Thanks, everyone! This is SO helpful! So, for using the baskets" ours is more of a "laundry traffic management" system. We each have our own (they are actually Bungalow Scout Junque Trunques - pretty huge!) - so Mom, Dad, Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 each have their own spot for laundry. We don't actively keep dirties there or sort with them, everyone keeps their dirty laundry in a hamper in their room and then it comes down to get done. Then when dry, it goes in their own basket, they take their basket to put the laundry away and the basket comes back to the laundry room home base. That's why the kind that sits in a pull-out drawer, or even the rolling wouldn't be as ideal (we have a three-story house so the laundry is traveling all over. rococogurl, can you send me a link or take pic of those baskets though? I'd love to see what those look like - and it certainly saves me on base cabinets since I don't have those?!) That SAID, I am now thinking that since Ikea has those handy cabinets with pull outs that are pretty reasonable, maybe I'll build in two of those for towels and sheets? A big hamper for those would be fabulous and they never fit in our "personal" baskets. Knowing that, what do you think in terms of where the baskets live? That's sort of why I'm focused on the folding, packing in basket, and returning, process. In terms of using a sink, we've had laundry upstairs for 12 years and the ONLY time I've soaked something is when my husband washed whites with a red sock and i was trying to white vinegar out the pink. So, wouldn't say we are big "hand washing people." It's more to have the option - and to have a place to wash your hands which I do want b/c of sticky soap, lint, etc. So, in light of that, thoughts on the sink? The think about our corner is that unless I put a giant lazy susan, it is a dead corner because of the window, so it's sort of why I considered that option? The idea of it by the big utility cabinet is interesting too through (again, rococogurl - thx) - it leaves me the MOST countertop space in one swoop. And, the big utility cabinet is actually for the mop, swiffer, vacuum, etc so there could be some value to it being there? rococogurl, any chance you could take some photos of your laundry room (I won't judge - it's about function!) The washer and dryer are going to be on a platform and then on a pedastal - I just couldn't do that in the IKEA rendering. I'm 5' 11" and my hubby is 6' 2 and our daughters are already tall, so the higher the better! I'm ok not having counter there as a sacrifice for not breaking my back. The only thing that occurred to me after is that I could have run a counter along the wall to the LEFT of the washer - that would have been handy, even if it was just width of a basket b/c I could have set something there and it's sort of dead space now. Hmmmm... I think the plumbing is already in though for the washer, does it need to be right behind it? mydreamhome, if I go corner, what brand is that? it does look like a nice size? Last question to toss out there, I've been struggling wth what countertop material. My contractor has a slab of soapstone that is pretty and could be used for a really good good price. I know soapstone is soft but I guess what I"m thinking of is making it a very CLASSIC laundry room - white subway, simplicity? My house is a 1917 Colonial, so while having a laundry room on the 2nd floor like this is out of period, soapstone is not?! Even if it gets marked up and "loved" over the years? Thoughts? THANK YOU to all of you - I have no one here to help me. No designer and my contractor just executes. My husband has a mantra: "I care deeply but have no preference." So, I really appreciate your thoughts! Alexa

Do you have one of those exterior wrought-iron staircases that look super cute from the outside but bring up terrifying images of slipping and tripping to death in winter? Yeah, few houses with that particular kind of detail were built in the U.S. after WWI. In fact, if that house were in the US I'd guess Victorian. But you guys held onto the Euro look a lot longer. While these diagonal corner cabs aren't as popular on the forum for aesthetic reasons, I truly do think they are useful IF you know what you're going to store on each shelf. The top shelf is always a once-in-a-while type of space. Really sort through your stuff and see what might find a home there before you decide. Try to play with one in a showroom, and maybe bring your cans or whatnot along to experiment.

Thanks for all the great ideas! Gennifer - the first thing our KD considered was moving the peninsula to make room for the DW! However, it would push the peninsula right up to the slider doors to the deck. With our kids (and their friends), the peninsula seating is in heavy use throughout the day, and we felt we would be narrowing the path to the slider doors to the deck too much. So - we decided to keep the DW where is already is. Cpartist - that's an interesting idea! We never even considered removing the peninsula and adding an island. I'm not quite sure we could actually remove the fridge wall to make room since that wall is part of our small family room and has furniture against it. An interesting thought though! Mamagoose - I like the idea of the shallower cabinets, and it would be similar to the type of pantry storage we currently have (shelving vs pullouts). You are right - it would definitely provide a softer transition to the open space on the oven wall. Thanks all!

The distance between the interior edge of the door opening and the wall corner is a little under 17" I do think the cabinet guy could build over the molding. I just wonder how that will really LOOK, with the cabinets overlapping one entire side of the door, and squeezed right up next to you on your left as you enter. But it is definitely a possibility. I don't want exposed shelving, as the laundry room does a fair bit of unattractive storage, so that just defeats my purpose of prettying-up this room. While I'm not totally opposed to a broom or two being exposed, I do want the vacuum cleaner hidden. And at that point, I should have a tall door I can hang the broom inside of. Sigh. Why are the smallest spaces always the hardest!?