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How can I optimise this laundry space?

Laundry space.

Hi Everyone,

This is my laundry. I live in an apartment and wish to add some shelving or storage, Ive got an idea of what would work.

I stumbled across these which have served as good inspiration, however they are much bigger than required.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/little-laundry_bbundle0571

https://www.bunnings.com.au/loads-of-laundry-storage_bbundle0505

I am going to be renting this apartment out in the future so it it needs to be simple. I like the idea of the hang tracks so you can rearrange, if for instance someone also had a dryer they wanted to stack in there. Would be keen for just some baskets or shelves.

Recommendations would be super helpful for this newbie.

Thanks

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Jason

Hi @jayc,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We trust you will receive plenty of inspiration and helpful advice from our clever and creative community. And we're certainly looking forward to seeing what you can do with your laundry renovation project.

A great place to start is the guide How to plan a laundry renovation by experienced member @Adam_W. It might assist you in fleshing out your plan, although you have already made a fantastic start.

It's great to see that you've also already got inspiration from other Workshop members. Check out our Top 10 most popular laundry renovation projects for more ideas.

Let me also tag @EricL, @tom_builds and @prettyliving to see if they can kick off the discussion for you.

Jason

EricL

Hello @jayc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about optimizing your laundry space.

Because of the limited space available to you, you'll only need the double slot wall strip, shelf bracket and wire shelf. The Flexi Storage 1225 x 335mm White Front A Wire Shelf is just a tad too long and will need to be trimmed down with a hack saw. I suggest putting in at least three lines of Flexi Storage White Double Slot Wall Strip. Please note that the wall strips come in different sizes so make sure to bring your measurements when you go to the store. The last parts of the puzzle will be the Flexi Storage 350mm White Wire Shelf Bracket and the Flexi Storage 1219mm White Hang Track.

There is the temptation to add more shelving, but I suggest putting in only what you can truly use. By putting in two shelves, you'll be able to clear out all the items that have been stacked on the washing machine. When the time comes to rent the place out, the shelves can be reconfigured and even cut down should your tenants have a dryer.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to install a wire wardrobe system

If you have any other questions about the Flexi Storage system, please don't hesitate to post them.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Remarka6le

Hey so I quickly drew this up, please excuse the weird sizings.

Move the washing machine as far left as you can. Remove the free standing sink. Build a cupboard in the empty area to the right that can be used for storage and hides the plumbing. Get a sturdy Bench installed that serves as the top of the cupboard and creates a working area just above the washing machine, cut a hole into the right side of the bench and insert a sink of your choice into it, plumb as needed. Get some subway tiles (or something you like) and create the backsplash to the size you think you need, in my opinion I'd just do the entire wall.

Next up has some options. You now have a lot of usable space above the washing machine, you can either leave this empty to be used as a workspace / storage of washing baskets or you have enough room to sit a dryer on top of that bench. To top things off, I'd place a small pole along the top with just enough gap to place hangers onto for some small item drying space.

Laundry Stuff.png

MikeTNZ

Hi jayc,

Welcome along.

First off, thanks for the drawings you gave, that was extremely helpful.

I came in quite late on this, but would you consider something like what we used to call back in the day, a "Lazy Susan" idea?

What that entailed was a rotating thing that held all of your things and you spun it to find your cleaners, buckets, whatever you needed.

Given that you only have 590 mm of vertical space and possibly 600 mm of horizontal space, otherwise you are going to bang your head on it using either the washing machine or the tub.

Something like this could be what you need, I don't know, but I am willing to help you get this sorted.

Mike T.

jayc

Wow a lot of variations here.

jayc

Thanks for the awesome design here @Remarka6le

The immediate issues I have found are;

- im not sure how sturdy the plaster walling is, have already installed some shelves above our toilets and had issues with the studs as they are metal not wood.

- having a set bench across the whole area would limit future tenants washing machine sizes, as I don't intend to leave mine here.

It does look good though. perhaps a future project if anything breaks

Remarka6le

I had the same exact issues when designing my own Laundry. First was "What if we upgrade in the future to a larger washing machine", we solved this by researching standard / average washing machine sizes and allowed space accordingly based on what we would purchase, if we were to purchase. Having a taller / wider port and less cupboard storage could help in this regard.

Next is the plaster walling, we ultimately found our studs, but the bench is largely supported by the bracket in the top photo and the cupboards next to the washing machine, so there's next to no pressure on the plaster.

🙂

MitchellMc

Hi @jayc,

You can fix shelving to metal studs with Self Tapping Wafer Head Metal Screws.

Washing machines are generally a fairly standard height and if the bench was made level with the sink edge then you're giving future tenants some room to work with. However, you are correct it would be limiting options for toploaders etc. Instead of making the bench a permanent installation, you could create a freestanding bench from a hardwood panel. I'll include a rendering below. I constructed a similar bench in the property I rent. I obviously couldn't permanently install it and it's life-changing having a bench to rest items on.

I see @Remarka6le has just commented with another great solution.

Mitchell

jayc

@EricL , this is definitely what I had in mind.

Seems like the easiest/cheaper/flexible option with the space I have. Something like this, proportions are probably out a bit. A few shelves and a basket? Thoughts?

MitchellMc

Hi @jayc,

@EricL will be back on the site after the weekend. I trust he'll be keen to provide his thoughts then.

Mitchell

jayc

@MitchellMc @Remarka6le

Oh wow, yeah this does look like a good idea as well. Ultimately I was thinking a temporary bench would be a good solution. I suppose another catch to this project is that it is an apartment and I don't have a garage with space to bang out a bench or cut wood etc. Currently converting our van into a sleeper and doing that out of apartments has been an absolute drag haha.

Also @Remarka6le , your bench looks awesome!!

Remarka6le

Cheers @jayc , the bench was probably my favourite (and easiest) part of the build haha.

You can always purchase what you need at your local bunnings and ask a member to cut it to size for you? We've certainly done that for a number of projects.

EricL

Hi @jayc

I suppose it depends on what you'll use the basket for. I'm more for storage and long shelves as it is always a great way for putting stuff away. Unless you're constantly reaching for a particular item that needs to be protected from tipping then a drawer would be ideal. I suggest imagining the items that are going on those shelves and how they will be used during laundry days.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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