Laundry renovation incorporating hot water system

[Benskimo]

Alrighty Workshop Brainstrust, I'd like to get some wisdom here, please. I want to renovate our laundry, I've read this great article about planning the reno, and there are a few constraints. We have the (electric) hot water system currently in the middle of a side wall (see floorplan sketch below). After some advice from @MitchellMc, I'd say we'll probably leave it there, as the cost of moving it outside (and then getting some sort of shelter over it) isn't enough to offset the benefit of extra storage space.

It's a walk-through room not unlike @Nham's really neat laundry renovation here, but with some extra width (again, floorplan below). BUT the Minister of Home Affairs wants to keep our top-loading washing machine, which kinda kyboshes any plan for having a nice benchtop, like all the laundry renovation posts I've seen here. Apart from that, a fold-out ironing board and some overhead cupboards would be neat.

Any thoughts and advice welcome! 

• Any advice about boxing in an existing host water system, so that we can store stuff around it, yet keep access to it in case of mishap?
• Any advice about selling the benefits of a front-loading washing machine?
• The walls are that ol' 60s fibro, so I suspect asbestos...? Should we get someone to rip it out? Or clad over the top...?

Thanks heaps!

[Benskimo]

Folks, there's been an intriguing twist to this story: The Minister for Home Affairs has come around to having a front-loader. Despite all the same reasons for keeping the top loader as you've said, @hakeae (especially being able to do fewer larger loads of laundry), she likes the idea of a benchtop, PLUS adding a wall-mounted dryer. We've never needed a dryer before, but the constant rain is now making us reconsider!

So, we're now thinking of the sort of config that @MitchellMc , @EricL and @Nham have suggested (again, big thanks). BUT can anyone foresee any issues with adding a wall-mounted dryer above the front-loader? Any tips? I've sketched up what we're thinking now (below). The cupboards above the bench wouldn't extend out as far as I've drawn them, and the splashback area is higher than shown! But you get the idea...

[MitchellMc]

Love your design @Benskimo.

It's great to hear of your progress. However, adding the wall mount dryer effectively does the same thing a having a top loader. It reduces usable bench space. A couple of thoughts about your design. If you have the wall mount cupboards aligned with the dryer, they will obstruct the bench significantly. As you've pointed out, they won't come out that far, but they'll still be intrusive. You could raise the cupboards up to the roof, which would alleviate this, but I think you'd be better off having the washer and dryer on the right-hand side instead of in the middle. The cabinet on the left above the sink will block the window. That might be an internal window, so you're not worried about it.

Here's another design to consider. You could stack the washer and dryer within some custom cabinetry. I'd then place some slimline cabinetry at the top. This leaves you with a nice (but small) benchtop space and sink area unobstructed by the cabinetry above. 

Mitchell

[TedBear]

I like most of this suggestion of Mitchell Mc's except the stacked dryer... given that the reason for opting for a front loader is to get more bench space.  But putting it near an outside wall (assumed from the double brick  in the drawing) will enable the air to be ducted outside and also not have it as a head banger in the centre of the area. Just raising the dryer a bit will give you more bench space to use. (I was reluctant to change to a front loader at first, but they use far less water and power, and if you choose the right model you can stop and top up or remove things anywhere in the wash cycle. We use the 40 minute cycle mostly. About same time as our top loader took.)

[MitchellMc]

@TedBear,

I'd prefer a wall mount dryer and bench space instead of stacked, but my concern is if that bench space will even be usable. Would a washing basket fit between the bench and the dryer? I can only see a wall-mounted dryer above a bench working if it is mounted exceptionally high and anyone less than 6-foot uses a step stool to load/unload it. Anything less than a gap of 40cm between the bottom of the dryer and the benchtop seems impractical.

If you're unable to achieve an unobstructed and open bench workspace, I'm thinking you might as well stack the dryer so it is at a perfect height and use the space above for cabinetry. If you can find a dryer designed for a wall mount that can be flipped upside down and the opening is close to the bottom that might work.

My thoughts might also be based on having a reasonable short wife. If I were to place the dryer at a suitable height for her, there would be no point in having bench space below it.

Mitchell

[TedBear]

Ah, now the topic is getting interesting.   All those options are worthy of consideration. My suggestion for getting the perfect  laundry is... Benskimo to check the height of his wife and if necessary also swap her for a taller model who also is willing to have a top loading washing machine. All problems solved! 🙂

[Nham]

Hi @Benskimo ,

You could try for a washer/dryer stand-alone unit. One appliance that can wash and dry, saving you space. 

[Benskimo]

Wow, I didn't know such a thing even existed! I'll table this with The Minister... cheers @Nham .

[Benskimo]

Ah yeah nice solution, @MitchellMc , thank you. It's definitely better putting the washer + dryer units on the right, and I don't mind the smaller benchspace. The custom cabinetry definitely makes it look neater. And btw I'm getting rid of the window and boxing it in, so I could always extend the wall cabinets all the way across. The saga continues...

[EricL]

Hello @Benskimo

Excellent sketch on your proposed dryer layout. My colleague @MitchellMc has made excellent points on dryer location and accessibility. But in case you were curious as to what it might have looked like, here is a nice little sketch. Keep in mind that the wall cabinets are only 320mm deep and 720mm high a typical dryer size is around 800h x 600w x 500d. I still recommend getting rid of that window wall altogether.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Benskimo]

This is GOLD, @EricL - thanks very much for comping this up for me. I def prefer the wall-mounted option, but considering the stacked option from @MitchellMc as well. Getting there...