Have a little fun spoof on laundry: Multiple sizes.......including 30 x 40

https://www.art.com/products/p12966512-sa-i2207262/camille-pissarro-les-lavandieres-the-washerwomen-1895.htm?upi=P13XUA0&PODConfigID=8880730

If you need a bit more storage, carts, in a variety of styles, are available that fit between the washer and dryer.

Just to add, you can buy the carts online, at the Container Store or if in Canada, at Solutions.

If it were me, I would put cabinets. You can never have enough storage. You can get a small step-ladder if needed.

The current set up is very awkward and needs to be fixed. I can't see everything that is going on in that space, but from what I can see I would .... remove that one upper cabinet that is just hanging there by itself. I would carry the "counter top" that you're creating all the way to the wall so that you have a larger counter top and can have storage below. And then I would do upper cabinets along that wall (and again the length of that wall).

The pictures are fun but this is still a workspace, so I suggest including a combination of corkboard, magnetic, and chalkboard. I keep laminated fabric care and stain charts there, list items to be replaced, envelopes and bags for buttons and single socks that invariably find their way into the laundry, and calendar for cleaning dryer vents,etc. If this is a family laundry I also include incoming and outgoing baskets for each member of the family.

Cabinets would be great, but I also like the art. Hard to tell for sure on my screen, but Jan's example might have some colors that could compliment your wall color.

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses! I also love the idea of a message center but I can barely reach back there. I should have tried to put myself in the photo for scale LOL If I stand in front, the counter comes to mid-chest and my fingers can only graze those white switch covers.
I think artwork and maybe a low shelf is my only option. More art suggestions are welcome (though the ones you've already suggested are awesome)

You might like a clothes hanger bar from the wall to the cabs. Comes in handy. If you put to toward the front you will be able to reach it. They also have clothes drying racks that pull out from the wall and look cool and can serve the same purpose.

Hanging bar is a must in the laundry room. Don’t put cork board, it’s too far to reach even for a taller person.

I like the inbetween cart. I like the art. I like the idea of extending the counter. Do you have a sink in the room? If not can you put one in the extended counter. If you extent the counter you need to raise the wall cupboards so you have room for activities on the counter.

Can you reach the dryer if you stack these? If not, it may be worth a step stool so you can free up the space to the right. As it is you have lost a lot of valuable real estate since these units are so deep.

Thanks for this thoughtful response! You have a good point about moving the water pipe.. I have thought about stacking w/d in past but why get on a stool every time I do laundry? (I guess I could just wear heels and pearls for the housework -- hmm just occurred to me! lol)

And thanks for thinking about that butcher block! Yes it is real and the guy at lumber liquidators said it would be ok to just keep it oiled. But you think it needs polyurethane? I certainly would not want it to pull apart :(

The big reason why I would get that pipe out of the way is because I just know that after the novelty of having a 'new' laundry room wore off--like within a year--I would be kicking my own butt for the next five, ten, fifteen or however many years I lived with for not having dealt with it at the get-go.

I love your laundry space & wish I had something like it to work with! (Love that door w/ lites.) Mine is in an expanded closet in the basement with HVAC ductwork and the breaker box in the way of doing much of anything with it. Those fold-out drying racks are awesome but I've nowhere to put one.

The most important thing with butcher block is to coat both sides & all edges equally & with the same product.

Top coat with poly?

Not if you have already applied a non-drying oil (mineral oil, for example). The top coat won't adhere.

IF you used a drying type oil (tung oil, boiled linseed oil, etc.), with proper prep, you can top coat after the oil has fully cured.

If you used mineral oil, be mindful that oil can leach out of the wood onto clothing if left laying on the surface. You should be OK w/ incidental contact if not freshly oiled. Just don't leave anything you care about laying on it.

Again, IF you used mineral oil, you can use a penetrating drying type oil finish that should sufficiently seal the wood and prevent any leaching. Equal parts tung oil, oil-based varnish and mineral spirits. Multiple coats flooded on, let set a bit, wipe off. Let dry and repeat. You'll need at least three coats, probably. Depends on the wood & how porous it is. Keep applying until it has the sheen that you want. (I buy real tung oil & mix my own because many of the 'tung oil finishes' on the market don't actually have any tung oil in them.) Avoid linseed oil like the plague in a moist environment like a laundry room because linseed oil can support mold & mildew growth.

Another thing--I use gloss varnish because it is more durable than the reduced sheen ones. The addition of 'flatteners' in semi-gloss, matte, etc. makes for a softer finish. If the finish is too shiny for your taste, you can use steel wool or the 3M 'scotch brite type' sanding pads to reduce the shine.

Last thing--if you use the home made oil finish and it starts to dry & get too sticky to wipe off, coat it with fresh finish & wipe. The solvents will soften it up and make it easier to wipe down.

***Last, last thing--very, very important. Any rags with finish on them should be hung to dry or burned immediately because they can spontaneously combust. I hang them outside on the edge of my firepit and either burn them or put them in the garbage after the rags are thoroughly dry & stiff.

Wow great info, ci_lantro! Thanks a million. I had read some about the oils but was confused, so this is wonderful and clear! Also glad you said that about the rags. I was just thinking back to all those warnings we got in school about oily rags causing fires!

Spacecadet, you might check Ballard Design's site for the drying racks suzyq posted. I've also been looking for some nice art for our laundry room walls. An online search for "laundry room wall art" pulled up some fun options, but any art you like can be nice.

The drying rack in the second picture, the one with the shirt on a hanger, would be pretty easy to build.