Should we put a hidden laundry in the kitchen?

[projectmumdanni]

Hi Bunnings community just wondering your opinion on putting a hidden laundry in your kitchen? Good idea or bad idea? Would it devalue the house if had to resell? Have any of you done it and could share a picture of what you done. 

Thanks

Dannielle

[Jason]

Hi Dannielle (@projectmumdanni)

I would be happy to kick off the discussion.

Check out the 1970s kitchen and laundry renovation my family completed a while back. As I explain in the other post, we chose to reclaim the space a traditional laundry was occupying so that we would have much more room for an open-plan kitchen and living area. We certainly don't regret the choice of a Euro-style laundry. 

The European-style laundry that we installed behind the bifolds has been more than sufficient for our needs. On the left hand side we have a washing machine with a dryer hanging above it. Then we have a benchtop with a sink that has a cupboard and a laundry hamper. There are open shelves above and a single drying rack. On the right we have a broom cupboard with more shelving above. You can see most of it in the picture below, except the broom cupboard which is behind the bifolds. 

Going with a European-style laundry was the right choice for us. We got to keep plenty of storage and open up the area. The biggest sacrifice in not having a dedicated laundry was losing somewhere to store clothes horses for drying clothes (we do that in the study). In this setup you also ideally want a reasonably quiet washing machine. Ours is a little noisy on the final spin cycle! 

Let me also tag some other helpful members to share their thoughts: @diy_hausdesigns, @2Belindas, @redbournreno, @prettyliving.

You might also like to search for European-style laundry here on Workshop and get some inspiration and ideas.

Jason

[projectmumdanni]

Hi Jason and thank you .. really love what you done with your Euro style laundry and will definately show my partner when he gets home. Am worried about not having the bench space for folding or anything to hang the ironing on..but will enjoy more kitchen space. With the clothes dryer in a small area am worried it may create mould on walls in the area. Lol am hoping to go back to a front loader for  Euro style laundry and it will be nice to have the dryer in the house instead of walking to the shed early hours of the morning or when raining lol.

Your kitchen looks amazing and open..am hoping for a similar look.

[redbournreno]

Good on you for getting creative and thinking outside the box. I lived in the UK for a long time and washing machines and dryers are very common within the kitchen. They are not even enclosed and I am confident that Australian homes do not like that. However European laundries that are enclosed are becoming more accepted here. I would not worry about a Euro kitchen devaluing your house as long as you do a quality job integrating into the surrounding space AND provided it is not facing into a lounge or media area. @Jason one is perfect. Many small new build homes have them as standard now too, including my Mum's retirement home, which is very spacious. I would recommend you have an exhaust fan within it though, and best to avoid a wall cabinet if you can to keep airflow good. Also avoid thin doors like mirrored wardrobes to reduce noise. I like bifold doors. For compliance double check your council requirements, hopefully no floor drain is required. Good luck

[EricL]

Hi @projectmumdanni

It's great that you've been inspired by @Jason's kitchen and laundry renovation. I also agree with @redbournreno's recommendations on how to position your laundry area in the kitchen. I believe the key to the entire set is ventilation. As you're operating the dryer a large amount of humidity is being generated in the kitchen area. The best way to remove this is to have a strong exhaust fan either on the ceiling or in the wall. 

All that moisture must be pumped out of the house to prevent mould from growing in the area. I suggest posting some pictures of your kitchen along with its measurements. If you have ideas, pictures or a sketch you've made, I suggest sharing them as well. Our members can then share their recommendations to create the best possible layout for your laundry kitchen combo. If you need assistance posting the pictures, please let me know. 

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the start of your renovation.

Eric