Laundry Room Layout Help, multi multi purpose!

12 years ago

After 20 years we are redoing our Laundry Room and will be putting in a new floor, paint, countertops and cabinets. We also happen to have a toilet in there! And, yes we planned it that way and will replace it with a new skirted model. I know it is unusual but we love having a toilet right off the garage and near kitchen -- do not love the view from the door.

I have a few ideas of adding cabinets and replacing everything else but would love to make the best use of the space and know that many of you may have great ideas. Please pass along any suggestions.

We are also redoing the kitchen and have unfinished basement so changes are easy right now-- will not be later.

1. Washer and Dryer - could replace with new ones under current cabinets. Like the idea of the drawer under unit to make them easier to use. Any other location ideas? Stacked units are a possibility also. Stacked units could fit in the current toilet area but where would toilet go?
2. Sink -- do not need big one, we have large utility sink in garage nearby. Use for hand washing and clothes hand washing..
3. Folding counter space - some needed
4. Hanging space - sometimes hang long pants and shirts
5. Step ladder space needed for accessing upper cabinets in kitchen
6. Coat Hanging space on wall works - this is only space near Garage
7. Place to put laundry baskets - now use folding counter and use under counter baskets for storage

Wish list:
Would love Landing Zone - for purse, things to put in car, etc as walk in
Any way of shielding toilet? do not want to make access difficult as I have been on crutches more than once in the last few years.
Drying rack space
New door - Swinging door would automatically stay closed to obscure view but would need a lock.
Storage - as much as possible
Like not having the washer in your face when you open the door to Laundry room.

Thanks for taking a look at this and helping me update this room.
{{!gwi}}

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Comments (3)

julie999
12 years ago
Some thoughts--

Could you hang a small cabinet or place shelves above the toilet for storage? It looks like you are storing paper towels and toilet paper under the countertop. Perhaps the recycling could be moved to the garage.

How about a curtain hung in front of the toilet? If you have children, they probably won't pull it closed, but they are also unlikely to close a door.

My washer and dryer are front loaders under a countertop which can be used for folding. Some people seem to love that, others not. Just a thought. . .

I would then extend the countertop for folding to include the sink so that you have one long surface. Since you moved the storage, laundry baskets could be stored under the countertop. By putting a shelf the depth of the countertop under the countertop halfway up from the floor, you will have room for more laundry baskets.

A rod could extend from the side of the cabinets (or shelving unit, see below) above the countertop to the back wall, depending on how long the pants and skirts you would like to hang are. Mine fit above my countertop, but I'm not very tall, either. If you are tall, maybe you could hang the rod higher.

New door? A pocket door. A step ladder could then be hung on the wall where the door currently swings. In fact, that would open the entire wall up for whatever you would like. The space is fairly narrow with the washer and dryer on the opposite wall, but the wall could be used to hang things.

For a landing pad, you could use part of the countertop or mount hooks for keys, purse, etc. on the wall. It just depends on what you would like to use the landing pad for.

OR, you don't say what you use the cabinets over the washer and dryer for. I'm guessing laundry detergent, etc., but there is quite a lot of storage space there. Raise the upper cabinet to the ceiling and you will have room for a shelf underneath which could suffice for a landing pad. Depending on what you are storing, replace the cabinet with shelving.

I don't really see an option for a drying rack on the floor. I hang just about everything that doesn't need to dry flat. If it does need to dry flat, I use the countertop. By using skirt hangers with clips as well as regular plastic hangers, I can hang just about anything other than sweaters which must dry flat to avoid stretching. The hangers used for drying are stored on the hanging rod.

Good luck!
Passel
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you so much for your ideas. I am sure that I will incorporate many of them. I like the idea of raising the cabinets to ceiling and putta shelf under it. I do like the curtain idea. I think that the best option for me to to have washer and dryer elevated on pedestal to keep my lower back from "going out on me" again. It just happened again last night. Unfortunately when you do this I think it may look rather massive in this small room.

I am also looking at creating a "wall" near the end of the room (could be a cabinet made for that triangle space- or a ceiling mount vertical panel system) for storage and to cut off some of the annoying angles.

Pocket door is possibility and would definitely free up wall space but I know that I could not want to close it every time I went in and out.

Any other thoughts anyone? Thanks.
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Cavimum
12 years ago
My opinion ....

1.) I would not get rid of a sink in there. Replace if you like, but don't get rid of one because it is a bathroom. Most people wash hands after using the toilet.

2.) Prospective owners may not relish the idea of going into the garage to handwash small laundry items.

Think about resale in a bad market - something as small as a sink could kill the sale. JMHO.

BTW, your existing cabinets are lovely! I hope you will be keeping them.