First, difference between gas and electric dryer are nil in the grand scheme of life. Plus you're not limited to an electric dryer since you have gas there you could run a gas line and electric outlet and have gas. You could put a stackable unit in there and have both. Do some upstairs and some downstairs. That way not lose as much room. You say you don't like doing laundry. Why? If it doesn't include going downstairs or the related, this probably won't force you to enjoy laundry. Maybe you need to do other things? Have kids sorting their stuff? Have kids help with laundry? I would love to have a first floor laundry. It would help me so much. But it doesn't sound like that's the case with you. My thoughts, FWIW: 1-we would lose the shoe and dog feeding area Wouldn't lose it all with the stacked unit. Not sure you'd totally lose it anyway with some modification though. 2-not really any room to separate dirty clothes This could be a bit of an issue but a small wall hanging sorter might take care of it too. Or using hampers. 3-no rod to hang clean clothes as they come out of dryer Fold down rod or rod hung from ceiling? 4-the area would seem cramped "Seem" or "be"? That's two different questions 5-not sure about electric dryer- do they work as good as gas? Yes, as addressed before. We've lived with the current configuration for as long as we've lived here (13 years) Sounds like it works for you, but... BUT--I don't like doing laundry sometimes and I wonder if moving it up from unfinished basement would make it more enjoyable? Again, is it the darkness? The steps? What is it that bothers you? Darkness can be addressed with simple lights. Maybe a fresh coat of paint? A chair and a TV? Also, the clean clothes in the basement often don't make it up to the bedrooms so the kids run downstairs every morning to grab something. Well, if you don't finish laundry down there, it's not likely you'll finish it upstairs unless something else changes. Maybe you need to put shelves/drawers in the basement to store the clothes? Then just go there for your clothes. Or have the kids bring all of it up and put it away rather than one at a time? There's a number of issues here. I don't think a new location will resolve the underlying issues. If it's working, stay with it and work on improving it. Although again a stacked unit might be a possibility. Would you put clothes away if they were on the main floor? Can the dog eat somewhere else? Do you have that many shoes that you need a special room filled with them? Maybe check out some design magazines or something at the library and some organizing ideas. Might be helpful. I know this is an old thread but might still apply. I'm curious what happened.

We put brown paper where the washer and dryer are going. My husband is going to build pedestals for them to sit on which will make the tops of them be about 50” up from floor. Any ideas on the pedestal and can shelves go above the units and beside them? The empty space shown on left will be 18” wide. Does it matter if units are white or gray?

Lot's of ideas. (i'll address the closet in another comment) Right now, the sink and the appliance wall and floors: sink is always good to have. I wouldn't get rid of that. You can do something more vintage looking, Paint your cabinets, do a wall of subway tile (or any tile) get a drop in farmhouse sink, cabinet base Or how about this makeover for $100? https://timelesscreationsmn.com/diy-utility-sink-makeover/ This one is cool too. You could do a shelf over the back of your washer dryer. see how they did this one? super easy w/a 1x8 piece of wood and pipe parts. or just support it w/brackets into the studs. other sink and wall ideas Love these colors. find a sink like this, a sink base (get a used one, modify it and paint it) add the shiplap surround (to do it on the cheap, buy the cheapest pine floors from Lumber Liquidators, (it's less than $3 a sq foot) and put it on the wall. prime and paint. I used it on the walls inside our trailer. looks great on the wall, the ceiling ) Do a cool shelf above the sink. For your floors, Paint and stencil the tile. Before and After. (go to Royal Design STudios, or CuttingEdgeStencils for tutorials)

So you now hav ethe office wher eyou show the LR tata was probly a good choice since that room was too small to be anything for much else. I ahve areal issue with midrooms at guest entry spots IMO a mud room belongs next to the garge and that is wher eeveryone should enter unless theytake their coats and shoes up to their rooms when using the front entry .So imo the dunetter is the perfect spot for a mud room and maybe even maybe a change in kitchen layout to make it function better too I would change that kitchen into a really functional galley and use the DR for what it is for that would allow you to have a small mud room and a much better layout for the kitchen