Yes that's what I mean. It's exasperating! They waltz right past the bathroom and wash their grubby hands and then flick the water all over. Gah. I have been working on that issue for years and they aren't clueing in. Yesterday dh backed me up when again there they were at the sink and I said THAT MEANS YOU TOO. His jaw dropped, lol. My sink, MY SINK for food prep people. Get outta my space with those dirty hands! I think your long counter is in a perfect spot. It's close enough to be useful but it's not IN the kitchen per se. Thumbs up to that! Mine is more in the back entry and it's not as convenient. You certainly can put a utility sink in the garage - but I don't know about winter time if there would be a span of weather that you couldn't use it - here that would be the case unless there is a way to insulate it. Definitely would want it on an inside wall at the least. I think you need to evaluate what exactly you plan to use that W/D for and if you will be doing a lot of soaking or if that stuff would go upstairs to the other W/D and how frequently you'll be using this one. I have a utility sink by my W/D - had to fight for it as our bath is near and hubby thought it wasteful but when you have someone sick in the night or stains that need extra soaking it's 100% worth it to me. That is my humble opinion. That one time one of them had the flu in my mind made it worth the extra cost. I don't want that soaking in my sink - and they aren't deep enough anyway.

What if you put a built-in bench to the right as you walk in the back door -- under the window. It could have a top that lifts up to store backpacks, shoes, etc. It could be so cool. You could also use it as seating when you have company over. I'd make it a little deeper than typical. Maybe hang hooks on either side of the window?

You can certainly look into it, but I'm assuming that all the unattractive items here are emergency related and therefore not allowed to be covered or painted. Nothing stops you from looking into that, however. Ask your neighbors - how did they deal with this? What is your style? I know this sounds odd, but this is the approach I would take: make your entry transformation so wild, that there's no way anyone would notice the hideous state of it!!!! https://www.houzz.com/photos/query/multicolor-entry/nqrwns I would put a beautiful and oversized light, so that is the focus. Treat this challenge like we treat makeup - enhance the positive and disguise the negative! You could use the same approach here. I Googled what the opposite of mauve is and it's yellow. There are a lot of different yellows. Is that a color that would go with your style?

What???