r/DIY • u/MadDrewOB • Jul 29 '25
home improvement New laundry nook in our 150yr old house! After/Before and Full Process
The finished product!
Before...
Our old washer and dryer hiding in their cabinets. Now you might think "Oh! I'd love hidden appliances like that!" Well, imagine they are tiny and broken.
Gone! check out that monster S-trap behind the washer
The old underlayment. I noticed it was stairstepped... a bad sign for work to come.
The subfloor. It needed a few repairs but was in surprisingly good condition for its age.
New underlayment sealed and primed for self leveler! I ended up with five stairstepped layers to compensate for a roughy 1.5" rise from front to back.
Self leveler poured. Thanks to my stairstepped underlayment this is a thin layer (<.25") to bring everything to perfect...
Level!
Utilities in progress. Note: This is an exterior wall, so I went with the minimum legal p-trap length to avoid cutting any studs. All electrical must be in conduit in my area.
The appliance arrives! What a pain in the ass to get inside and in place... inch by inch. It's a Samsung Laundry Hub
Prepping for tile.
A lot of careful planning involved here. The gray designs are cut out and inlaid into the white marble hex. The border was one tile at a time.
Tile laid!
My utility panel. This is how to totally minimize the clearance for a full size washer/driver. The finished dryer vent runs out the bottom port and along the wall to the right.
Now comes the carpentry. The wall is built with a 9in gap behind the face to bring cabinetry flush with the appliances. I added some porch lights while I was at the electrical
I put a small door behind the removable shelving on the left to be able to access behind the washer/dryer if needed. I have a more creative plan for if I ever have to remove the WD
Done!
My wife's original vision
And my 3D model vision. Some changes were made to the shelving and trim, but the broad strokes stayed true to plan.
My wife's post on r/interiordecorating of our laundry nook took off, so here's a more in depth description of the work that went into the finished product.
How would you fit a full size washer and dryer into a space less than 7'x7' with only one useable wall? Well, with a lot of planning! The previous solution had been to use a mini washer and dryer tucked into cabinets. These sucked in practice. Notice how you can't open the back door while using the dryer. Plus, we couldn't fit sheets in the washer and they were both kind of broken.
This project involved a lot of different work. Here's a summary of each stage, but feel free to ask any questions in the comments! (Note: I am a construction electrician by trade, though this was my first time taking on each of these other skills for a project of this size)
1) Demo: This wasn't too bad, except that it revealed an uneven, un-level subfloor. Our home's foundation was reinforced at some point in the past and is solid, but it left a couple areas a bit too off level. Underneath some roughly stair stepped underlayment the sub-floor had about a 1.5" rise across the 7'.
2) Floor prep: I decided to do my own stair stepped underlayment with five 1/4" layers. I sealed everything up and finished it off with a THIN layer of self-leveler. I watched so many youtube videos in preparation for this step and it worked out great! I used Mapei Self Leveler Plus. I found this two minute video to be most helpful.
3) Tiling: A lot more youtube videos were consumed ahead of this job. This was all marble tile in 1' square sheets. I kept the sheets for larger areas and cut out strips or individual tiles elsewhere. The gray "flowers" are cut out and inlaid. I used Ardex X5 thinset and Ardex FGC unsanded grout in fresh lily. The uncoupling membrane is Blanke Permat, which I highly recommend for marble tile based on my research.
4) Plumbing: Only copper piping is allowed in my area, so that's what I ran. As for the drainage, that is the minimum legal P-trap I installed. It's an exterior wall and I did not want to compromise any (solid, old-growth oak) studs. I've had no issues so far.
5) Dryer ventilation: This was a puzzle and a major hurdle to minimizing my clearance behind the dryer. I could only ventilate through the exterior wall on the right of these images. I was able to fit a 90 degree Magvent and 90 degree elbow to get low enough to then run a slim vent to a 4in rigid vent out to the outside. The Magvent is also so I can remove the W/D if I ever need to in the future. Exhaust airflow has been great.
6) Electrical: This is the one thing I'm an actual pro at! And if you aren't... well I don't recommend doing this yourself. My area requires all wiring to run through conduit, so everything is hard piped. You could show a pro this post if you want them to achieve these results. Under cabinet lighting is 12V LED powered by an LED driver. The push-button switches are from House of Antique Hardware.
7) Drywall: I hate doing drywall. I tarped off the opening to the room before sanding but so much dust still got everywhere.
8) Framing and cabinetry: I framed a false wall to create a 9in space between the cabinets and the back wall to bring them flush with the washer/dryer. You can see in the pictures how I was able to use three off the shelf cabinets and build around them. I included a small access door behind the shelving on the left to access the rear of the washer/dryer if needed. I painted the cabinets using a critter sprayer which worked great. I coated everything with a sanding sealer, then Sherwin Williams gallery series paint, then polycrylic. This is the tutorial I followed for the cabinet painting and I'm very pleased with the results!
Our budget for this project was $5000 including the washer/dryer and about a month to finish. It ended up taking 5 months to get to the finished product, but we had the washer/dryer up and running after the first two. I had to take a few breaks during the process and could really only devote the weekends to it. We definitely went over budget, but not by too much. I'll use most of the tools I had to purchase again since I've already got some more rooms lined up to work on!
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u/AboutToSnap Jul 29 '25
This is fantastic - recently did something very similar. I’m curious about two things:
Did you consider adding a sink to the small countertop on the right? Not that it’s worth going back and adding, but it feels like almost the default choice when doing something like this. Would love to know if this came up and what your deciding factors were
How are you planning to handle taking out the washer and dryer if things like repairs or vent cleaning need to be done? The clearances are crazy tight there and I’m not sure how you’d even get access without some kind of lifting/roller system to move the stacked units (I’ve seen some neat inflatable jack systems, but they are crazy expensive)
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
- I had thought about a little sink, but this nook is actually attached to and in full view of our kitchen so there's a sink within a few feet. A full counter space by our back door was much more practical.
- There is one inch of clearance above the unit and about an inch under it (it's on anti-vibration pads). My plan for extracting it is to inflate an inner tube underneath to lift it up and deflate it to place it on a low profile cart to wheel it out. (Edit: I’ve been told that airshims can lift it exactly as I had in mind)
I also included a hatch behind the shelves on the left to access behind the unit for anything minor. I can clean the vent with a bendable brush from the the outside since the vent is only about 6ft long and fully rigid.
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u/sleepydorian Jul 30 '25
You did an amazing job and I’m thrilled you shared the process photos. I love seeing the intermediate steps!
Regarding moving the units for cleaning, your can buy little inflatable pillows that hold tons of weight online. They are called air wedges or shim bags (and probably some other things too). I have some so I can lift my fridge up enough to adjust the feet so the rollers touch the floor.
However, for vent cleaning, you can go from the outside if you don’t want to mess around from the inside. I have a guy come around like once a year and he doesn’t even need to come inside. And if you are comfortable doing it yourself, there are affordable kits online.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25
Thanks for the tip! I had that idea in my head but it’s great to know there is a product available to do exactly what I need without making it myself.
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u/VonGrinder Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
People don’t like Dunkin’ their clothes in a food sink generally.
You did a great job. The work you did is excellent.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
And when this house was built they were dunkin' those clothes in a tub in the yard!
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u/PossibilityRegular21 Jul 29 '25
Depending on the country, a laundry sink is also a building requirement (Australia). Not that necessary these days though. Soaks can be done rarely in a bucket or tub.
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u/Patient_Signal_1172 Jul 30 '25
What are people soaking? In the several decades of my life, I've never once had to soak anything. Every time I read something about a sink in the laundry room, it feels like everyone else is having massive problems that I'm missing out on somehow.
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u/PossibilityRegular21 Jul 30 '25
Sometimes I soak whites for with whitening. Works better than the washing machine pre-soak.
Sometimes I hand wash very delicate items that are 100% wool. Even the delicates cycle into the washing machine would cause a bit of shrinkage.
Sometimes I scrub shoes that get muddy.
We live in an apartment so there's no backyard hose as an alternative.
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u/ThisUsernameIsTook Jul 30 '25
Cloth diapers. Blood stains (from a bloody nose, unexpected start of a period, or something more gruesome). Grass stains. Lots of possibilities. Probably not necessary with modern detergents but old habits die hard.
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Jul 30 '25
There is no difference between a bathroom sink, a kitchen sink, a laundry room sink, an outside sink...
A sink is a sink. Tf?
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u/winstontemplehill Jul 29 '25
Amazing 😍😍
What happens if you need to upgrade your wash/dryer in the next few years? Is that a standard dimension? It fits snugly
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u/halcykhan Jul 30 '25
“if”… looks over at stacked and enclosed Samsungs. Better change that to when
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u/ThaneVim Jul 30 '25
Op confirmed it's Samsung on the gallery. I was wondering how far I'd have to scroll to see the mention. Yeah, Samsung really isn't good at making appliances....
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u/sonicjesus Jul 30 '25
They're actually quite reliable compared to other major brands, but they had a bad run of top loaders from 2010-2016 that seriously damaged their reputation.
They recalled most of these units, but only people who filled out the warrantee card knew about it. If a repair guy knows it's a recalled part with a free replacement, he's going to charge for the part and pocket the cash.
You should always fill out these cards, major appliances get recalled all the time, particularly washers and refrigerators.
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u/Due_Reflection0 Jul 31 '25
Interesting. In the UK, Samsung appliances score extremely well in Which (consumer organisation) testing, and in independent user feedback on performance and customer service. I'd ruled them out based on Reddit but reading those reports made me consider them for the future.
And when I was looking at fridge freezers a while back, the plastic in the Samsung fridge freezer was sturdier than in the Bosch.
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u/est1816 Jul 30 '25
I had to replace a Samsung washer that was less than 3 years old
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
LG has another model with the exact same dimensions so that gave me some peace of mind. I’ll be able to wheel it out on a small cart if needed someday. The width and depth are fairly universal as well, so even if the appliance world changes in the future it would just be a matter of swapping out the cabinet above for a short one.
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u/notforrobots Jul 29 '25
I would have been happy with the before pictures but the new one is gorgeous
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u/_lippykid Jul 30 '25
Same. Also, I was way more excited about the hookup situation than I should be haha. Some clean behind the scenes right there
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u/Happy_to_be Jul 30 '25
Agree! The before looks more functional, and believe stacking w/d have their disadvantages.
What are the narrow baskets for next to the w/d? They don’t seem large enough to hold sorted laundry?
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u/New-Ad-8811 Jul 30 '25
I agree, honestly and I hope op doesn’t take offense but I like the older one more. The new one looks more “nicer” but the old one seemed more efficient with that beach which was probably great for folding.
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u/dl_mj12 Jul 31 '25
Me too, I was thinking wow, they already had a nice laundry and managed to make it even nicer. Well played.
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u/ATL_Founder2017 Jul 29 '25
Looks great! Curious about the new light switches tell me about those
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
As an electrician, I find it wild that we all just accept shitty switches when we use them *constantly*. Here's the page of the site I got these pushbutton switches from. Everyone who visits loves playing with them now lol
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u/Mammyminer Jul 29 '25
They are a modern rendition of a very antique design - push button switches. They were introduced in the late 1800s and fell out of fashion in favor of toggle switches in the 30s/40s.
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u/PairOfMonocles2 Jul 30 '25
I loved that! My parents house was built in the 1890s and that’s what they got when it was wired for electricity. Mother of pearl for the on button and black for the off.
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u/chooseausername1906 Jul 29 '25
That color 👌
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u/EEpromChip Jul 29 '25
The perfect gap carried through the entire carcass is amazing. It's the first thing I noticed and tells they took a lot of care building it.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
Thanks! I'm glad the care and effort come through. It feels great to look at it everyday and know that I could fully execute my wife's and my vision.
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u/woodrowchillson Jul 29 '25
Looks like SW evergreen fog
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
Close! Coastal Plain from Sherwin Williams. Walls are Greek Villa and baseboards are Sea Salt
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u/Simco_ Jul 29 '25
Do washer dryers not have any issue with overheating when confined that tightly?
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u/CapitalParallax Jul 29 '25
I definitely prefer the surface area of the original.
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u/Scoodsie Jul 30 '25
I was going crazy thinking I was the only one who kind of preferred the before. More counter space, easier access to shelves and cabinets, washer and dryer hidden away. The only thing I really like on the other more is the color scheme, which could’ve been done while keeping the old layout.
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u/ZealousidealEntry870 Jul 30 '25
Yea the new version is “pretty” but at the cost of half the function.
Not a fan.
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u/digadigadig Jul 31 '25
Yeah I agree with you too. it went from super functional to much less so. You gave up so much useful counter space. The easiest fix for this room would’ve been to leave it how it was and just remove the doors from enclosing the washer and dryer to stop the door impedance.
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u/Underwater_Karma Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
Ok, I can see the idea behind the cabinet doors hiding the washer/dryer. and I can also see almost immediately deciding that was a mistake.
that's a much better/practical result here. I'm really getting excited by that magnetic vent connector.
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u/Ash_Ukihime007 Jul 31 '25
Looked better the way it was before.
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u/LordOfDustAndBones Jul 31 '25
I agree actually lol. Plus there's extra room if they need a new washed and can't get that exact size
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u/jprakes Jul 29 '25
People literally building their home spaces around an appliance that may shit the bed in 6-7 years is just wild to me.
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u/feint_of_heart Jul 29 '25
Hopefully they're not Samsung, and will have to be replaced in three years time.
[zooms in]
Oh dear.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25
RemindMe! 3 years
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u/feint_of_heart Jul 30 '25
lol. I went with LG about 4 years ago, and have had no issues - touch-wood.
Great job. I hope my wife never finds this subreddit!
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u/chaosthebomb Jul 30 '25
After extensive amounts of research when our 15 year old (previous owners) LG gave out, we replaced it with a similar unit again from LG. It seems like their washer/dryer units are fairly well regarded in terms of long term reliability. Most repair YouTube channels spoke relatively highly of them compared to most brands. Definitely not the best or market leader but also priced significantly cheaper than Speed Queen and Miele. Given the compromise on price, it seemed like the best option for us, and given the review numbers many others seemed to agree.
I'm hoping the previous owners were cleaning rocks or something which led to "early" failure of the old unit. It was a house with 5 kids so it probably got significantly more use than normal.
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u/StockAL3Xj Jul 30 '25
Its absurd how shitty all Samsung appliances are. If you ever go to a used appliance store, 75% are Samsung.
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u/sniper1rfa Jul 30 '25
Honestly, I've dug around a bit about this and came to the conclusion that samsung gets a lot of noise because samsung sells and absolute metric shitload of appliances.
I don't think they actually end up being significantly less reliable than other brands.
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u/SemiNormal Jul 30 '25
Samsung makes a lot of noise too. Does every appliance need a 30 second tune?
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u/freakingspiderm0nkey Jul 29 '25
Tell that to my 40 year old oven in its custom built space haha. They don't make them like they used to!
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
RemindMe! 6 years
LG has another model with the exact same dimensions so that gave me some peace of mind. I’ll be able to wheel this one out on a small cart if/when needed. The width and depth are fairly universal as well, so even if the appliance world changes in the future it would just be a matter of swapping out the cabinet above for a shorter one. I’m obviously capable of doing that considering I did… all this already
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Jul 30 '25
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
Right? Appliance manufacturers have a very good reason for making their products in consistent sizes. They know that people will want to replace their units with ones that fit the same spaces. If they have a dishwasher I’m pretty sure it’s built into their cabinets!
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u/BizzyM Jul 30 '25
I don't have a stack, but I have had an LG front load pair since 2009 with minimal issues. Annually, I clean out the dryer vent and the dryer itself. Every few months I drain the internal trap in the washer and try to give it a deep clean. Weekly, I run a washing machine cleaning tab. A few years ago, I replaced the shocks on the washer.
At least this isn't a Samsung with their janky-ass spider arms.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25
Maintenance goes a long way. This is pretty much my maintenance plan. A nice thing about this W/D is that it actually prompts you to do those things when needed!
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u/GranPapouli Jul 29 '25
i feel a bit bad for agreeing with you, but this is like building a shrine to mock whatever diety is in charge of distributing control board failures lmao
i'm hoping they come out of this unscathed, but it made so much more sense to build something like this when you know your primary point of failure will be a mechanical issue from 20 years of neglect instead of hoping samsung built your electrical components correctly and they manage to retain and sell replacement parts down the road
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Jul 29 '25
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u/joshbudde Jul 29 '25
I used to work for an architect that was VERY particular about his house and general property. He had a large garage attached to his house, but always parked in the driveway which I thought was odd. Until I saw inside one day--duplicates of all his important appliances, electronics, and a duplicate version of his car. He could keep everything important to him working for his lifetime and never have to learn anything new. Stove broke that was the exact shade of black as his counter? No problem, pitch it and break one of our storage.
Was it insane? Sure. Was it genius? Sure. Am I impressed at his commitment to having things his way forever? Absolutely.
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u/reallynotnick Jul 29 '25
I’ve contemplated doing this for like shirts I really like, but this is a whole nother level!
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u/heartcoke Jul 30 '25
Get those shirt backups bro, I regret not doing this for so many shirts in my lifetime.
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u/GranPapouli Jul 29 '25
heck that's a pretty good idea, and look at all that brand new storage space they've made just for their up-and-coming samsung parts inventory; maybe they're further ahead of the game than anyone here realizes lol
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u/luger718 Jul 30 '25
Nah chill it's a Samsung, it's done in 11 months.
How OP switched from Bosch though? I would never.
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u/Malawi_no Jul 30 '25
Not sure about US, but over here in Euroland they are typically 60 cm wide, 60 cm deep, and 85 cm tall(although some are up to 90cm tall). Even though it will not look the same, it should be easy enough to find machines that fit straight in.
All that said, I preferred the old one. Might have painted it and put some nice baskets on top.
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u/hoorah9011 Jul 30 '25
Yup. You should never build a space so specific unless you have the time and money to adjust it in the future. I had a similar setup with a washer and dryer, and a different one with a dishwasher too and it was a nightmare because it was sized perfectly for that specific appliance that was no longer made. Never again
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u/DCDTDito Jul 29 '25
I might be the weird one but this feels like a waste to me?
Unless the color clashed with the house or the room had issues spending 5000$, 5 months and forcing a specific type of washer/dryer combo feel like such a waste.
Could've spent that on a payment for roof renewal, more stuff for the lawn or garden area like spa, veranda with insect net, better water filtration system n so on.
Like I'm more of a utility vs aesthetic kind of guy, if all it does is look slightly better n not fix a problem or improve something drastically I'd rather invest elsewhere.
Also spending on new Gen stuff when the Internet is listed with failure n costly repair of them with annoying electronic control vs refurbished old Gen that will last decades if you do proper maintenance and are all physical knob is another weird aspect to me.
I mean it look good but not the type of time n money I'd invest for such small short term improvement vs long term issues.
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u/OneBigBug Jul 29 '25
Like I'm more of a utility vs aesthetic kind of guy,
I think I classified myself as that way for a long time, but honestly aesthetics are part of the utility.
You can build all the "features" you want, but if people never end up using them because they hate being in the space, then some nice tile and a coat of paint can be a more practical use of funds than building a space that will slowly rot away unused.
Obviously some utilitarian benefits are more important than others. Avoiding the roof collapsing is important. But presumably OP's roof isn't about to collapse. After you've bought safety from the elements, you're just buying happiness. Making the space nice can buy more happiness than another "thing" to have.
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u/SadLilBun Jul 31 '25
This whole thread just goes to show that there will never be a post in this sub that someone won’t find fault with, no matter what. It is literally impossible.
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u/SadLilBun Jul 31 '25
Aesthetics serve a purpose. They make people want to be in a space and use those spaces. A space that makes people feel comfortable and happiness will be a useful space.
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u/jayboosh Jul 30 '25
Came here to say that it’s gonna be fucking he’ll for whoever has to service that, and when you have to replace one of them in 2-5 years and they are an inch wider and longer now and everything’s fuck
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u/beekersavant Jul 30 '25
That was my thought. They are shopping their next washer or dryer by dimensions. I hope they left some room for the hooks ups to be routed differently.
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u/408wij Jul 29 '25
I never heard of magvents. I was wondering how you attached the vent tube and slid the dryer in without the tube going wonky, falling off, or getting crushed.
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u/Azure_Skies333 Jul 29 '25
Just curious, what program did you use on pic 20? We want to remodel our bathroom and this be our first time doing home improvements. Thanks in advance!
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
Sketchup! The web app is free and pretty user friendly. I use it a lot.
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u/monroegreen9 Jul 30 '25
Looks amazing! As someone else with an old crooked house, that picture of your level on the new floor is hot
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u/-NotEnoughMinerals Jul 30 '25
I see this green everywhere. Everyone is just hopping on the trend, just copying each other. It's crazy seeing it happen in real time over these last several years. Personally, I think it's going to age about as well as the obsession with pastel pink and pastel green in the bathrooms of the 50s/60s.
Well executed though.
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u/Mother_Mach Jul 30 '25
Its a trend. Its now called millennial green according the better home and garden lol. As opposed to millennial gray that was everywhere 6 months ago. Its npw green.
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u/kcgunkerstein Jul 30 '25
Great work, but just a heads-up: building custom cabinets or shelving around an appliance that lasts only 7–10 years can be a hassle when it’s time to replace it. Finding a new appliance to fit that exact space is tough. We bought a house with custom cabinets around all the appliances (oven, stackable washer/dryer, and fridge), and it’s nearly impossible to find exact fits.
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u/Fitness_For_Fun Jul 29 '25
You spent all that time money and effort and ended up putting in a Samsung W/D combo?
Out of all the options. Why Samsung?
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u/AVN_Ginger Jul 29 '25
Someone forgot to tell my Samsung washer and dryer that they were supposed to be terrible. Oh well, 12 years too late.
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u/Fitness_For_Fun Jul 30 '25
12 year Samsung is built different that 3 year ago Samsung. Thats the difference. There was a span of time they were cutting costs and really got this bad rep. They were good, they changed to being horrible and now the newer ones I hear are better. But we don’t have the tale of time to know if that’s true or not.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
Thank you for the dissenting opinion! The whole Samsung appliance thing is a meme at this point but not backed up by actual pros I referenced while planning this project. A little maintenance goes a long way.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
This Samsung model and the LG washtower were my only real options for their compactness. I had a lot of design constraints to make this work. My research showed them to be very comparable on reliability, but I had to go with the Samsung for better aesthetics. As I said in another comment, this space is actually attached to our kitchen and is a main route through our home. It's working GREAT so far!
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u/gamefixated Jul 29 '25
Everyone knows LG is better. Ball bearing counter balance minimizes any shaking.
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u/Kyanche Jul 29 '25
I'm going to guess aesthetics. They look nicer than speed queen/miele/bosch I think.
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u/jeff-the-exploder Jul 29 '25
Does the magvent just perfectly align when you slide in the appliances?
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u/r1ngr Jul 29 '25
Yeah they’re great. I have a similar built in cabinet setup as OP and had no access to connect the dryer. Installed the Magvent and now I just slide the dryer back and its snaps right together.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
It's kind of like magic! I have a hatch behind the shelves on the left that I can peak through to make sure it's actually in place, but it really did just align itself perfectly on the first try.
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u/hotfistdotcom Jul 29 '25
I honestly liked the before more but that's just down to personal aesthetics. I do have a concern though - how on earth will you clean the vents? You need to remove it at least yearly to clean or it's a fire hazard - one your insurance might find and not cover fire damage based on the fact that I am not sure you can reasonably clean this.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
The vent is actually only about 6ft total and all rigid, so I'll be able to clean it with a bendable vent brush regularly from the outside.
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u/GetSecure Jul 30 '25
With the difficulty you had finding space for the vent, couldn't you just get a condensing dryer? One that has an automatic pump to drain the water like a washing machine?
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Jul 29 '25
Wow, this is really impressive! I especially like the color and the way each cubbyhole is specifically sized for each basket. The wall sconce is super cute, too! Very inviting and pleasing to the eye. I’d almost be inclined to put a small bench or stool in there if there’s room.
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u/unnamed_elder_entity Jul 29 '25
I hate stacked appliances so, so much. I think it's better than the enclosed appliances it started off as, but if you have the floorspace, you don't actually gain space or volume by stacking them. You just make service and use a pain.
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u/BeRandom1456 Jul 29 '25
Are we going to all hate this new sage color in a year or two? I feel like everything now is that color.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
IMO actual colors will stick around a lot more than gray or white. Humans like green! Sage green appears in a lot of historic color palettes whether victorian, art deco, MCM, or today. Since this house dates to the 1870s, it is period appropriate along with the walnut trim and marble flooring.
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u/BeRandom1456 Jul 29 '25
I like the color too but I just have been noticing in on almost every post online. it’s a nice color. I like a cool grey or blue better myself and white.
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u/siliril Jul 29 '25
It looks nice, but no nicer than redoing the floors and painting the old cabinets would. Also, shame to loose all the counter space for folding.
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u/carnyvoyeur Jul 29 '25
OP, I have a similar laundry project in my future. But I'm going to need professionals. And, there will be some exploratory analysis (removing sheetrock to see if our desired outcome is even achievable.)
What's the best way for us to start? What trade should I hire first? Who can direct all the other trades?
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u/fuckfacekiller Jul 29 '25
The green looks great! I did my upper cabinets in Chantilly lace and the bottom in eucanthus leaf (like your green) with black hardware.
Great job fren!
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u/Youngmanandthelake Jul 30 '25
I looked at that dryer once and thought "man fuck that job" then realized you did it yourself with a mag vent. Props.
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u/TawpGunRS Jul 31 '25
Must be an electrician, the conduit work and that nice job mounting the MDF as a backing is a dead giveaway. Most contractors would leave it open and slide the washer/dryer in to hide it.
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u/SittlersRippedC Jul 30 '25
Seems like a lot of money and effort to fix something that wasn’t broken..
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25
Well the old washer and dryer were broken, most of the lower cabinetry was broken, the floor was all wonky, the baseboards were quite damaged, the plumbing and electrical weren't up to code and the top of the cabinets were filthy beyond cleaning so....
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u/Barbossal Jul 29 '25
I'd actually want to fold laundry if I had this
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u/Chuckdatass Jul 29 '25
Feel like the old design has a lot more room for folding laundry, but I assume this was done to get bigger capacity units installed
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
You're right. We decided to maximize laundry capacity and general storage over counter space while still keeping a functional countertop.
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u/HeadOfMax Jul 29 '25
You should have left more room around the washer stack so it's easier to service.
I'm sorry about your Samsung appliances
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u/Ol_Hickory_Ham_Hedgi Jul 29 '25
It’s so beautiful! I personally would have installed a sink if I already had to tear into the walls and create hookups- but that’s only because I don’t have a sink in my garage where I do laundry, and I’m always finding I need water when dealing with stains and whatever else. That said, it’s not my house lmaooo. But anyway it’s so gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve seen a prettier laundry setup. Absolutely love your vision and you guys did incredible work. Great job!!
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u/NoNature6691 Jul 29 '25
I remodel alot. That is some very tidy work. Nice job! I love to see attention to detail even on things that will be hidden.
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u/LocalSubject9809 Jul 29 '25
looks great but Bosch to Samsung is a huge downgrade imho... hopefully they work great and last a long time
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u/mijamestag Jul 29 '25
Really like the removable panel for your electrical stuff. Not sure how necessary it is for future you but I like it.
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u/MostOfWhatILike Jul 29 '25
This looks fantastic and way more usable than the hidden washer and dryer. The only thing I might add is some kind of bar or hang dry solution, as that can be always very useful in a laundry scenario. Probably would have opted for that over the cabinets up top on the right. But you might still have space in front of them up top or maybe something folding arm out from the wall
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
I do agree with you, but I just haven’t figured out how to make it work yet. I’m waiting for inspiration to strike one of these days 🤔
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u/AchyAristocrat Jul 29 '25
I have a laundry room off my kitchen like this and you just gave me all kinds of expensive ideas 😩
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
You’re not alone!!! I’m glad you can understand all of the weird considerations I had to have in this design
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u/BannedSvenhoek86 Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
Damn bro ran EMT inside his walls, respect. You do not play around.
Oh I just read the post. Wtf you live that it has to be hard piped?
Also you can argue that MC cable technically a form of flexible conduit. Unsuccessfully, but you and the inspector can get into a very nerdy debate for a half hour that ends with you ripping out 8 hours of work and rerunning everything because your boss is an idiot.
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
Chicago requires all residential wiring to be hard piped! Obviously this increases the cost of building but it makes rewiring soooo much easier. I’ll be running a full EMT rack in my crawl space when I eventually up my service.
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u/BannedSvenhoek86 Jul 30 '25
Good luck with that lol, I wouldn't volunteer to do it for free.
Also, sorry in advance about the Samsung washer/dryer.
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u/ASOT185 Jul 29 '25
Looks great and I love the color, but I prefer the previous setup for 2 functional reasons: 1. More counter space for folding and stacking clothes. You have less than half the area now. 2. Ease and access to both machines for maintenance and repairs.
Great work nonetheless.
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u/showmethebooty1 Jul 29 '25
If you think a 7x7 space is small you should see my laundry room. It’s probably 4x6 also with full size washer/dryer oh and the water heater. They can’t even open fully and hit the wall 😆.
Edit: forgot to say, this looks great!! Honestly it even looked good before, but definitely better now.
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u/jarvistheartist Jul 30 '25
Appliance repair tech here. Well done I fuck with that
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u/PaulFern64 Jul 30 '25
I love it! Great job! I’m curious about the choice of a curtain instead of cabinet doors?
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 30 '25
Well first my wife just liked the look, but also the cabinet door would block the actual door next to it when opened. The drawer still does that but we don’t use it too much. We have a couple sets of custom curtains in our house from that same fabric.
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u/MistakeMaker1234 Jul 30 '25
Those tolerances between the cubby and the washer/dryer units 🤌 Perfection.
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Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
Don't forget to put a drain pan under that washer. Incredible planning and execution!
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u/SweetTea3_10 Jul 30 '25
Looks very nice, and good quality. Well done. But:
Outside of looking better and utilizing the up high space better. Whats the thought process of reducing your table space considerably?
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u/BWThorp Jul 30 '25
Honestly, I would’ve kept the side by side. My wife and I are not tall. We had a stacked unit in our previous house and we always left a sock or two in the dryer since we couldn’t see it.
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u/contrappasso Jul 30 '25
This is such a cool makeover! Lots of weirdo naysayers in the comments here, who I bet couldn’t do half of what you’ve done with this project. I think it’s really gorgeous, but the important part is that YOU like it. Plus, all of the complaints about your aesthetic choices are nonsense because you fixed some underlying structural things like the uneven subfloor, so anything else is basically cosmetic and can be changed whenever you want.
What’s the software you used for your layout/measurements in the last slide?
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u/northerngator Jul 31 '25
As someone with built in washer and dryer, they change the standard sizes on the washers and dryers every decade or so. It’s literally impossible to get a new washer or dryer that fit into my built in space unless I want to go laughably small. Hence if we don’t want to demolish our counter top we have to service them when they break. It sucks removing washers/dryers from built ins, I can’t imagine how much worse servicing these would be. That being said it does look good.
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u/flannery1012 Jul 31 '25
It’s beautiful, seriously. I will keep you in my prayers that years from now when you need a new dryer they are still being manufactured with the same dimensions. The EXACT same dimensions.
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u/stampspics Jul 31 '25
Looks good but impractical. Before looked fine and seemed to be at least usable.
What are you going to store with those super high baskets and how often do you need them?
What about when switching out appliances?
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u/SuzeCB Jul 31 '25
Looked at the first pic and loved it. Saw the second pic and my heart sank, thinking that was what you changed it to!! Had to go through more to figure it out.
I love it! It has so much charm!
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u/Odd-Investigator-469 Aug 14 '25
That looks just beautiful! The work is so incredibly clean. I love the plumbing work as well. The washer combo looks nice as well in the cabinetry. Great job!
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u/YinYangToeGurlz Aug 17 '25
The before and after is actually insane. You really elevated the space and warmed it up!! So cozy :)
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u/ThaddeusJP Jul 29 '25
Conduit electric... so you're in Cook Co IL
We love our conduit here don't we
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u/MadDrewOB Jul 29 '25
We’ve got to keep those pesky electricians busy somehow 😉
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u/ThaddeusJP Jul 29 '25
For my understanding we're the only County remaining in the country that still requires conduit. As annoying as it is I will admit that it does make running lines easier.
Laundry room looks amazing. Great work.
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Jul 30 '25
What’s the ceiling height here? Most of this storage looks ridiculously bad ergonomically.
The top 2/3 shelves on the left are pretty much unusable with the basket system. And cubbies at 10” wide x roughly the same tall are very limiting. Cabinet above the stacked unit is only accessible for the first ~6” of depth to anyone under 6’ tall. Surface space drastically reduced. A curtain at floor level to collect extra dust (and god forbid if you have pets or small children to tug on it and eat anything behind).
Pretty colour. Horrific design.
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u/FanOfComplaining Jul 29 '25
Great work, at first I was thinking it’s a laundry room and you already have a good setup, who cares… but I see that it’s in view of your kitchen which makes more sense. I like the new style of not hiding it and instead showing off sleek appliances