A laundry renovation can have beautiful cabinetry, quality benchtops and clever storage – and still frustrate the people using it daily, because the relationship between the appliances and everything around them was never properly designed. Getting this right is less about individual features and more about workflow: how you move through the space from wash to dry to fold.
Front-Loader Height Is Not Optional
A front-loading washing machine placed directly on the floor, under a benchtop, forces anyone using it to bend low with every load. Raising the machine – either on a purpose-built platform or as part of a stacked configuration with the dryer above – is one of the simplest changes that makes a laundry genuinely more comfortable to use every single day.
Wollstonecraft Laundry Renovation
Designing the Bench Around the Machines, Not the Other Way Around
Where a benchtop sits relative to your appliances determines whether folding and sorting actually happens at bench height, or whether you end up using the top of the machine as an improvised surface. A well-designed laundry positions bench space directly adjacent to where washed items come out, so there’s a natural, short path from machine to folding surface.
You can see how this plays out in real projects across Novalé’s laundry renovation work, where appliance placement and bench design are considered together rather than as separate decisions.
Ventilation and Plumbing: The Decisions That Happen Before Cabinetry
Dryer ventilation and appliance plumbing need to be finalised before cabinetry is built, not worked around afterward. A dryer without proper external ventilation traps moisture in the home; a washing machine plumbed in the wrong position can force awkward hose runs that limit where cabinetry can actually go. These decisions belong at the start of the design process, not as an afterthought once the layout is set.
Storage That Matches How You Actually Use the Laundry
Overhead storage for detergents and cleaning supplies, a dedicated spot for ironing equipment, and space for a hamper or sorting baskets all matter more once the appliance layout is settled, since they need to fit around fixed points rather than dictate them. Getting the appliance relationship right first makes every other storage decision considerably easier.
Lighting and Power: The Details People Forget
A laundry needs task lighting positioned over the folding bench and sink, not just a single central ceiling light that leaves the working surfaces in shadow. Power point placement matters just as much – an iron, a handheld steamer, or even a phone charger all need a sensible, accessible power point that doesn’t require reaching behind an appliance to use. These are small inclusions at the design stage that become genuinely frustrating omissions once the room is built and can’t easily be changed.
Sink placement deserves the same consideration. A laundry sink positioned too far from the appliances forces extra steps for every stain-treating or hand-washing task, while one placed thoughtfully alongside the bench keeps the entire workflow – wash, treat, fold – within a few steps of each other.
Getting the Brief Right Before Design Starts
The households that end up happiest with a laundry renovation are the ones who walk through their actual daily routine with their designer before any layout is drawn – where washing gets sorted, where it goes once it’s dry, whether ironing happens in the laundry or elsewhere in the home. This kind of practical, routine-based brief consistently produces better outcomes than a purely aesthetic brief focused on finishes and colour scheme alone, because it ensures the appliance and storage layout actually matches how the space will be used every single day.
A Detail Worth Sweating: Door Swing and Clearances
One of the most common regrets homeowners raise after a laundry renovation is a door swing that clashes with the washing machine, dryer, or an open cupboard, forcing an awkward workaround every time the room is used. Getting appliance placement, door swing, and cupboard clearances mapped out together during design – rather than assuming standard clearances will simply work – avoids one of the more frustrating, and entirely preventable, everyday annoyances in a finished laundry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should washing machines and dryers always be stacked?
Not always – it depends on available space and household needs. Stacking saves floor space and can improve ergonomics, but a side-by-side layout with a raised platform can work equally well where space allows.
How much bench space does a functional laundry actually need?
At minimum, enough clear bench space to fold a full load of washing comfortably – generally at least 900mm of clear surface positioned near where washed items come out of the machine.
Can appliance plumbing be relocated during a laundry renovation?
Yes, though it adds cost and should be planned early. Relocating plumbing after cabinetry design is finalised is far more disruptive than accounting for it from the start.
Talk to Novalé
Novalé designs laundry renovations around how families actually use the space, not just how it looks.
Call 1300 668 253 or visit the laundry renovations page to see recent projects.
