They Raised the Washer and Dryer Off the Floor and Built Storage Around Them
Front-loading washers solve one problem while creating another: loading and unloading still means reaching close to floor level. Pedestals can raise the doors, though they often become another pair of boxes beneath the machines.
Reddit user u/balanoff took a different route during a laundry room remodel. The washer and dryer were placed on a built-in platform, raising both doors above their original floor-level position. Cabinets, a wood countertop, hanging rod, new floor tile, and recessed lighting completed the room, with storage extending from the floor to the upper wall.
Washer and Dryer Started at Floor Level
Before the remodel, both front-loading machines sat on square beige floor tile. Their doors opened close to the floor, leaving no space underneath for a basket when clothes came out of either machine.
Cabinets occupied part of the left wall, while a wall-mounted rack and long counter filled separate sections around the machines. Storage existed, though much of it stopped short of using the room from floor to ceiling.
Narrow Floor Plan Had More Room Above Than Beside the Machines
Moving the appliances farther apart would have taken space from the walkway, so the remodel worked upward instead. The tall wall beside the machines and open area above them offered room for cabinetry without expanding the laundry room.
The window at the end also limited where storage could go. Keeping that wall open preserved the window while concentrating the new cabinets along one side.
Built-In Platform Raised Both Appliance Doors
The finished room places the washer and dryer on a raised base framed into the new cabinetry. The homeowner said the height was chosen so a laundry basket could fit beneath the appliance doors.
That changes how the narrow strip in front of the machines can work. A basket can sit below the door during unloading instead of occupying the walkway beside the person using the machine.
Cabinets Took Storage From Floor to Ceiling
Tall cabinets now fill the wall near the doorway, with another row of cabinets running above the washer and dryer. The homeowner said the house has no linen closets despite having about 3,000 square feet, so the laundry cabinetry carries more than detergent.
The cabinets hold cleaning supplies, pool towels, beach bags, sunscreen, children’s shoes and socks, and artwork. Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen covers the cabinetry, paired with West Highland White on the walls.
Wood Countertop and Hanging Rod Use the Space Above
A wood countertop spans the machines, creating a surface for folding and sorting clothes without adding another piece of furniture. Above it, a wood rod runs beneath the upper cabinets for clothes that need to hang after washing.
The homeowner said the rod began as a raw wood closet rod from Lowe’s, cut to size and stained with Minwax English Chestnut to match the countertop.
Dark Honeycomb Tile Replaced the Square Beige Floor
Large dark honeycomb shapes now run from the doorway to the window, replacing the small square beige tiles. The homeowner identified the new floor as Maverick Slate mosaic from Floor & Decor.
The darker floor also marks the raised white appliance base and cabinetry edges, making the new construction easier to read across the narrow room.
Same Laundry Room Uses Its Height Instead of Its Floor Area
The washer, dryer, doorway, and window remain in the same narrow room. The larger change comes from building above and beneath the appliances: a raised platform below, worktop above, cabinets near the ceiling, and a hanging rod across the remaining opening.
Instead of asking the floor plan to provide more room, the remodel found it in the vertical space around the machines. The basket-sized opening beneath the doors is a small part of the build, yet it gives the raised platform a purpose beyond changing the height of the washer and dryer.
Image credits go to Reddit user u/balanoff .