Okay, so thoughts: Is door placement set? I'd put the toilet near the door, with sink next to it. I'd put the shower in a back corner If this is a basement, I'd put a drain in the floor of the room (and maybe leave it concrete floors so I could potentially hose the whole thing down?) Laundry in a back corner (other corner) Hanging things between laundry and shower storage/hooks/etc along other wall sink near door. I think I went around the room. If you have the option to put the door in the center of the room instead of the end of a wall, that might be best. But, you can play with that a little.

We are also in a similar situation, installing a laundry room in a 2nd floor closet in a 100+ year old rowhouse. I will put my reasoning below, maybe it will help you out. We have it narrowed down to the Samsung 328 series and the Asko 24" 6222 series. From what I know, the Samsung is very good on second floor applications because of the VRT -- it really works according to most gardenwebbers. The Asko is a bit smaller of a machine, but has a robust internal heater that can get the water up to 205F, which is awesome. The Asko also has a nice suspension system that is supposed to be good for second floors. I'm a little concerned that by the time the Samsung fills with water, the water won't even be hot because the water heater is a good distance away. The Samsung will be a fairly tight fit. Some people make comments that the ASKO is not reliable, but I haven't seen any direct complaints regarding it, and they, like Miele, advertise that their units are built with a 20 year life expectancy. There just isnt much information available on them. I know they make fantastic dishwashers.

Biochem's first photo (with the green walls) is laid out very much like the laundry room we put in our basement, although we didn't add cabinets. I had a much bigger sink in a longer counter - it didn't do me much good to have a small one there. We also had louvered doors to the right, which separated the hot water heater and furnace from the laundry part, but kept them well ventilated. To the left was the door to a big bath and dressing area, because we had a pool, and also wanted a place to clean gardening dirt off us. Beside that door, I added a tall table, made from a slab of butcher block and some tall metal legs. Instead of cabinetry, I skirted the sink counter and the table. I also put one of those hanging bars that folds up flat to the wall beside the folding table, and a pull-out drying rack over the sink counter. My only disappointment was that I had a great plan to put a laundry chute from our master closet on the second floor straight down into the laundry room, and I could have done it, because when we split the HVAC system, I had a straight shot where the ductwork used to run right up the wall...but because it was in the corner of the house, the joists under the first floor were doubled up, and I couldn't get past them. Grrr!

I have laundry in the basement-- have a laundry chute direct to the laundry. I have never wanted a laundry on the second floor but have wished that I had it on the main floor sometimes. Advantage to basement--usually have a lot of room (I don't). We can get really dirty sometimes, with gardening and landscaping projects. Can shuck the dirties in the garage or back entryway and drop down the laundry chute there (or in a bucket in the garage)...vs having to deal with them upstairs (where we have carpet). I wash clothes once a week. Smelly dirty laundry is in the basement; not stinking up the bedrooms. I have a clothesline strung in the unfinished part of the basement for drying rugs, mattress pads, sheets, jeans, etc. during the winter/ rainy days. As well as drip dry items that don't go in the dryer. The clothes line is also handy for hanging wet or damp dirty items to dry (like bath towels & kitchen towels) before they go into the dirty clothes hamper. I fold & sort items as I unload the dryer. Towel stack to the linen closet, DS's clothes in one stack, etc. Usually cart the basket to the main floor and someone else will haul it on upstairs. Have had three laundries that were in enclosed back porches and one just adjacent to the garage when I lived in the south. That arrangement worked really good and would be my preferred location for a laundry. Would not want W/D in a closet if it can be avoided. I use my laundry sink a lot as well as having the washer drain hose empty into the sink. (With a lint sock to keep lint and dog hair out of the sewer line--septic leach field if that's your situation.) You adapt to wherever the laundry is. Pros & cons to wherever it is. Main thing is that a home laundry beats the heck out of having to go to the laundromat! We've probably all had to do that at some time in our lives.