How to renovate laundry without moving plumbing?

[edoran]

Hi there

I'm looking for some advice.  My laundry is a bit of a nightmare and I feel limited in what I can do as the washing machine taps are on the other side of the room to the laundry tub.  It's not as simple as shifting the machine as there is a toilet in the way!  Any ideas on how to make this all look a bit better and more functional?  I can't afford a full renovation with moving pipes around, so I'm at a loss with what I can actually do.

Thanks!

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @edoran 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about renovating your bathroom.

One quick and economical way to change the look and feel of your bathroom is to change your flooring. I suggest using Senso DIY 3m Essential Noma Blond Sheet Vinyl, it's easy to lay and cut. The big plus is that it is waterproof if properly installed and sealed at the edges. My next suggestions is to install large shelves over your laundry tub and removing the bathroom mirror to make way for the shelves. In this manner all the items being placed on your washing machine can be properly set aside. 

I then recommend installing two of the Pinnacle Jumbo Garage Wall Hanger on the other wall near your washing machine in order to get your clothes dryers off the floor and little bit out of sight. These small changes should bring a little bit of organization to the items you have in your laundry. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Morning @edoran 

Odd shaped laundrys.... How do they happen!  

I redid my laundry with a stepped bench to make it more functional Laundry retrofit 

I like @EricL's suggestion of a bench but Id go the further step and have something like mine, change out your old tubs (unless you need the size) and then extend the bench a bit, step it into go along the wall.

Is that the drain for the washing machine we can see on the floor? 

Where is the door to the room? Just trying to work my way around the room and what can be done.

With the taps for the laundry sink you could switch them over to Shaw & Mason Chrome Universal Washing Machine Conversion Kit and potentially move teh washing machine over next to the sink, If you replace the sink with a smaller square one, washing machine next to it and an end support for the bench it would free up some room.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @edoran 

Without explaining any details at this stage. But you can very economically install a benchtop on the back wall the shape as my red outline just below the window. This wouldn't interfere with the toilet and pride a nice big bench for the wash basket.

Then on the left wall another level with the top of the trough across to the wall inset.

Bunnings have a range of affordable benchtops as well as well as 140mm DAR pine board for the left shelf.

Nailbag

[edoran]

Thank you - I'll do some measuring and see if this could work.  Really appreciate you putting this together

[edoran]

Hi Dave-1

Thanks so much!  

I don't think the laundry has been touched since it was built back in 1965!  

Your reno is great and I really like the stepped bench, that could work well.

I'm standing in the doorway - so you can see almost the entirety of the room apart from the right hand corner which has a narrow, floor to ceiling cupboard.

There is a drain on the floor, but it's for overflows, not the machine itself (as far as I can see!).

Emma

[edoran]

Thanks Eric!

I do like that flooring, thanks for sending that though.  I was initially keen on retaining the flooring as it's original, but have gone off that idea - along with the rest of the laundry 😆  

Unfortunately the mirror is the door to a cupboard which is recessed into the wall and would be quite difficult to remove - it would definitely have to be part of a bigger reno as it would really damage the walls to remove it.  I'd would love to shelf the entire wall to be honest!

At the moment I'm looking for ways to lift up the extended washing machine hose so it's not on the floor, and then cover it with some sort of trunking but everything seems to be for cables or wiring rather than hoses.

Thanks so much

Emma

[EricL]

Hello @edoran 

I suspect that the original installer/plumber has maxed out the distance between your washing machine and the drain point. If extended any longer the drain motor of the washing machine might get too strained. The best course of action would be to install a dedicated drain for the washing machine so that it is out of the way. But this will also need to be included in the big renovation in the future.

Eric