If you stack the units, yes the hook ups (electric and water) would likely show off to the sides of the machines.

If you side by side them they may line up more.

I like a side by side hook up because there is easy access to both machines with ease. With a stacked set you have the added weight of the dryer on top of the washer and it makes it a little harder to move to gain access to the rear of the machines.

Either way, it looks like a nice laundry room.
Congrats!

It appears that the intention is for a side by side top loading installation. The dryer is in the corner with its left side facing the doorway, right side facing the window. The washer is to the left of the dryer in the plastic pan.

MRB

First of all, thanks for the replies so far.

mrb627 - perhaps it isn't clear from the picture (it's a little dark), but there is just over 1 foot of space between the pan and the wall. The floor has 12" tiles, the pan covers part of one, and the next one is only partial before being cut off by the wall. There is definitely not room for a dryer between the pan and the wall.

Hence my belief that the previous owners had their machines stacked. It's the only configuration that makes sense to me. I also have reason to believe that, based on the mere 4.5' width of the room, they were oriented facing the door.

Using the dryer in my apartment as an example, my dryer has to be 6-7" out from the wall to allow room for the vent tube. The unit itself is 25" deep, which is really on the small side (I can't find any modern non-compacts that are less than 27"D). With the door open, and I just measured, the end of the door is 55" inches out from the wall.

This room is only 54" deep, so even that small dryer wouldn't fit this laundry room if oriented side by side. I wouldn't be able to open the door all the way, and would only have about 15" of maneuverability to access the front of the dryer.

The layout of that room is very confusing to me.

Most dryers have alternate venting options - they're shipped with out-the-back, but can be switched (sometimes requiring an extra part or two) to left, right, or downward exhaust.

Would placing both machines with the left alongside the long wall, the washer in front of the dryer with about two feet between them, work?

I currently have "your" laundry room. Well, almost.

It is only 7.5' long and 5.5' wide. People could get away with such small spaces because they had top loaders a couple of decades ago.

With my full-size W&D, I have to do a lot of maneuvering to get the laundry in and out.

Do you need that window for lighting?

If not, I'd stack W&D with their backs to the window. I don't think there is a law that says you cannot have the water hook-up to the left of the washer.

If you don't want to see the hoses, you can place some kind of partitioning to cover the side gaps.

I'd even consider deleting the window all together. It is not very expensive, I just had several of the old and drafty windows closed as they served no function, even for looks, and were behind closed blinds for 10 years.

Just saying...

What do you thnk about putting in a top load washer and a top load dryer side by side? That should leave just enough space to maneuver in front of the machines if placed side by side along the long wall. I didn't know a top load dryer even existed until I read the thread below, but evidently Fisher Paykel makes them.

Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Top Load Dryer Discussion

is the pan moveable??

a pair of the euro type compact washer and dryer would certainly fit side by side (~ 48" wide)

I have almost the same laundry room without the window. Have you redone your room?

No, I ended up getting stacked front-loaders, configured so the fronts face the door. It works pretty well, but I've spent the past year and a half chasing down vibration issues...