How to Turn a Table into a Rolling Island

Hi!  Jackie here from Teal & Lime bringing you one awesome furniture transformation!

I believe your home and everything in it needs to serve a function, and serve it well.  If something isn’t working, it is important to change it up and make it work for you!

Lately, I felt our laundry room was not working for us.  And, I felt horrible for thinking so.  We are blessed with a HUGE laundry room…I think it is a little over 10 ft. x 10 ft.  So, to complain about it not working for us is definitely a first world problem.  But, even big rooms with lots of space can have their problems and challenges.

When we moved into the house, I saw the awesome potential of this room to fit a full size table.  It would be the perfect spot to fold laundry.  Ah, dreamy!

We parked my bachelorette dining table in the space.  And, it never once got used for folding laundry.  Not once in 4 years!

Something definitely was not working.  I set out on a mission to fix it.

First, I considered what was wrong.  With a huge room and space for a full-size folding table, what could possible be wrong?  Well, these things for starters:

• The table was too low to stand at and fold laundry.
• The table was parked up against the wall…as far from the dryer as possible (read: inconvenient).
• As a result of never being used as a folding table, it became a dumping ground. Isn’t that what happens to every large surface area in our homes that lack a defined purpose and a reason to stay clean? They just become stuff collectors.
• The space under the table (you know where you normally tuck in dining chairs) was just a big void, because it wasn’t being used as a dining table.

I was desperately ready for a change for my sake and the laundry room’s.  I dreamed of something more like this:

Then, I considered what would make it better.  A better laundry room work table would…

• Be a counter-height surface, so I could stand at it to fold.
• Be mobile, so it can move to where it is needed and never has to be parked up against the wall again (unless of course we want to).
• Be a clean work surface.
• Have usable storage space underneath.

And, with that short list of requirements I decided to transform my sad country table into a rolling laundry table.  My new rolling island is the workhorse of our laundry room.  A clear, accessible surface for folding laundry.  Storage for baskets and step stools below.  And, it looks gorgeous!

How to Convert a Table into a Rolling Island

Supplies and Tools:

• Table with chunky wood legs
• 3/4″ MDF cut to size of tabletop
• 4 Casters (I used 4″ locking casters) and mounting screws
• 2 1/2″ wood screws
• Jigsaw
• Drill/Driver
• Ruler and round cup
• Primer and Paint

Step by Step:

1.  Flip your table over.

2.  Lay the MDF sheet on top of the table legs.  Line the MDF sheet up with the table top.  I used a 4 ft. level to make sure mine was in line.

3.  Secure the MDF shelf to the table legs.  Measure and mark the center of each table leg on the MDF.  Pre-drill and screw one 2 1/2″ wood screw into each table leg.

4.  Measure and mark a line all the way around the MDF 2 inches in from the edge.  Measure in 5″ from each corner and draw a curved line from the edge of the table to the 2″ marked line.  I used a coffee cup to trace the curve.  This will create the cut out “chin-saver” on the shelf.  Use a jigsaw to cut out the indents on the shelf.

5.  Attach casters to all four corners.  I had 1″ mounting screws, so I had to use a couple washers under each screw head to make sure the screws wouldn’t come out the other side of my MDF.

6.  Get help for this step.  This is a two-person job.  Flip your table, now island, over.

7.  Prime and paint the table base and shelf to match.

Now, enjoy!  

I love the mobility and flexibility of our new island.  I can easily roll it over to the washer and dryer for laundry folding time.  And, when we need it out of the way for ironing or an impromptu laundry room dance party, we can move it to the side.

I sort of totally want to hang out in my laundry room all day now!

The laundry room is one of the hardest working rooms in the house.  I am continually trying to improve our laundry room space to make it functional and beautiful…pretty spaces always make chores a little more enjoyable.  One of my favorite spots in this room is the super organized cleaning command center.  Above the command center is one of my favorite DIYs ever…my stair tread shelves, which are so awesome I made them again for my studio.  And, last but certainly not least, I took a little time to make the mundane pretty.

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More laundry room inspiration:

40+ Ideas for Small, Awkward Laundry Spaces

How to Decorate a Hard-Working Laundry Room

Our Favorite Awesome Real-Life Laundry Rooms

Published: April 8, 2014Filed Under: Before and After, Contributor, Furniture Building Projects and Plans, How To, Tables, Tutorials Tagged: Contributors, Furniture Contributor, Laundry Rooms, Repurpose

About Jackie Hernandez

Jackie turned traditional decorating advice on it's head with her signature simple approach to creating a dream home in any home at School of Decorating. Jackie’s blog Teal & Lime empowers everyday women (like you) to uncover their individual style so decorating becomes a breeze.