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karen15_gw

Laundry Room Wall

Karen15
10 years ago

We are in the process of finializing floor plans for our new home and I need help with the laundry room. Right now the laundry is in between the garage entry and the front entry foyer. If you walk in straight from the garage there is a a hallway that I want to put a bench with coat hooks and baskets above, also with a single coat closet next to it. The width of the hallway near bench is 4ft and goes to 3ft at the closet. Across from that is a 6x12 laundry room. There are two windows in the room. I am thinking near the entry will be wall cabinets above with hampers below. To the left are the washer & dryer. To the left after is a sink and then on the end a broom closet. Should we take out the laundry room wall and just have a huge open mudroom/laundry area(11x12)? Or keep it as pictured. I'm worried the laundry will be too narrow, but then I don;t know if that will look weird having laundry out in the open like that (noise factor). Any suggestions or ideas would be very helpful!!

Comments (7)

  • Karen15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here is a picture of what I'd like in the laundry room. It will only be 6 ft wide though.

  • calista40
    10 years ago

    Hi Karen, I am a fan of having a larger multiple purpose space to start off with. It just provides greater options down the road. It also may assist with the resale value of your home should you ever consider selling. Another buyer may desire the space for a craft room, home office (yes, even with a washer and dryer), pet area or gym. A larger area might give you the option for more counter space for folding laundry or an iron station. You can purchase sound proofing mats that will take the noise down a notch on the appliances. Glad that you are installing a sink! Good luck.

  • FmrQuahog
    10 years ago

    hahahaha
    I'm sorry, no disrespect intended, but...what you want and what you have space for are completely at odds.
    A six foot lateral space will accommodate your washer and dryer and that's about it. I'm sure your architect can give you a draft with scale placement of the units.
    You need to wean yourself off of the fantasy of having a huge cabinet space and a sink PLUS the W & D on the same wall.

  • workingmomx3
    10 years ago

    I think Karen meant 6 feet in depth. With a 12 wall space, she can accommodate the layout she has. However, it will feel very, very cramped. You will have just 3 feet of walkway clearance, assuming that your dryer is 31" deep, plus 4" for vent duct = 35" (rounded to 3').

    You will need to talk about ventilation issues for that small an enclosed space - codes are different in different areas. Will you need a fan vent (like in a bathroom) or a ventilated door?

    Just curious - it looks like your dryer will vent to your front porch?? or is that the side or back?

  • rococogurl
    10 years ago

    My laundry room is about 13 x 9-1/2. It opens into the garage and the back hallway behind the kitchen where we have a pantry, powder room and back door.

    I took the 13 foot long wall with sink at one end and put a granite counter the entire length. The European front loader w/d tuck under that. There's also a wine fridge, drawer stack and 30" sink base. I have upper cabinets above for extra dish storage.

    Having the 13-foot counter is a godsend. It's the waystation for groceries coming in from the garage, packing center, laundry folding space and transit point for anything that needs to go into the car.

    On the opposite wall there is a 5-foot long hanging alcove -- it's open. We had to have that as we have no front hall closet for coats.

    However -- we are empty nesters but still could easily use double the space. We could have all our shoes, coats and gardening clothes there. If there were kids in the house, they would need space for boots, shoes, backpacks and outerwear summer & winter. I'd love a place to put my sewing machine so it's always handy.

    I also have a folding rotary iron that takes up all the center space when used.

    Looking at the floorplan posted above, I would bump out the entire laundry room to make it even with the adjacent exterior space. That doorway outside is a total waste of space.

    The thing I lack most in my laundry room -- and my big error -- is not having more drawers. I like the wine chiller but would gladly swap it for another 4 drawers.

    I feel your plan has a cramped sink, wasted space where that basket is and tall cabinets that aren't super functional. Also, the washer/dryer is the focal point. I'd move them over.

    Everyone needs something different but if that were my laundry I'd have the sink at one end and the w/d at the other with a long counter with cabinets and drawers below in between on that wall.
    I'd also be sure to plan the electrical carefully as it's also a logical spot for a charging station if needed.

  • Karen15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you everyone for the feedback! Yes workingmomx3 it is 6 x 12 so that wall is long enough. I figured it might be too narrow of a space. My husband wants an open mudroom (his one thing he needs is a bench). I have posted a different option for the space. In this new layout the front entrance is a 2 story foyer with the powder room (got cut off) and closet. In the garage entry there is a bench, laundry room with sink and then closet in hall. I have highlighted in yellow a wall I am thinking of removing to create an open space. The only thing missing from mudroom is the powder room which is at the front entry. We will mainly be walking in through the garage. Another option is to somehow create a pass through hallway connecting the garage and front entry, which means we probably cannot wall off the laundry room. We would create the hall in order to have the powder room accessible no matter which entrance you choose. I just don't want any area to feel crammed. Any suggestions?

  • Karen15
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Our current home as laundry on the 2nd floor and only has room for the washer and dryer so it is a very tight space. So even having room for a sink is an upgrade for us. I'm not too concerned about folding laundry in the laundry room. We just need basics like a space for washer, dryer, sink, bench and coat closet.