I️ don’t think bi fold doors would ever open fully enough to be able to open dryer which is probably why they didn’t install the track. I️ would install two nice wood floating shelves to match the gorgeous wood floor and then hang a curtain. Getting smaller appliances would be expensive and the smaller size would not be fun as in having to do more loads of laundry.

Given the very limited space and the need for air circulation, I would either hang curtains or leave it open. Neither is ideal, but I think the best of a bad situation.

If you’re handy is there anyway to change that door to a smaller opening to give you more room? You could then build out the wall to make it a bit deeper and add the bifold doors.

Agree with curtains and then make sure the area is super cute so that when the curtains are open, the area looks like part of the house.

I think it looks quite nice open, and it will be easier to use. I would install a wall-to-wall cabinet above to conceal all the laundry products and leave it at that. If the cabinet fits as snugly was the WD does, it will look planned.

I agree with MizLizzie. I think it nice as it is and a nice cabinet to match your pretty floors would be fine. I would remove the remnants of the hinges and touch up the paint in those spots.

Barring that, inside mount curtain rod with curtain panels that have grommets for the rod to go through will look sharp. Pick curtain panels that compliment your decor or disappear into the visual field and it can look nicer than you think.

I reconfigured my laundry area at great expense several years ago to go back to side by side w/d and the cost to put custom made (odd size) bi-folds back in was not appealing. Plus, bi-folds can experience track failures that render them useless at times and I wasn't thrilled with that either having been in that situation in the past, as well as many people I know.

I opted for curtains. Warning, it did instantly visually shrink the room, but I think that had I mounted the curtain rod for inside mount it would have lessened that effect. It appears your set up is in a hallway, so probably not too much of an issue. My laundry area is in a master bathroom.

You are kind of in a difficult situation, but I think the right choice of curtains and smart rod placement can at least let you close off the laundry space if you feel that is what you prefer.

I have plenty of air circulation when the curtains are closed, so the washer remains a happy machine.

Thanks, all! The suggestion to just use a curtain would certainly be the easiest solution, but I feel like it will look odd, like we can't afford a real door (it might work if we had a shabby chic or farmhouse kind of interior, but that is really not our interior style). Anyone have pictures of what they've done that would convince me otherwise?

My husband is now into the idea of replacing the current rack with the white cabinets, which would give us more storage and hide the laundry soap, etc. from view. If it really is pretty unobtrusive, I could be on board with this.

But I can't stop thinking about the bi-fold doors to keep it all hidden. There are 2 inches between the edge of the dryer and the opening, which I *think* would be enough space if we can find thin doors (I found some online that are the perfect width and only 0.75" deep, but they are over $400 for the set (54" x 80" Bi-Fold Doors), and they're pretty boring looking and only primed, not even painted (buying them painted would be an extra $65 or so). Is 2" enough? I've measured the bi-fold doors in our guest room closet and it looks like they just need the width of the door to be installed, so since 1 3/8" was just a bit too wide with the previous laundry doors, maybe 1" would work?

Rather than a curtain, why not a Roman Shade? When it is time to do laundry you can raise it and get it totally out of the way. Maybe use backlights in the alcove to mimic sun coming thru a window?

The dryer vent pipe is crushed behind there because there is no way 32" deep space enough for a dryer + vent, the lint will get trapped and cause a fire down the road.

That is some hack job trying to mount the door there, same as this hack job, these geniuses made their own bi-fold doors using regular doors, love the trim at the bottom on the right side.

At my parent’s place, we had a similar situation (bifold doors hiding laundry closet) and they wanted a new frontloader and there’s no way it would have fit in the space, so we ripped out the doors, painted the alcove, swapped the sheet vinyl for woodlook vinyl, and added white cabinets up top.