skip to main content

Laundry Room Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Add a laundry room in 3/4 bathroom

6 years ago

Hello! I bought a house a couple of years ago that has a 3/4 bath. I'd like to convert the shower portion of that bath into a laundry area. The washer and drier are currently in the garage, which I do not like.

So in the end it would be a half bath with laundry room or a laundry area. I imagine I would have to have a stackable washer/drier but I'm not sure. Still trying to work out exactly how to do it. It's a small space.

Just wanted to get a feel for how much that would cost me and design ideas/advice from anyone who has done something similar.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

snarkyinla

6 years ago

From a use perspective, then I'd agree the laundry sounds more useful than the shower. However, from a resale perspective reducing from 2 showers to 1 is never a great idea. It just depends on how much you care about that. I agree if there is a way you can fit in a stackable AND a shower that would be ideal.

Comments (13)

_sophiewheeler
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Don’t devalue your house by reducing the bath to a powder room. Make the existing laundry room better.
Shannon Jody
Original Author
6 years ago
There isn't an existing laundry room. The washer and drier is in the garage.
Related Discussions
Trying to add shower to small bathroom / laundry room - HELP!
Q
Comments (9)
Yes, the "dead space" is a hallway. I will try an mock up a better rendering tonight. The space is a bit convoluted. For now, maybe this picture helps? If you can tell below, the blue wall space next to the doorway in front of the left side open shelving is the backside of the bathroom. This is not load bearing. What I'd like to do is drywall over that doorway, and move the bathroom door forward, adding about three and a half more feet of space into the bathroom from what is currently just a hallway that leads to the bathroom and garage door. The hallway runs the length of the backside of the kitchen run where my fridge and oven are. If you are walking down that hallway, it ends with the bathroom door straight ahead, my garage door to the left, and that open doorway into the kitchen on the right. That photo is captured above in an earlier post. So, from the hallway, the left wall has a door to my basement, the a closet then runs along my garage and the right side is opposite my kitchen. We have a full basement, not crawl space. Moving doors should not be a problem.
...See More
remodel bathroom to laundry room
Q
Comments (2)
"My hall bathroom is on the other side of the kitchen so electric and of course plumbing already there." Not really. Each appliance will require its own electrical circuit from the breaker panel. I have a ventless dryer. It exhausts a lot of moist area which is okay because it's located on a hallway and exhausts into a large open area. I think that a ventless dryer would make a bathroom miserably hot and moist whenever it's operating.
...See More
How to layout basement bathroom and laundry room
Q
Comments (1)
Hire a good local designer, who knows the Building codes and who has a contractor that will pull the correct permits for this.
...See More
How to fit 2 bathrooms and a laundry room in a small space
Q
Comments (17)
Your sketch dimensions are a bit confusing. In the first one, it looks like the rooms were drawn with 6" per squares, but then the hall doesn't follow that. The second one appears to have a scale of 2' per square and does seem more in proportion, but both are missing a number of dimensions and aren't drawn precisely enough to guess. If you give the dimensions for everything that needs to stay (so exterior walls, plumbing you don't intend to move, etc.), we can try to help you with configuration options. Remember that walls have a thickness ... Bathrooms can be added on a slab, but it requires planning and trenching into the slab to lay the plumbing, so I can understand why you might want to avoid that. It would be helpful to know which parts are on the slab more precisely than the back vs. the front, particularly since I would have thought where you initial suggesting adding the small bath would be in the back ... suzanne, I think what you're referring to is the door between the two rooms.
...See More
_sophiewheeler
6 years ago
Then make something better out of that situation. Not something worse, and a big negative, for the house.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
I think we need to know how many bathrooms there are in the house and in your area what would be a bigger turn off what you plan or the laundry in the garage. I have friends in Fla. they have it in the garage and it seems so do most of their neighbors in a very high end neighborhood.
Helen
6 years ago
How small is it?

In my condo building, many people have put stacked W/D in the guest 3/4 bath. They use the 24" compact/ventless W/D units and put them behind enclosed cabinets generally. It would depend on how small your 3/4 bath is since our guest baths have a vanity which is on the opposite wall from the shower and toilet so it's wide enough to still fit a sink with some counter space.

I am putting my stacked unit in one of my master closets as it's a more aesthetic decision in terms of my guest bath and obviously a bit more convenient in terms of where it is. The stacking accessory I am getting has a pull out shelf in the "middle" which makes it convenient for folding.
snarkyinla
6 years ago
I HATED having my laundry in the garage with a passion so I lean towards any situation to bring it inside. That said, is it a regularly used bath? How many other baths are there? If you have more than enough other full baths in the house, then fine. If you only have two full baths and now you are going to one, then losing the shower is not ideal...
Shannon Jody
Original Author
6 years ago
It's a small bath i don't know the exact measurements, but there is the shower on one side with some cabinets to the right of it and then across is the toilet and sink with a mirror over it.

We have one full bath and the 3/4 bath. That bathroom is very rarely used. Once in a while someone will use the toilet. The shower we have never used. We have totes sitting in the shower still lol.
Helen
6 years ago
How wide is the space next to the shower - is it wide enough for a compact stacked W/D?

I use the guest shower so infrequently that I had one of my maintenance men turn it on for me just in case the valves had frozen :-)
chiflipper
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Phoenix, Arizona, W&D in the garage is the norm. Pressure wash the concrete and have it "coated" (polyurea is great), a fresh coat of cheerful paint on the interior garage walls, install lighting so you have illumination cast on the front of the units, install a rod so you can hang clothes right out of the dryer, buy or erect a "shed" in the backyard for all the stuff that's preventing you from having a clean, clear walkway to the area, wash whichever car is adjacent to the walkway the day before you do the washing.
User
6 years ago
I HATED having my washer and drier in the garage - an unairconditioned garage at that. So it was AWFULLY hot - in Florida. And we did park our vehicles in the garage, so it was not full of junk, as someone has suggested. So I understand your want for it to be inside. You'll just have to measure your space and get measurements for the units you're considering to see if they will fit. Get someone out there, tell him what you want, and ask if it's possible and if he can do it, and at what cost. I'd do it, too. Wouldn't care about "resell", as I AM THE ONE who is living there and doing the laundry - not some potential person who may not even exist. Make your home comfortable for YOU, not someone who may buy your house IF you decide to sell, and then will redo it anyway.
User
6 years ago
Some inspiration photos from Houzz....
San Mateo Spanish Style · More Info

Small powder/laundry room · More Info

Washer and driver behind doors
Bathroom Remodel · More Info

Fresh, Bright, and Tiny Powder Room · More Info

Bathroom Remodel · More Info
Shannon Jody
Original Author
6 years ago
The place beside the shower is only about 15 inches. The inside of the shower was 28 inches I think. Something like that. I took pictures.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

LAUNDRY ROOMS Soak Up Ideas From 3 Smart Laundry Rooms

By Mitchell Parker

We look at the designers’ secrets, ‘uh-oh’ moments and nitty-gritty details of 3 great laundry rooms uploaded to Houzz this week

LAUNDRY ROOMS New This Week: 3 Fun Laundry Room Styles to Consider

By Mitchell Parker

If you’re looking to take your space from tired to inspired, these projects can offer inspiration

LAUNDRY ROOMS Laundry Room Redo Adds Function, Looks and Storage

By Mitchell Parker

After demolishing their old laundry room, this couple felt stuck. A design pro helped them get on track — and even find room to store wine

LAUNDRY ROOMS New This Week: 4 Envy-Inducing Laundry Rooms With Clever Storage

By Mitchell Parker

These spaces feature dedicated solutions that handle multiple tasks

MOST POPULAR 8 Ways to Add a Load of Color to Your Laundry Room

By Jennifer Ott Design

Give a tedious task a boost by surrounding yourself with a bold, happy hue

LAUNDRY ROOMS New This Week: 3 Eye-Catching Laundry Rooms

By Mitchell Parker

Just because you have high-tech appliances doesn’t mean your laundry room has to look like something from outer space

BUDGET DECORATING Reader Laundry Room: A Better Way In for $4,100 in Wisconsin

By Erin Carlyle

This laundry room serves as an entrance to the home, but its original finishes lacked personality

TRENDING NOW 4 Storage and Style Ideas in Top Laundry Rooms of Spring 2020

By Erin Carlyle

See how attractive tile, a laundry basket station for sorting and other design details can improve your washday routine

LAUNDRY ROOMS New This Week: 3 Enviable Laundry Rooms

By Mitchell Parker

Natural light, beautiful materials and functionality make laundry chores more enjoyable

LAUNDRY ROOMS New This Week: 3 Cheerful Laundry Rooms Loaded With Ideas

By Mitchell Parker

Bright color and smart design details can make doing the wash pleasant and efficient

Sponsored

More Discussions

Replacing a stacking Bosch Axxis+ Washer

0

Cleaning Front Load washer

22

paint color for small laundry room

16

Bosch ventless dryer questions…

2

Need help, washing machine problem

3