Claire, This is truly amazing! I like that there is no wasted space.

I spray painted my baskets white. Just because I wanted everything to be "white as snow" just like my laundry now that I have my FL's.

Claire, I'd really like to see but I can't find pictures of the laundry!

Yes, I Love the kitchen too! It is like my dream kitchen - who made those cabinets? I would love to see how the laundry is integrated.

Here's one picture of her laundry cabinet. Closed, it looks very nice, open, very functional, a great design.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Claire - my mouth is hanging open! That is exactly what I wanted to do. I have a bad back and even with the pedstals that come with some washers/dryers - it is still not at the right height. I have had to start looking at top loading wahser and dryers but now that I saw someone who actually did it - wow! Would you mind telling me where you got your bin (manufactuer?) and what the measurements are? Any other helful information would be greatly appreciated!

You are a life (and back) saver!

Kiwi, I'm glad to hear you like my system. The pedestal, doors and frame were custom fit into an existing linen closet; really, without an inch to spare. The measurements taken directly from the frontloaders, with enough wiggle room to get them in place. The bins are (3) Rev-a-Shelf wire laundry baskets. If I remember right they are about two feet off the floor. The three baskets on top of the W/D, give me six ways to sort my laundry, and since I sort it as I go along, all I have to do is stuff the washer and start it when the bins/baskets are full.

The floor and frame for the baskets were "overbuilt" to handle the vibration of the washer as it's spinning. I had a SS pan custom made for the washer in case of overflow, since there's nothing on the market for the European models of washers. There is also a shut-off level for the water at the hoses. The dryer is vented through the basement. The closet doors are two bi-folds that will fold together, then away from the middle for easy access. The only other thing I would add (and am about to!) is a toe-kick foot pedal to the framed cabinet so I can open the drawers, hands-free.

There was 15 inches of space left over to the right of the W/D and I added pull-out shelves to that little closet. There are baskets like the ones holding laundry, in the pull-out shelving for toiletries. I also have my laundry detergents, fabric softener, and stain removal items on one of those shelves. If you needed more of a vertical space for sorting, (some people need to stack their W/D) that would work very well.

I absolutely adore my laundry closet, and can truly say laundry has never been easier!

Claire de Luna,

I hope you don't mind if I ask you some more questions about your set up. I looked up the rev-a shelfs online and saw what they were. But where do you get the door fronts? Any cabinet place? Home Depot? Did you buy the rev-a-shelf first and then have the front door fitted? Did you buy anything online? And if you don't mind my being so rude, could you tell me if you remember how much the hamper bins ended up costing you? I'm getting a little confused about how to set up the bins so any advice you can throw my way I would really apreciate!

Thanks!

Kiwi

It's famous! Claire's luna laundry system has shown up on Fine Homebuilding magazine! Page 18 of the most recent issue (the annual Kitchen & Bath issue).

My husband was flipping though it and said "Hey, aren't these Mieles?" when I was like "Oh, my God! I've seen that laundry room!"

Congrats Claire!

Thank You CRinBrookhaven! It' still workin' great after all this time, and still a novel experience not to mind doing laundry...Presorting is a good thang!

So Claire, do you ever actually close those doors? It looks so cool I think the doors were not necessary. :)

And also, did you purchase retaining clips from Miele for the washer? I've heard that when you elevate the washer you need retaining clips but I don't think I see any in that picture. I'm assuming the silver thing I see under the washer is your over-flow pan.

Yes, I keep the doors closed! It keeps from reminding me I have laundry to do...which as everyone knows, could become a daily affair if you choose. I prefer to do it once a week, so I can shut the doors and be done with it. I will also shut them sometimes if I'm in another room nearby, since it cuts down on the noise of the dryer running.

No I didn't purchase retaining clips; I didn't know they were available. Do you think that's for when you stack the units? I don't seem to need them, since the washer doesn't really walk; in fact there's still a full inch between the two units, which hasn't moved since they went into the closet. The overflow pan probably does help it stay in place, since it's bolted to the pedestal floor underneath.

Another thing that I like about the design is that I don't always have to open both doors, depending on what I'm doing in there. There's just enough room that it works like someone planned it that way! One full bin or basket equals a full load of laundry (if you don't stuff it). The only thing that could make it better are some toe kick openers for the lower bins, which I'm planning on doing soon...

Thought you might like the link to the latest pictures...

Here is a link that might be useful: Luna Laundry System

"The only other thing I would add (and am about to!) is a toe-kick foot pedal to the framed cabinet so I can open the drawers, hands-free."

This is Claire de Luna's statement from awhile back.

Claire: are you out there? Or, anyone else have an answer for how this works?

I have arthritis in my hands and want to install the lower pull-out laundry bins, but sometimes I know they'll be too hard to pull with my hands, esp. when loaded with heavy things. So, it'd be easier to operate with my foot! Do/could you just put the bins on a recessed toe kick and leave an overhang at the drawer front to tuck your foot up in? Or any other ideas?

Hi Pinktoes! Well, I'll try to explain, however after I made that statement and tried to do this, I realized I didn't have enough of a toekick to add on a pedal. I think if you have enough room to leave a regular toekick under the cabinet, you'd be great to go.

I have arthritis in my hands too; in face it started coming on very strong this May. I have a little trouble dealing with the fact that the part of my body I use most is giving me fits! My three bins (under my Mieles) are not big enough to be hard to pull out at all (Wire laundry bins are Rev-A-Shelf), but since I have toe kick pedals in my kitchen, I find myself automatically wanting to kick the drawer open. As long as you leave enough room there to begin with, I see no reason why it wouldn't work for you. Also, you will probably have better luck pulling out a heavy drawer if your cabinets are frameless and you have full-extension slides for your drawer boxes/frames. If you need a reference point, look at my kitchen pictures of the trash pull-outs on My Page.

HTH!

I just now saw your earlier response today to my posting here. I sent my email question to you before that; sorry to bother you. I'm confused as to when I'm on which forum. Just computer ineptness.

It is ironic, but maybe wear-and-tear is the reason, that those of us who like to garden get arthritic hands. I play piano, too.

My cabinets will be custom made, frameless. I've been having DH mock up things with hinges and slides so I can test the resistance to different brands and types.

I have 22" of depth available on that wall. Hope the rev-a-shelf bins will fit there. I think if they just elevate the bottom on a recessed toekick and leave about 2" of cabinet door hanging down at the bottom, then I can pull them open. While holding onto a shelf above there.

I, too, am a big-time laundry sorter.

I am very intrigued and impressed by your laundry system. We are planning a new house and this is just what my bad back needs. Now that you have been using it for a few years, I wanted to ask a couple of questions. Have you had to service your washer or dryer? Murphy's Law seems to live at our house so I always have to think in terms of what happens when the repairman comes to the house. How do you slide the units out for repair or to access the dryer vent for cleaning? I understand the need for the drip pan under the washer, but does it keep you from moving the washer if you need to get to the water lines or drain? Where exactly did you locate the shut-off lever?

Thanks for sharing pictures of your laundry room. It looks fantasic - I really like how you can close the doors and forget that laundry even exists. And the pull-out bins are genious!

No, I haven't needed to service the washer or dryer at all. (It probably helps that I bought Mieles, as they've been trouble-free little workhorses. I'm opinionated about buying as much quality you can afford at the outset, to avoid problems later on, which has served me very well in this instance.) As far as accessing the dryer vent, I haven't actually ever done that. It vents down through a crawl space and out the foundation of our house. (You make me wonder however if it's time to go check on that, to see how much build-up there might be.) I don't seem to get an overabundance of dust, and am pretty meticulous about keeping the mesh lint screen cleaned after every dryer load, so that's probably helped.

The washer is a tight fit, but can be moved. We need two people to actually pick it up (a couple of inches) to move it out, but have only needed to move it once in the time it's been there. (That was in the beginning when I had the sheet metal pan made, which took some time to procure and set into place. I also went the extra mile and bought metal mesh supply lines for peace of mind, knowing that moving the washer or dryer would take some planning!) The turn-off valve is at the back of the washer (behind the laundry basket) and rather hard for me to access as I'm short and don't have long arms. The Mieles are deep, rather than wide and because of this, I keep a step ladder (just in case) at that end of my home in my closet, so I can reach it quickly if the need ever arises. Hopefully it never will, but I did plan for the eventuality.

This is absolutely some of the best space planning I've ever done. I can't tell you how easy it is to deal with laundry at this stage of my life...you'll just have to experience it yourself! If I ever have to move from here, I would repeat every detail exactly as is, in a heartbeat. Good luck!