Mick and Ash's Build: Laundry Plans and Inspiration

Fairmont needed to know by the end of last week all the plumbing details for the laundry, as we’re doing the cabinetry (including sink installation) ourselves after hand-over. Luckily I had a rough plan ready that Mick and I just needed to finalise. With relatively little laundry experience behind me, I used information gleaned from others (including interior designer Sarah Richardson!) as to what would be most practical in the little space we have.

The debate for washing machine type and placement was a discussion that was had quite a while ago and really was dictated by two things: what we already have and what would be best for re-sale.

Mick already has a top-loader washing machine that is very easy to use and works very well and so I was reluctant to get rid of it simply to have a front-loader that we could place a bench over. Mick also already owns a perfectly good dryer with capability for wall-mounting. So, in the interest of saving money, we decided to keep our top-loader and wall-mount the dryer above it. Having dedicated space for such a configuration, with no bench over the top of the washing machine, also means that almost any machine can be installed without changing cabinetry (a plus for re-sale), and wall-mounting the dryer means that we can maximise under-bench space.

Next we decided that we would like to put the washing machine on the opposite side to the internal door and that we didn’t want the sink right next to the machine. This usually happens because people use the one waste, but this can look messy (depending on your washing machine’s drainage needs) and means that you have to place your laundry basket on the floor. I really like the idea of minimising our bending requirements (Mick has a crook back and I have a chronic pain condition) so I want to be able to place the basket or fold clothes right next to the machines. This led us to find something called a drainage box, which are commonplace in North America, but are not common here. It also means that the taps aren’t hidden under the bench (no bending if you want to turn them off/on!) which further maximises the flexibility of the space.

OK, not the prettiest thing in the world but it's a good compromise (we hope) between form and function.
Click here for image source.

Next we wanted a deep sink that won't take up too much bench space. We decided on this one:

Belle Bowl Laundry Trough 36L.
Click here for Sink Warehouse Listing.

It's deep and not too wide. I like that it's "bucket-shaped."

High on our priority list was a tap that could be wall-mounted and swivel against the wall to maximise space (click here for laundry tap selections), a hanging rod to air-dry clothes inside if we need and a bracket to wall-mount our ironing board. We’re still yet to finalise all the details including how tall our upper cabinets will be (will also depend on the height of our dryer which is in storage and unavailable for measuring). Here are our current plans and some pics that inspire the feel I’d like to achieve (the links provided are a great source of laundry/organisation inspiration too!):

Floor Plan

Cupboard Plan

These M.U.S.E. Organic towels are the colour palette I would like to use for the Laundry, Powder Room and Main Bathroom. I'm currently thinking the light neutral for the tiles, white for the "furniture" and duck-egg blue for accents...