That is too cool! If your machines are side-by-side, you wouldn't need the basket to transfer wet clothes to the dryer. I wonder why there is a cabinet in between them in the second pic? The distance you would need to reach would depend on the depth/width of the laundry basket--the woven basket doesn't seem to be as deep as the plastic basket.

I think the pull-out shelves would be great for folding clothes directly from the dryer.

That shelf would drive me nuts - nuisance to reach over. I, too, have back problems, and my doctor says bending is good for my back.

I could see it for the dryer for folding, and I suppose you could sit a basket of dirty clothes on the dryer shelf to load in the washer so you wouldn't have to stoop over. I would definitely want the shelf to retract when not in use.

I have side by side front loaders with the matching drawers underneath. Unfortunately, the drawers aren't deep enough for tall detergent bottles, etc, so I still have to have those things sitting out.

If you're going to have drawers built, make sure interior drawer height works for you.

I'm actually getting ready to do a minor facelift of my small laundry room. Although I can't do the pullout shelf, I've been thinking of a counter that's over my hampers that I can fold up against the wall out of the way to get to the sink. Or rather, keep it stored that way and unfold it when needed. It's a tight space. :-(

That shelf would drive me nuts - nuisance to reach over.

I would suggest that mental health crises could be prevented by not pulling out the pull-out shelf.

Yes, on the rolling cart! Mrs. Pete showed us one on her laundry thread in the BAH forum.

Plus, these machines are so persnickety about vibrating..I worry about how well the custom built bases work as far as vibration. Maybe this is not an issue with the newer machines.

My w/d are side by side now, albeit low, and I have NEVER been able to transfer things from the washer to the dryer without having little items fall on the ground. Ewww, pillow cases on the floor :) I didn't know this doesn't happen to everyone!!! Maybe the problem is their low height, because I grab as much as I can so I don't have to do it so many times. Now that I think about it, this might not prevent that anyway because with my luck items will fall between the pull outs! Maybe this mysterious feat is easier when the w/d are higher so you can stand closer to the machines, vs being hunched over?

Where I see it being valuable is for when I'm taking my stuff out of the washer, so I have a landing spot so I can sort through what needs to be hung dry vs going into the dryer. Does that make sense? Is there a better way?

The cart is a phenomenal idea. I'm going to think this through to see if I'd have other uses for it. If not, it would be a space saver to have the pull outs. The flexility is excellent because you could empty your stuff onto it from the washer and sort through it for your hang dry items, and then you can wheel it over to the dryer and just scoop the stuff in.

On that note, is a 4' aisle in a 14' laundry room good? Do I even have room for a cart? I can steal some space from my closet to make the laundry room wider if needed. The laundry room is 8'x14'

Could you support either the washer or dryer so that the cart would slide under for storage?

I drop a few things (mostly socks) between W/D once in a while, but it doesn't give me the skeeves. I try not to think about what my kids do when they are transferring laundry. ;)

I drop too. It is what it is. I'm actually having a cabinet about 18" wide between my W/D. Close enough to be able to move stuff from the W to the D but it also gives me a shelf in-between to put things that don't go into the dryer, or for spraying before going into the washer. The shelf on top of the cabinet will be some sort of stone.

Also my W/D will be up on pedestals.

Wonder what the installation people would say? "Lady, how am I supposed to get this heavy washer up there?" And when a service person comes he is usually alone....do repairs require pulling the unit out to get in the back? Just being practical!

@building for the cats..

"Where I see it being valuable is for when I'm taking my stuff out of the washer, so I have a landing spot so I can sort through what needs to be hung dry vs going into the dryer. Does that make sense? Is there a better way?"

I'm persnickety about how I do laundry. If I were less so, I'd probably get more help, lol. i always sort my darks into two loads. Those that need hung damp on hangars and those that need dried totally. Then there is no sorting from the washer. Same with lights. But, I hang a lot on hangers to finish drying. At least I know that everything in that load has to be hung on hangars. The other load has to be dried completely. I have a lot of basketball shorts, dri-fit, thick socks, etc. That's what works for me to simplify laundry.

A 4 ft aisle might be narrow. Might be just fine. Sounds like a great sized room. Mine is only going to be 5 ft wide. Post it on this forum. Might be better than bah forum. I might post mine here as well.

on the rolling cart. I was thinking I might find a place to store it under my folding counter. Simply not put cabinetry under all of the counter iykwim.

Uh, I never thought about what happens when the washer needs to be serviced!!! Now that I think about it, I've had 3 new units in my life but never a service call. Oh great, I am sure I just jinxed myself!

Ilovered, The rolling cart under the folding counter seems like a good spot. Oh, I was going to try to keep a flex area free for a sewing machine or to sit if I need to work on a spot or button. Perhaps that is a spot for a cart because it's already dead space under there (well, I'd want to push in the chair.. foiled again)

And.. I never thought about separating my laundry into hang and to be put in the dryer loads. It is a challenge to go through my pile of wet black things to figure out what is what. That was part of the appeal of the pull out shelves .. because I sit there and play detective for quite a while and then my back breaks!

I think I'm seeing they recently took space from the laundry room and put it in my closet. I will confirm this tomorrow, and once I know the true dimensions, I'll post the plan. I would love for you all to help me design an uber functional laundry room.

On that note, has anyone used a drying cabinet or steam cabinet?

cpartist, thanks for posting your plan. Hmmm, that space between the w and d is really creative. I was imagining something like that to the left of my washer so I could have the detergents handy (lateral researching instead of up or down)

I just searched for Mrs Pete's cart with no luck

mama goose, haha about what happens when the kids doing laundry. We have a weekly housekeeper but I decided to do my own laundry when I saw her carrying the sheets through the kitchen while they dragged through the plates of cat food!!!! MY EYES MY EYES!!!!

Personally, I like the idea of a shelf (or a cart, if need be). If you are looking into doing this you need to read the specs on your WD as there is usually some range as to how high (low) the water and drain pipes can be.

I think they're both dryers. No way could a heavy front loading washer be installed in a cabinet. They have to be somehow connected to the foundation to transfer forces during the spin cycle.

Mine washer and dryer are above a drawer that came with it.

Building for cats, I was also thinking of a flat-topped cart, maybe that folds to fit between the machine and wall or even hang on a wall. You could set a laundry basket on it and either roll it or carry it where it needs to be. Depends on how you use laundry baskets (we have several in our house, that sometimes even get used for laundry!) Also, if you have stairs, a wheeled basket isn't so convenient.

Designsaavy, those pedestal drawer things have rods that are attached to the washer/dryer legs so that the force from the machines is transferred to the floor/foundation.

I do think the pullout shelf/drawer is a clever idea for folding if space is otherwise limited.

In the olden days laundry carts were everywhere. approx 18' high x 48' long x 18' deep, slatted, on wheels - maybe check Craigslist or Kijiji for one? Can't find an image right now, of course, but I did find these: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-home-indoor-other/kitchener-waterloo/wheeled-laundry-carts/1154542107?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

In both pics, the machines seem to be manufactured to be side-by-side--the door pulls are arranged so that the doors open to each other. Would that be necessary of they're both dryers? If it's two dryers, maybe the washers are on the other side of the room?

After I scrolled up to take another look at the pics, I noticed that in the first one the door to the room has been removed, but the hinge plates are still attached to the door frame. I love real life pics. :)

I do have plenty of room, so I don't need the pull out shelves as a folding spot, although it seems convenient. Where should I put the folding counter (i.e., is it directly behind the dryer so you turn and empty the dryer on the opposite counter, or is it next to the dryer, which means carrying the stuff around the opened dryer door? My laundry room is 15.5 long and the counter with the w/d is 2'6" wide and the opposing counter is 2' wide. The aisle is 4' wide. I could take a little width from my closet if you think I need more than a 4' aisle. Is 4' enough to fold sheets etc? (my closet is on the other side of the wall, but they don't match up perfectly, so I would create a jog in my closet if I put some of the space in the laundry.

I'm so glad I shared the idea because all of you have so many good suggestions. Yeah, I assumed that if w/d can go on a pedestal, they can certainly go on a built in, but I never knew about the rods. I do see on Pinterest that a lot of people build DIY pedestals, so I imagine there is a way to do it right. The cart that can be folded is a great idea too!

Mama goose.. haha, now I see the door hinges.. hysterical!

UPDATE there are 42 inches between the w/d and the opposing counter!

First pic, can not say if it is both dryers but the second pic are a washer and dryer from Bosch.