Laundry Room Reveal • The Ironing Board Solution

This is the fourth post in my laundry room reveal series. Click here to start at the first post.

I have hinted that the solution for my ironing board was something new, not in the plans. Well here is a quick photo of me getting ready for Christmas Eve and using my ironing board. (Yes, I am wearing reindeer antlers!)

I posted back in June about many of the ideas I had found on the web. But of all those solutions, (because my space is so small and my cabinets not full depth), the only possible solution was to construct a fold out option from my middle cabinet and lose the storage in the upper half.

Does it look like I have enough extra space to give up that cabinet? I didn't think so either. 

But once my folding counter was temporarily in place I saw a better, simpler, less expensive way. After discussions with David, we refined the idea and decided to try it out. I gave you a clue in my previous post. See that green striped object under the counter? Yup, that is my ironing board.

It resides on a shelf just under the folding counter.

It swings out.......

Gets placed on top and wedges under a trim board screwed into the studs on the wall.

It is is easy to set up, easy to take down and works well. I had wondered if the counter would interfere with ironing and it doesn't at all. In fact, I find I have better clothing positioning because the middle legs are gone. This solution works far better than I anticipated. My old ironing board was always covered with stuff that had to be put away before I could iron. Doesn't happen with this one. 

Here are some of the things we did for this system to work.

• We removed the legs from a standard metal mesh ironing board.
• Using a piece of standard wire shelving for closets David crafted a shelf to hang below the counter.

• I cut a 5/4 thick piece of pine as a holding bracket for the shelf and David screwed little metal plates to hold the shelf in place.
• We did this before installing the counter so we didn't have to work upside down. This photo shows both the shelf and the IKEA Kvartal track system I posted about here.

• We used the wire shelf because it is so thin and we were maximizing available height for storage below.
• I made a bracket out of a piece of pine and screwed it right into two studs. It firmly holds the board in place. The little diamonds are contact paper that hide the screws. I could have filled them and painted over but I wanted to keep access in case future adjusting is needed.

We had considered also installing super magnets but they just aren't needed. The board stays securely in place.

I knew I needed an ironing board in this room and I took a risk with the design. The design was finalized and that ironing board was an issue. I kept my mind open and a solution appeared as the space became defined. Keeping an open mind with a project is a skill I have been working on. Being so very concrete-sequential means I want to stick to the plan - always! I am learning the benefits of flexibility. This is a great inexpensive solution!

Other Posts in the Landry Room Reveal:

• Laundry Room Reveal
• Laundry Room Reveal • The Cabinets
• Laundry Room Reveal • Ikea Hack • Kvartal

Other Laundry Room Redesign Posts - Planning and construction:

• 1. The BIG Project • Laundry/Utility/Pantry - 
• 2. Scary Laundry Room
• 3. Collecting Laundry Rooms Ideas
• 4. Laundry Room Progress 
• 5. Laundry Room • Fold Down Ironing Boards 
• 6. Laundry room Update • August 
• 7. Discombobulated • Laundry Room Update 
• 8. Laundry Room Update • Major Stall 
• 9. Laundry Room Door • IKEA Kvartal Solution 
• 10. Constructing Countertops - 
• 11. Laundry Room Again 

©2012 Ashbee Design, Marji Roy

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