I fear I must be brutally honest with you and tell you that this layout will not function well. Why? It's too narrow. There are no provisions for mandatory connections (even though you will most likely vent the dryer through the side) at the back of your laundry machines to be connected, hoses, electrical, etc. If, by looking at your drawing, the washer and dryer are approximately 29 inches deep you will need additional space--per individual manufacturer required specifications--regarding setbacks from walls. This narrow space will also lead to difficulties both installing and servicing your laundry machines. The door swing is in the way of functioning area: the sink. This means that you must constantly be cognizant of others who might enter the laundry room so that they do not hit you. If you can, increase the size to a desirable square of 10x10 feet as it will provide for a truly useable laundry space versus what is designed now. Long/narrow spaces are not what I would consider the ideal space for laundries. In your case you will likely find it to be prohibitively narrow when built. Servicing laundry for five people is a lot for a home.

I like recessed cans in the laundry room because I like it bright in there... in our current LR which is just a bit larger than yours, we have 6 cans--it's nice and bright, but I would love to have a fixture too that I could turn on separately since we're in and out of that room so much and don't always need bright lighting... I would be worried that just a single light might not be enough- I would prob put in 2 hanging fixtures with some bling and exposed bulbs to maximize the light output... or a couple of cans (over sink and washer area?) along with the single fixture...

The plan you have right now is fine but realize that if you ever go to a washer FL you will need to switch the washer and dryer. While most dryer doors can switch to hinge on either the left or right (but be sure to check your machine), no FL washer can be hinged on the right. Only the left. Ditch the door from the pantry. Remember the pantry is smaller now. You don't want to give up another 30" for a door. I might consider flipping the laundry room and the closet outside of it. Why? I'm not sure you'll want your plumbing in the same wall that backs your pantry?

Annette, thank you for taking the time to answer. Apologies for the very rough sketch. I didn't explain that we will be adding the envisioned left hand wall, sectioning off the new laundry space from the current open garage space. The elevator and space at the bottom of the sketch are in the interior of the house. The door between the elevator and the stairs opens from the foyer into the garage. The closet I have drawn in there, we have now decided will be added to the laundry room and not the foyer. The lines I have drawn in the middle of the left hand wall will be stairs going down to the lower level of the garage. There will be a door there. The sketch I have drawn correlates to the right hand section of the blueprint. The perspective would be the equivalent of the first photograph. The new wall will be placed where the dotted line is in the blue print . Am I making more sense? (or any sense.... ;) ) I agree with you about putting the dryer on the exterior wall. I'm not sure why my contractor boyfriend is so insistent on them not being on an exterior wall. Were the Fl units you were using in the house on pedestals or without? I feel without the pedestals they will be ok. I'm short: 5'4"