6 Big Ideas for Small Laundry Spaces

Stacking the washing machine and dryer with an official stacking kit is the single biggest floor-space win in a small laundry, since it turns two side-by-side appliance footprints into one. A compact front-loader, generally 6 to 7kg capacity, is also more likely to be designed for stacking than a top-loader, which needs open access to its lid.

• An official stacking kit (rather than an improvised setup) is worth the small extra cost, since it’s rated for the machine’s weight and vibration.
• A compact front-loader frees up the floor space a top-loader’s lid clearance would otherwise need.
• Stacking works best in a straight-line layout, with the bench or sink positioned beside the stacked pair rather than above them.

A straight-line layout, with appliances and a sink along one wall, suits the narrowest laundries and Euro-style laundries hidden behind a door or bifold. A galley layout, with a shallow storage run on one side (around 300 to 400mm deep) opposite the appliances, works better in a slightly wider room that can support two runs.

• A Euro laundry behind a door or bifold generally only fits a straight-line layout with stacked appliances and a slim overhead cupboard.
• A galley layout needs enough width for a person to stand between the two runs comfortably, generally at least 900mm to 1000mm of clear floor space.

Floor-to-ceiling storage, even a single slim column, holds more than a wide but short cupboard, because it uses vertical space a small laundry usually has spare. A pull-out hamper and a hanging rail behind a cupboard door add functional storage without taking up any visible floor or bench space.

• A tall, narrow broom-style cupboard beside the appliances stores an ironing board, mop and cleaning supplies without eating into the working bench area.
• A pull-out wire basket or hamper built into a cabinet keeps dirty washing off the floor without needing a separate freestanding basket.
• A hanging rail fixed inside a cupboard door, rather than a separate wall-mounted rail, gives drip-dry space without permanently taking up wall area.

A compact laundry sink, generally 22 to 35 litres, suits a small laundry better than a full-size 45 litre trough, since the smaller bowl still handles hand-washing and soaking without dominating the bench. A single bowl in stainless steel is the practical default. A double bowl or oversized trough is only worth the extra bench length in a larger laundry with the room to spare.

• A 16 to 35 litre compact sink fits a genuinely tight laundry (apartments, Euro laundries) without needing extra bench depth.
• A 45 litre trough suits a family laundry with more floor space, where soaking larger items or washing pets is a regular use case.

Trade tip: measure the available bench run before choosing a sink size, since a trough that’s technically the right depth can still leave no bench space for folding or sorting on either side.

An enclosed or Euro laundry traps moisture faster than an open one, since there’s less air movement to carry humidity away after each wash cycle. A dedicated exhaust fan, rather than relying on an open door, clears that moisture and reduces the musty smell that builds up in a small, poorly ventilated space over time.

• compact exhaust fan rated for a small room clears humidity from an enclosed laundry the same way it would a small bathroom, and many models are rated for both.
• Water-resistant cabinetry and splashback tiling around the sink reduce moisture damage in a laundry that doesn’t get much airflow between washes.