How to Lay Out a Laundry Room
The dimensions that decide whether the room works, whatever it ends up looking like. A machine cupboard promoted to a room that works.
BeforeAfter
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What the room is arranged around
A laundry remodel is a counter and a rail. Somewhere to fold, somewhere to hang, and enough storage that detergent is not living on top of the machine. It is a small project with an unusually high daily payoff.
- 2
Rule 1
Run a continuous counter over front-loaders at 36in — a broken counter is a folding surface you cannot use.
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Rule 2
Allow 36in of clear floor in front of the machines to load them.
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Rule 3
Give a hanging rail 24in of clear space beneath it for full-length items.
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Rule 4
Stacked machines free 27in of width; use it for a full-height utility cupboard, not open shelving.
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Rule 5
Leave 15in beside a sink for wet items.
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When it is tight
In a closet laundry, stack the machines and take the full remaining width for a single tall cupboard. Splitting it into shelves and a rail gives you neither.
Questions
- What should I decide first in a laundry room remodel?
- A laundry remodel is a counter and a rail. Somewhere to fold, somewhere to hang, and enough storage that detergent is not living on top of the machine.
- What goes wrong most often?
- Top-loaders under a counter, which cannot happen, discovered after the counter is built. Open shelving that turns detergent bottles into the room's decoration.
- Will it work in a small laundry room?
- In a closet laundry, stack the machines and take the full remaining width for a single tall cupboard. Splitting it into shelves and a rail gives you neither.
- Can I see it on my own laundry room before starting?
- Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.