If you are that freaked out by mice and can afford it, hire an exterminator. If you can't afford it, set some humane traps. NOT A STICKY TRAP. The sticky traps are horrible. They severely torture the trapped mice, and also torture the human that put them out, via guilt. No matter how much you hate mice, if you have never seen a mouse or other creature on a sticky trap, believe me, you don't want to. They are stuck to the glue, and are absolutely frantic, trying to escape. They end up tearing their own skin off and breaking bones in the process, adding to the agony. They finally give up out of exhaustion, dehydration, and injury, and death comes slowly and painfully. I hate rodents, and certainly would FREAK if they were inside my house, but I would never subject any creature to a death like that. By humane traps, I mean one of two options: A snap trap that will kill them quickly, or a trap that will allow them to crawl inside but not be able to escape. Then you have to take them somewhere and release them. Probably not high on your list ;) An exterminator will do this for you. But again, there is a cost associated. The advice given about finding the spots where they are entering is very good. Mice can get inside via a hole as little as 1/2" wide. Here is a link that might be useful: Google: glue trap death

I'll chip in with my thoughts. If you have access to specialty lighting stores or the lighting sections of big box stores, you could look at actual displays of a huge variety of different types of fixtures which will suit your situation. You may be fortunate to get the assistance of knowledgable floor managers who can give you the information you require, such as what types give the type of light you're looking for. Make sure you get someone who knows what they are talking about. You will definitely find lighting which will satisfy your requirement, and you may have to pick depending on cost. Ted

We remodeled (a smaller house than yours) and moved laundry to upstairs. We don't have a dedicated laundry room (didn't have one before either). But, we have more than a stackable-size only closet for laundry. My laundry closet that is convenient to bedrooms is 3 1/2 feet deep by about 9 feet long with 8' of bifolding doors that make the "closet" open into a room-size when those doors are open to the hallway. It feels room-like to me. And, there is plenty of room for utility type stuff--a counter top, space to put the laundry baskets, laundry detergent, etc. What you show in those images, I see no practical space for laundry detergent, hang-drying, etc. So, does it need to be a dedicated room? No. But, more space than a tower closet for a family house (2900sq ft is larger than my family sized house).

I have laundry in the basement-- have a laundry chute direct to the laundry. I have never wanted a laundry on the second floor but have wished that I had it on the main floor sometimes. Advantage to basement--usually have a lot of room (I don't). We can get really dirty sometimes, with gardening and landscaping projects. Can shuck the dirties in the garage or back entryway and drop down the laundry chute there (or in a bucket in the garage)...vs having to deal with them upstairs (where we have carpet). I wash clothes once a week. Smelly dirty laundry is in the basement; not stinking up the bedrooms. I have a clothesline strung in the unfinished part of the basement for drying rugs, mattress pads, sheets, jeans, etc. during the winter/ rainy days. As well as drip dry items that don't go in the dryer. The clothes line is also handy for hanging wet or damp dirty items to dry (like bath towels & kitchen towels) before they go into the dirty clothes hamper. I fold & sort items as I unload the dryer. Towel stack to the linen closet, DS's clothes in one stack, etc. Usually cart the basket to the main floor and someone else will haul it on upstairs. Have had three laundries that were in enclosed back porches and one just adjacent to the garage when I lived in the south. That arrangement worked really good and would be my preferred location for a laundry. Would not want W/D in a closet if it can be avoided. I use my laundry sink a lot as well as having the washer drain hose empty into the sink. (With a lint sock to keep lint and dog hair out of the sewer line--septic leach field if that's your situation.) You adapt to wherever the laundry is. Pros & cons to wherever it is. Main thing is that a home laundry beats the heck out of having to go to the laundromat! We've probably all had to do that at some time in our lives.