He loves doing laundry. He says it relaxes him and he is very particular about the sorting, the detergents, taking clothes out of the dryer and hanging them up/ folding them. So for his birthday, I would like to surprise him with a really nice laundry center. We are in middle of a remodel and anyway need to buy new Washer/ Dryer etc.

1) We are working with a 9 ft closet in the hallway which currently has sliding doors.

Here is the wish wish list (please add to it and help me pick good choices!)

1. Front loading washer and gas dryer - Largish capacity and as fast as possible. Which brands/ models to consider?
2. Environmentally friendly - energy star, less water, power, does cold water wash well, less power for drying etc.
3. Dryer that does non-iron shirts and such well. Big enough to handle the washer load.
4. Are new new steam features worth it?
5. Good lighting.
6. Can I get some countertop on top of the washer/ dryer?
7. Is there a clever ironing board I can set up on top of the units?
8. What about a retractable clothes line for clothes that need to air dry occasionally
9. Anything clever to hang up clothes.. He would love to take a warm shirt from the dryer, give it a shake and hang it on the hangwer immediately instead of hauling it to the bed as he needs to currently.
10. Folding clothes.. I am assuming on top of the counter
11. Storage for detergent, dye catcher sheets, fabric softener, bleach alternatives
12. Is a mini sink a good idea for soaking/ washing out the detergent cup etc?
13. Lighting?
14. Should we have a hamper here? - We usually do whites, coloreds and dryclean (dryel). Mostly on delicate cycles.

Thanks in advance for your help!