Hi. What's your floor like right outside this room?

So far I don't picture light and airy, I guess cause navy is fairly dark, and wood will contrast with white appliances....have you considered eliminating uppers and have that cool pipe/wood look? or have that in smaller section of wall in the room?

They might say not to place anything above, but these country baskets in laundry room seem ok. Inside them: plastic bags or not for off-season bedding, or pillows. These cabinets are softer and lighter than navy… painted China Blue Enamel sheen... And what about fabric in some way?

https://www.houzz.com/photos/roxburogh-park-traditional-laundry-room-denver-phvw-vp~3993851

following.... needing ideas for the new build/laundry room here also :)

What style is your house? Is it a farmhouse? I’d want it to be cohesive with the overall style of the house.

If you move the cabinets up, will you be able to reach the contents? The machines stick out making it hard to get a stepladder in position to reach the top, and you'd have to have a ladder at hand. Also one of the grabber-reachers.

I really like our little shelf above the machines, but it's a laundry room so it does get a bit dusty.

You can try out pieces of the new style easily. Remove the doors from the cabinet for a few weeks to see how much dust and lint you get. Take everything off the top shelves because they won't be reachable if moved up except with a stepladder. Then get some measurements of new frontloaders (like from ajdiamond.com or the manufacturers' websites) and move your current washer out a few inches to match their depth. Don't bother trying to move the dryer out because the exhaust duct fitting would have to be changed. Does your door still open and close? Would you need to swap washer and dryer locations?

It is pretty easy to vacuum dry lint out of the crevice lines in shiplap or other types of trim once a month or so. Lint that's gotten damp tends to stick a bit, so if you air dry things or have a humid climate, you may need to use a light brush as well as the vacuum brush attachment.

One word of caution if you are planning on getting front loaders....there’s a reason they sell pedestals for these machines.

We just finished a new build and due to an error on my part the matching pedestals would not fit because they brought the entire units up too high (upper cabs were already in place) so I had to have custom wood platforms built for them. But in the interim I lived with the washer/dryer just sitting on the floor for six months. Let me tell you, I couldn’t wait to get them lifted up off the floor! I’m only 5’2” and do not have a bad back, but having to bend all the way over to get the clothes out of both washer and dryer was an absolute pain. It’s especially hard to reach all the way in to the back of the interior. I can see that you need a place to fold etc. and want to utilize the spot above them, but these front loaders are truly designed to be up on pedestals. I don’t know if you have more space available in your laundry room for a table/shelf for folding so that you can get them up off the floor....it’s just something to consider.

Front loader washer doors cannot be switched to swing the other way so must be on the left. Depending on where the dryer vent is that may or may not be an issue.

Electrolux FL units have reversible doors.

IMO open shelving in a laundry room means just one more place to have to clean constantly. I like uppers but the fact is they are difficult to get into when you are short . I have no pedestals on my W/D and do not find them any less easy to use than the standard W/D with top load washer.IMO there would be no place for a shelf below the cabinets as for “shiplap” I hate the stuff so I would forgo that. The folding shelf needs to be hinged or removeable for service so keep that in mind.Past that I would need to see an actual plan showing the room size . As for the floors I guess that would be a personal decision.Your dryer venting will need a bit of moving and also hook up for the washer might have to move.

My Electrolux machines allow the doors to be changed. I did.

You wouldn't be able to reach those shelves.

My machines are on pedestals and I wouldn't have it any other way. All my cleaning supplies are stored in there and no bending to get clothes in or out.

Unless you have an abundance of storage for stuff like lightbulbs, your iron, starch, cleaning and laundry products, and whatever else people stuff into their laundry room cupboards, I'd stay away from open cabinets like the plague. An added cleaning burden, plus, scooting the cabinets up means you cannot easily reach things. Remember it's just a laundry room, let it be the workhorse it should be. Don't fall prey to the notion that every square foot of your home needs to conform to the current dictates of the design world-no matter how cool they might be. The shiplap is a dusting nightmare too. But yes, scrape that popcorn off the ceiling. It makes rooms look smaller and dirtier.

IMHO, paint the cabinets white and the walls a warm but clean gray. Or a lovely sea glass, the sky is the limit if you paint the cabinets white. I love the idea of a countertop above the W/D and a skinny shelf above that-so functional! Butcher block will swell with moisture-I'd go with Corian or another solid surface material that won't break the bank. I'd stay away from tile and use vinyl flooring because it's easy and waterproof and you will never need to clean the grout. There are some incredible luxury vinyl flooring options out there. Check out Amtico. Amtico stone and wood flooring is so real looking.

Also, if there isn't a second story above the laundry room, I would recommend a solatube-type skylight to brighten things up. These little round skylights are an amazing source of natural light, but are only the size of a dinner plate in the room's ceiling. Who wouldn't love that?

An airy, bright laundry room is everyone's dream. Paint is the best way to go. Skip the complicated cosmetic upgrades and save money for a place in your home where a those charming details will make a real impact. Create a laundry room that frees you from spending undue time in it. Now that's my kind of laundry room!

I'm not a word art fan but I saw this last week at Bed Bath and Beyond and thought it funny:

The Laundry Room: Loads of Fun.

Love your laundry room! Where did you buy that pully contraption? Great idea.

Just in the middle of a laundry room relocation and renovation. I have front loaders which came with the house and are still working after 15 years . They were on pedestals and I removed the pedestals when I moved them into the new location. What a difference!!!!!! I love them without pedestals. They were monstrous, gigantic, intimidating beasts which dominated and overwhelmed the entire space. Now that the machines are lower (I know it sounds crazy but we both agree) , I don't feel this horrible looming laundry presence every time I go in there. I don't mind the bending down at all. When I eventually replace them with newer models which don't have the controls at the back I will be able to get a countertop over them for folding. I want to still put in a fold down hanging rack.I'm looking for an old fashioned galvanized tub to use as a laundry sink on a pedestal and an antique washboard to hang up Crates to put on a low shelf above the machines. so the laundry supplies are out but somewhat hidden.

Funny how we all have different experiences. I had front loaders for 10 years without pedestals. We sold our home and moved to Florida. We had to buy new machines and I liked how high the machines were on the pedestals in the store. I ordered them and have been living with them for over 6 years.

I love the pedestals. I don't feel they take over the room at all. Before, I kept all my stuff on top of the machines. Now I have the drawers beneath, out of sight and easy to get to. I keep a drying rack on top of the dryer for my microfiber clothes which dry quickly.

Without the pedestals, you'd have to put the detergent and dryer sheets on counters or shelves.

Probably depends on the size of the laundry room. Mine is a good size and I have cabinets and counters to fold sheets.

Jane I got the pulley dryer rack online, but it's actually a very old idea. People have been using them for eons, in mansions in laundry room, and in smaller homes in the kitchen on the ceiling above the fireplace or stove.

Oh thank you for sharing that, @pennydesign. I've been looking for something similar. Do you have pictures of yours as you installed it?

Oh Houzz...(this may double post, idk...)

Sorry for the bad pics..

It's a small room and I couldn't back up any more...

OMG pics and houzz and failure to load...will try again in a day or so...maybe they will have sorted themselves out or those I thought I loaded will be here...

So sorry, scottie mom..

Yes. Houzz won't let me load atm. Probably in a day or so you'll see a few comments and a few pics showing up, finally....