Hey, speaking of laundry rooms, something I'd love to see on AT is a post about adding some sort of laundry set up to rental apartments with no access to a centralized laundry room. I've been hauling my laundry to the laundromat in various apartments since 1996 (gah!) and I am seriously considering getting one of those all-in-one front loader washer/dryer combo machines that you see under the counter in some European kitchens. How feasible would it be to set one up as a renter who can't permanently install it, move gas lines around, etc? Anyone out there had any experience with this?

I can't remember too much about it, but a friend of mine back in the day had a little apartment washer that rolled out of storage and hooked witih hoses to her kitchen sink. It only did small loads, so she washed one load a day several times a week. Then she hung the wash on lines to dry, but now I don't remember if that was on a sun porch or in her bathroom or what. The point being that nowadays there is probably something similar in concept that includes a dryer.

I have an actual laundry room -- a few inches wider than the washer and dryer side by side and about the equivalent of four machines in floor space. (Tiny room). Vinyl coated wire shelf above the machines and that's all there is, but I LOVE it! A worthy goal!

What a friend of mine did was she got a stacker washer/dryer about 800.00 since she did not have a gas line she got an electric. You need to make sure you have a 220v outlet which an electrician would need to install for you. If you have less than that it could be a fire hazard.

There might be an under the counter version in electric especially since gas is not available all over Europe. Just make sure the outlet is to the correct specifications needed.

For gas hook up not only would you need a line but a vent as well.

These are lovely rooms. We are lucky enough to have a large laundry room in our basement, but the walls and floor are dark gray (crumbling) cement. One of these days, we'll get around to repairing and painting the walls.

We recently installed motion-detectors for all of the laundry room lights, which makes a big difference when you walk in with armloads of laundry and can't easily get to the switches.

I love that sink in the top pic. Where is it from?

I live in an old apartment (40s) and I actually have a tiny laundry room that prolly used to have a wash basin? The area isn't large enuf for a side by side washer/dryer, so our neighbors rigged it up so the dryer can be in the kitchen. It didn't seem like it was too hard of a process to get it rigged up that way.

"You need to make sure you have a 220v outlet which an electrician would need to install for you. If you have less than that it could be a fire hazard."

Actually, if you purchase a 110V dryer, you don't need a 220V outlet - and it's no more a fire hazard than your toaster, but it does take longer for items to dry.

The hazard is in plugging a machine intended for 110V into a 220V socket - but the other way around isn't a fire hazard.

And of course, negating your lease, assuming it says you aren't allowed to install washing machine or appliances w/o landlord's permission. Many buildings, especially older one's, cannot handle the drainage from washing machines, and they may vibrate too much as well. Assuming they don't use hot water from a water heater, they should be ok water supply wise.

I grew up with the ultimate jury rigged system; someone had hooked the washer drain up to the pipe between the toilet and the tank; the toilet flushed with suds when you did laundry. Never one leak in 30 years it was there.

Thanks, guys! I really appreciate the input. I especially love the idea of making the toilet flush suds, dn. That's totally classic!

bepsf most stacker washer and dryers are 220v (not all) so the point is to make sure the outlet one is plugging into will be able to receive the voltage the machine requires, no?

I had to do this five years ago when I bought my stacker and my landlord is electrician.

Would love to rig up a washer/dryer in my apt. (or at least a washer, as I do have room to hang stuff to dry), but it can't possibly work, alas.

Anyway, digging the basket above the sink in the top pic...

You can buy all in one units that are vent less and run on 110. All you need is the space and a plumber to hook it up. Anyway you can't plug 110 cords into 220 outlets or vice versa so fire hazard solved.

Does anyone know who makes the sink in the first picture? Absolutely love the faucet that is with it.. Anyone know?
Thanks!