Ideas for best use of 6x3ft space?

8 years ago

This side of our laundry area has a "cubby" of 3ft deep and 6ft wide for the washer and dryer. The appliances are front loading, 36hx27w. The ceiling is 8ft. Should I raise the appliances? Put a floating countertop over them? If I mount cabinets on the wall, a lot of the space would be too far back to reach. Maybe open shelves and a drying rack? I'd like to decide "side one" before tackling "side two" in this little galley style laundry room. Thanks!

Featured Answer

Alex Chicago

8 years ago

This is a personal taste question and only you can answer it. I do not care for pedestals, but I understand why older folks or people with bad joints like to have the machines raised a little higher. If I had your space, a counter for folding and sorting would suit my practices much better. You could run some retractable cords along the width to hang items for drying, too, and wind them back up when not in use. RV catalogs will have them if you can't find them in stores. A few open shelves would be nice. Put one low enough that you can easily reach it for your day-to-day laundry products. Up higher, you can store boxes and bulk detergent and access it with a step ladder on the rare occasion you need to.

This is a good problem to have. I'm envious of the space.

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kris_zone6
8 years ago
I second Alex's remarks.
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practigal
8 years ago
I would consider adding pedestals if you felt you needed them. Personally I prefer countertop on top so that as I pull things out of the dryer I can fold them and put them on the countertop and then walk them back to their room. I also like the idea of a retractable folding rack for the delicates that have to be line dried. I like the idea of a shelf, not too much of a shelf it will just get dusty, maybe on one of the side walls where you can easily reach things on the shelf, just to hold your laundry detergents. Do you iron? Will the ironing board go in this area? I am not sure what brand of washer dryer you're getting but be sure that the openings face each other. If this is not on the lowest floor I would put a drain in the floor so that it doesn't destroy the floor below if the washer starts to leak. Where will the laundry hamper be? Do you have separate hampers for white, dark, colored, special treatment somewhere else? If not you may want to use some of the space above the washer and dryer to put sorting bins. Mainly you need to be certain that the height of the water outlet is the correct height for your washer, scene for the drain. I would have the water shut off for the washer in the place that you can easily reach in and grab it and turn it off should something go wrong.
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Jubilante
Original Author
8 years ago
I am just amazed at the detailed and thoughtful responses. I had never really prowled around this part of gardenweb...who knew?

I don't use bins, I sort and drag it out to the garage load by load. I fold it while watching TV in the LR...so a counter for folding is new to me. LOL I must sound kinda barbaric. Oh, and my husband does iron his shirts, so we will need an ironing board.
Thanks again!
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practigal
8 years ago
Your husband irons his own shirts?!? Woweeeeeee! I just looked at all of the kitchen and laundry room issues as a game-you want to do as little as possible so you can live the biggest life possible. It means that you need to be really organized....
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wildchild2x2
8 years ago
Pedestal or not also depends on your height. I am short and I put my washer on a pedestal and left the dryer low. It's easy to pull dry clothing out at knee height, not so fun doing the same with heavy, wet, stuck to the wall of the drum clothing in the washer. My daughter is tall and she prefers both be on pedestals.

Because front loaders are so deep having shelves over them aren't very practical unless you are tall.

You could also use a tall cabinet on either side for storage if you wanted. Maybe a tall cab on the almost 2 foot space on the left and counter top with open shelving on the right. How much space do you have to the right ?
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Jubilante
Original Author
8 years ago
Here is the full layout of the room. It is roughly 6.5X12.5ft plus the "bump out" There is plumbing for sink under the window which looks out over the backyard.

I am 5-9, so raising the appliances doesn't sound too bad!
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MizLizzie
8 years ago
Some of the gals on the kitchen forum have mounted high wall cabinets over their w/d and fridge and installed pantry roll-out shelves inside. If it were me (5'4" and over the hill) I would go without pedestals. I would have a hinged or floating butcher block countertop above them, maybe just on cleats so I could get it off easily. And then well above, I would mount deep upper cabs with roll-outs inside, even if I had to use a step stool to get a good view inside them. And wall to wall, I would maybe mount a closet rod, or a drop down drying rack of some sort. Maybe a Lofti or one of those Ballard bead-board ones. A lot of folks on Etsy will make custom ones for you. What a fun project. Good luck.
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wildchild2x2
8 years ago
OK It's clear now. Forget the sides. You don't have any useful space at the sides. At your height I would use pedestals with drawers. I would put 30" deep wall cabinets over the appliances. Kraftmaid is one company that offers them but they would be easy enough to build. Just be sure they have proper side and wall support if you don't use full height side panels Depending on what you store there you could have doors or leave the space open. The doorways negate putting much else on that wall.
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Jubilante
Original Author
8 years ago
Do most people prefer stainless or silgranit or porcelain sinks for utility purposes?
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practigal
8 years ago
Silgranit for the kitchen. If I had a laundry, I'd want to put in stainless with really large stainless drainboards....nothing delicate in the laundry...you know others will use that sink for all kinds of things...
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Ideas for best use of 6x3ft space?

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Ideas for best use of 6x3ft space?

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