I finally have the design for my new laundry room which will accommodate my long-wished-for Speed Queen ATE50 laundry center. I told my KD I wanted it built snugly into the cabinetry, and she has designed it precisely, with 1" clearance on one side, and .5" on the other. She double checked the clearances with Speed Queen.

However, I do have some extra space -- about 2" -- to play with, and it is just a dummy trim piece. Should I give up the built-in look and make the hole wider in case a wider unit was needed far down the road? The ATE50 should, theoretically, last the rest of my life and we have no plans to ever sell our home. But. Things can always change. The ATE50 is a permanently stacked unit that is 26.7" wide. My space will be 28.5" wide. In looking at the specs on AJ Madison, the vast majority of washers are 27" wide or less, but in general, I have no idea what sort of wall clearance they require to the left and right.

I should also point out that this unit will have a large access panel on the back side to access plumbing, electrical, and dryer vent clean-out, so I do not anticipate any need to pull the unit from the cabinetry. (Fingers crossed.) Many thanks in advance.