How can you add storage to a small laundry room without increasing its footprint? We stacked the washer and dryer, added a 96-inch cabinet and deep drawer storage, replaced the inward-swinging door, and used the walls for hanging space. Those changes turned the last untouched room in our house into one of its hardest-working spaces.
The problem: plenty of cabinets, but almost no usable storage
This laundry room was the last untouched room in our house, and it showed. The old upper cabinets looked like they should provide plenty of storage, but they were so small that I could not fit most of our cleaning supplies inside. The tops of the washer and dryer became the default landing spot for detergent, baskets, and everything else. For such a small room, we knew every inch needed to work harder.
Josh and I have done most of the detail work throughout our house ourselves, so we decided to tackle this room together too. We hired an electrician for the electrical work, but we handled the planning, painting, cabinets, countertop, backsplash, storage, and finishing details ourselves.
Starting with the stacked appliances
We ordered our Samsung Bespoke washer and dryer from Costco first because we needed to see exactly how the stacked unit would fit before ordering cabinetry. I love the set. Getting used to stacked machines was an adjustment—I hit my head a few times and caught my elbow more than once—but now the layout is much easier to use.
Our original floor plan did not work once we accounted for the dryer vent and existing electrical outlets. We changed direction and hired an electrician to relocate the necessary outlets so they would sit safely behind the laundry unit rather than behind the future cabinetry. Once that was finished, I could finally order the cabinets.
The cabinet-ordering mistake
We measured the walls carefully, but one thing we have learned after years of projects in this house is that none of the walls are perfectly straight. I ordered the cabinets to fit snugly across the space. On paper, it worked. In the actual room, it did not.
We had to return the drawer base on the right and order a smaller one. Because these were semi-custom cabinets that had to be made and shipped, that mistake added another two weeks to an already long project. My biggest advice is to leave yourself some breathing room instead of assuming the walls are square.
The cabinet that required a real-life “Pivot!”
The tall cabinet is 96 inches high and gives us an incredible amount of storage. I only wish we had photos of us trying to maneuver it through the doorway. The “Pivot!” scene from Friends is apparently a very real part of DIY renovation. Somehow, we got it in.
Inside, I organized our supplies in labeled bins, and I am probably more proud of that cabinet than I should be. The drawer base on the other side holds cleaning accessories, reusable cleaning pads, Roomba accessories, and all the smaller items that used to have nowhere to go. The glass-front upper cabinet is partly decorative—but after finally gaining enough practical storage, I could afford to make one cabinet pretty.
A backsplash without a full tile project
For the backsplash, I used peel-and-stick subway tile from Amazon. It was an easy way to finish the countertop area without taking on another major installation, and it gives that side of the room the look of traditional tile.
I also painted the entire room while it was empty using Alabaster paint purchased at Lowe’s. Starting with an empty room made painting far easier and gave the new natural wood cabinets a clean, warm backdrop.
Small choices that made the room work better
The bifold door
The original door swung into the laundry room and covered an entire wall whenever it was open. We replaced it with a bifold door so it stays out of the way and makes the narrow room feel more spacious. It still needs a little finishing work and does not completely cover the opening yet, but we already prefer it. Most importantly, we can now use the wall the old door once covered.
Hooks for real-life laundry
We installed hooks along that newly usable wall so we can put clothes directly onto hangers as they come out of the dryer, hang pieces to dry, or leave them there to iron later—emphasis on later. It is a simple change, but it makes the room work the way we actually do laundry.
The rolling appliance base
We placed the laundry tower on a rolling caster base from Amazon. It raises the unit enough that I can clean underneath it regularly, and we can pull the entire tower out whenever we need full access behind it. The vacuum and Bona mop also fit underneath.
That base has already saved us once. After cleaning the washer’s bottom filter, I did not reinstall it correctly and water went everywhere when I started the next load. Because the machine was elevated, I could reach underneath and clean up all the water instead of leaving moisture trapped below it. After living through three house floods, easy access to water is not a small detail for us.
Was the makeover worth it?
Absolutely. By stacking the washer and dryer and completely rethinking the layout, we gained more functional storage than I expected was possible in this room. We now have a 96-inch cabinet, deep drawers, space for the vacuum and mop, hooks for hanging clothes, a useful countertop, and even a decorative glass cabinet.
The room is not technically 100 percent finished, but it is dramatically more useful than it was before. It took longer than expected, our first plan did not work, the walls were not straight, and one cabinet had to be reordered. Still, Josh and I did it together, learned a few things, and turned the last untouched room in our house into one of its hardest-working spaces.
What we used
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through one of my links. I only share products we actually use in our home.
- Samsung Bespoke washer and dryer — Costco, but also available at Lowe’s
- Semi-custom cabinets — Lowe’s
- Alabaster wall paint — Lowe’s
- Rolling appliance caster base — Amazon
- Peel-and-stick subway tile backsplash — Amazon
- Wall hooks and hanging rods
- Bifold door
- Countertop
- Cabinet knobs
- Decor
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