omph I think this room is calling for. This room (closet feels like way too diminishing of a word for it) is high end and beautiful.
Your closet has a glamorous vibe. How would something like resin work? The tiles in your pantry are next level. Can that work on a wood base?
Great idea and can’t wait to see the results! The closet is turning out absolutely stunning!
Have you thought about using the tiles you were originally going to use on the walls behind the washer/dryer?
I vote for the faux paint treatment!
I think the faux paint is a good idea. I made a faux zinc countertop for the island in our cabin kitchen and it was great! I finished it with matte polycrylic and had no problems with it.
I suggest that the concrete countertops would not be a good choice for the washer and dryer counters. Those things spin at a prodigious speed and create vibrations.
Your idea of the tastefully faux painted plywood countertops are a wonderful idea to handle this problem, and, in addition, allow you to customized the background color and the amount of veining. Plus, very economical, and in the future, if you don’t like them, you change them out to a different material.
I hadn’t thought of that! Over time hairline cracks might begin to show.
Concrete is probably best on a stable surface
Go for the faux marble; if you don’t like it, it’s just paint after all. But you may just surprise yourself and really love it. That coffee table looks very realistic!
Go with the faux DIY over the concrete. Even though this is a closet you are going to have chemicals in there for laundry, and if something is left to sit by accident (like a jug of detergent with a drip running down the sides) it’s going to be a lot easier to deal with on just about anything other than concrete. What do you think about wood counters that contrast the floor? I agree that matching wood would be too much.
In our closet the “island” is a refurbished dresser from a thrift store. We added a custom sized mirror on the top instead of painting or staining it. The back (normally against a wall) I papered and installed hooks for caps/hats. The mirrored top is the perfect backdrop for the pretty bottles. I also created a little vignette with a small lamp and foliage and placed on top. The lamp adds a bit of “glamor” in the evening when the light bounces off the mirror. Also acts as a night-light for when we walk into the attached master bathroom 🙂
The faux painting looks great, but is plywood sturdy enough, especially on the corners? Can you get 1″ plywood?
I would use the flooring still but stain it darker to match your blinds…
That’s a shame about Formica being so pricey but I guess it was inevitable. My thoughts are try the faux treatment first. If you hate it, use the flooring next and paint it. No bueno? then go for the stone or Formica.
The concrete is an option but you’ll need to 1- have help and 2- don’t have any liquids around it that could stain. This includes bleach, detergent and the like. I’d hate to see you spend money twice on 30 sq ft of counter top when you can realistically do it once with Formica or natural stone.
Good luck!
What about using Wilson art laminate from Home depot. They will cut it for you and it is not expensive.
What about using Wilson art laminate from Home depot. They will cut it for you and it is not expensive.
I love how that table turned out. And the cost is an added bonus, no doubt about it.
If it were me, I’d use the wood you already have, and stain it a different color so it looks totally different. You can even stain it blue or green or some other weird color! It’d be a shame to not take advantage of this material you already have on hand…Anywho, just a thought.
I was just coming in to say this!
I love your faux painting on the coffee table. For the counters though, I think they should be thicker like real marble/granite usually is. Can you double up your plywood or essentially build a thicker box to then faux paint?
I like plan A. You’ll enjoy doing it, it’ll be a creative outlet, and even if you decide down the road to do something different, it’s perfectly functional for now. We redid our pantry/laundry room before finishing our kitchen, but I knew I wanted to do the counters in both rooms together, so we used plywood stained it a bluish grey for temporary counters in the pantry. It’d never win any contests, but it was perfectly suitable for the couple years we had it. I’m certain you know this already, but just make sure you use the correct thickness for your counters. We did some in 1/2″ to save money… the section in 3/4″ was much nicer … But we would have needed a proper edge to make it look “right.” Again… We were just going for functional and better than raw wood. 😂 Yours will be Kristi Amazing. 😁 Have fun!
I have done Formica counter tops myself. It’s a pretty easy thing to do. I am sure you can find directions on internet. They are simple to do. You’ve done lots of much harder things perfectly. I feel you should try this yourself.
I see that stunning wallpaper on the top of the island covered by tempered glass.