apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

looks fabulous. Sadly, with the amount of laundry that goes through our house (two active kids plus mom and dad), we'd be taking those doors off right away just to ensure easy - and frequent! - access!

Wow--gorgeous!! I'm assuming that the dryer is vented through the back wall? My dryer gets super-hot.

curious- Does that angled side cabinet hold the detergents and other necessary laundry stuff? Is it even a cabinet or just a panel (with a knob)

I love the concept, and saved pictures, I want to make the room multi-purpose and this would be a really great way to hide the laundry area but still keep it functional... thanks!

Nice - Yes...
...but the way it appears to be built in - It's gonna need to be ripped out when it comes time to repair/replace one of the laundry machines.

Good hiding spot. Probably helps reduce noise, too.

As the architect who designed this cabinet, I wanted to respond to some of the previous comments and astute observations:

1. The dryer is vented through the back wall.
2. That angled side cabinet stores the detergents.
3. Look closely at the bottom rail in front of the appliances, see those two slotted holes? Thats to allow that piece of wood to be removed for maintance.

Thanks, Andre

Nice idea, but surely if either machine breaks, the whole cabinet has to be dismantled to get it out?

I just love this idea. I also appreciate how Andre thought out every detail, how to allow access to machines for repair, easy storage for laundry detergents and of course, xtra counter /shelf space for folding laundry.
Good job Andre!

Gorgeous.

If you don't have space for a washer AND a dryer, skip the dryer and use a drying rack. We have a washer and no dryer. Saves money, energy, and wear on the clothes!

We do this in Europe all the time.

I agree with HRHPrincessFiona. In the UK it's the norm.

Well, apart from in my kitchen because I can't even get a washing machine in there.

There is no need for a dryer, at all. If you live in a nice warm place, then obviously it is quicker/cheaper to dry outside. If you live in a freezing cold place that snows then you have indoor heating. If you have indoor heating, you can chuck an indoor drying rack in the lounge room for an evening. Sorry to rant, the design above is absolutely lovely.. I have only just discovered that it is a 'cultural' thing with many americans to think they *need* a dryer.

Interesting.

An elegant design solution! (And thanks, Andre, for answers to issues raised by commenters.)

The only problem I have with this nice looking solution is that the door of a frontload washer should not be closed when not in use. Otherwise you will get some ugly smell rather soon.

Actually the appliances you buy to be concealed in cupboards are slightly shallower to allow for the door, and they're also a bit more expensive. So although they are commonplace in Ireland and England they are sadly not commonplace in my kitchen :(

Brilliant idea!

Not true about the washer door having to be open to avoid smells. We did much the same thing with our full-sized front load washer and dryer about five years ago and the washer has never smelled though the door is virtually never open.

When I stayed in a Paris apartment, it had it's own washer in the kitchen, but no dryer. No problem for my clothes. I hang them up to dry anyway. But the sheets and towels! Especially the sheets! Where do the Europeans dry their sheets in a city apartment!!? I didn't see anybody drying their clothes on their wrought iron balonettes or fire escapes like they do in San Francisco Chinatown. Anybody know how to dry sheets in your apartment?

RedOrangePink: I think everyone here is aware that a dryer is a modern convenience- but it's far from being a luxury item.

I live in a share a smallish apartment with no outdoor space to use for drying laundry. The one time that my dryer was on the fritz was horrible- even with a drying rack there simply wasn't enough space to hang or lay clothing to dry. Our whole apartment was draped with wet clothes that never seemed to dry.

Fact of the matter is: I either need a dryer, or I need a bigger lounge room... and I can't see myself affording that anytime soon.

I live in cold, damp and foggy San Francisco, have a front load washer and no dryer. A single ceiling mounted Ikea Antonius hanging rack and a 4 foot shower curtain rod across the end of a hallway handle all the clothes for myself, my sister and my husband. We hang shirts on a hanger, pants upside down by the cuffs on skirt hangers, towels dry on skirt hangers, too and undies and sheets/blankets hang from the ceiling mounted Antonius. Even in the winter here our stuff dries in a day! Granted we do a load or so a night so we don't overwhelm the available drying area, but I like that better than spending an entire day doing nothing but laundry!
PS- We're in a north facing basement unit with no heat but a little space heater in the bedroom. If it dries here, it will dry anywhere!

This would really clean up a laundry room. Usually, there is too much to overcome with those large machines that people don't even try to decorate it.

Innovative, smart, and makes it look CLEAN (like a laundry room should be, right?)

"When I stayed in a Paris apartment, it had it's own washer in the kitchen, but no dryer. No problem for my clothes. I hang them up to dry anyway. But the sheets and towels! Especially the sheets! Where do the Europeans dry their sheets in a city apartment!!? I didn't see anybody drying their clothes on their wrought iron balonettes or fire escapes like they do in San Francisco Chinatown. Anybody know how to dry sheets in your apartment?"

Salon, if we live in a house we dry laundry and sheets on the baluster/railing at the top of the stairs, or perhaps on a clothes horse or some folk have retractable indoor lines over the bath so the laundry does not occupy living space. My American husband found this odd when he first came here. I live in rainy Ireland where energy costs are high and tumble dryers are a huge luxury that even the wealthy only use occasionally. We also have little drying racks we put on our radiators for our smalls (underwear). I've noticed however on this site that there's no sign of "life" in some of the apartments....

I think if I were to post my three bedroom house on this site (not much more than 900sq ft) I'd include my teenage sons messy bedroom, drum kit and all. I suspect some of the reactions would need medication!!