Almost exactly 1 year ago (yes, it’s been a full year already!) I came to you all with a question about what we should do with our current laundry room and “kitchen bathroom” (a.k.a. the fairly awkward full-bath off our kitchen).
As expected, you shared so much wisdom… and you helped us decide exactly what we wanted to do (at least with the bathroom part of the project).
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, the posts below will help you get caught up!
My initial post with questions and ALLLL your fantastic ideas.
Our 3-Phase Plan (it was supposed to take 10 weeks — HAHA!!)
Phase 1 complete — move current washer and dryer to basement as an eventual 2nd laundry area
Phase 2 complete — transform our former laundry room into a gorgeous new half bathroom
Well, I’m back again today with more questions…
This time about “phase 3” of the project (transforming the former full bath into a new main floor laundry room) which we HOPE to start working on in about a month.
Our question is regarding the washer/dryer set up and the a 3rd shower…
Should we keep a shower in this bathroom and stack the washer and dyer?
Or should we nix the shower and put the washer / dryer side-by-side with storage cabinets above?
Or do you have a completely different idea!?!?
Here’s a VERY ROUGH (not fully to-scale) bird’s-eye view of the 2 options.
Dave and I have thought about the various options SO much over the past year (and really ever since we moved into this house 8+ years ago).
This was originally the first bathroom we wanted to renovate, but we just couldn’t decide with to do with the shower situation… which is where you all come into play!
Here are a few of the pros for each option.
PROS for a 3rd Shower:
A 3rd shower is ideal for a family of 6 — especially once we have 4 teens in the house!
A 3rd shower would alleviate the need for kids to use Dave and my bathroom and keep the upstairs bathroom available for baths (the upstairs bath has our only tub).
A 3rd shower would help our evening routine go faster as the older kids could take showers while the younger kids are in the bath.
A shower right off the mudroom could be nice if kids come in from outside and are really dirty (or all wet and full of chlorine from swimming).
An extra shower would be nice if we had guests stay with us.
PROS for a More Spacious Laundry Room / NO Shower:
I would have lots more space to do laundry.
I could use a side-by-side washer and dryer, which I prefer, versus a stackable unit.
I would have room for a laundry hamper to slide in next to the washer and dryer.
I could put a counter top over the washer and dryer to allow space for folding clothes right in the laundry room.
I would have TONS more storage above the washer and dryer.
I would have one less shower to clean!
My “problem” is that both options sound good!
If we didn’t have 4 children, I would almost certainly choose the more spacious laundry room.
However, we DO have 4 children who will all be tweens and teens at the same time (sooner than I care to think!) and I’d like to choose the best option for OUR family, taking into consideration that our children will most likely be involved in sports and other extra curricular activities that might make our evenings busier and require multiple people showering at the same time.
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A Little More Background Info:
If you’re still having trouble getting a feel for our space, the photos below should help.
This is what our laundry room and bathroom looked like BEFORE.
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As I mentioned above, the first phase of our project was to move our washer and dryer down to the basement and hook them up so we would have a working washer and dryer throughout the entire project (boy am I glad we did this!)
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The second phase was to transform our TEENY TINY laundry room with no storage into a very spacious half bathroom with TONS of storage.
We are THRILLED with how well this project turned out. The half bath functions so much better than the laundry room ever did, we have a huge increase in storage space, and it looks so much nicer!
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Due to the fact that almost every single part of our half bath project was delayed, we did not stick to our 10-week timeline. In fact, we didn’t fully finish phase 2, until Dave’s first week back at school last fall.
Our goal has always been to keep our home projects between Memorial Day and Labor Day so we aren’t living in chaos during the school year — which meant we had to put phase 3 on hold until this spring.
For the last year, I’ve been doing laundry downstairs and our full bath off the kitchen has looked like this — with various tray tables set up as a space for slow cookers to make beans or broth overnight, and as a place to soak my grains and flours for bread and other baked goods!
The extra “bonus” space has actually been fairly handy!
However, I’m ready for this space to be fully renovated and usable again.
So… if you were me, would you want a 3rd shower or a more spacious laundry room?
Or would you do something totally different?
Extra points if you explain your reasoning!
Carole Cavanaugh says
Put in a pocket door or a sliding barn style door on the outside of the room. Move the sink next to where the shower is now and put side by side washer dryer against the wall the sink is now on with cupboards up above. You can have everything in that room if the swinging door was eliminated.
Ann says
I second this! Pocket doors save us so many times. I NEED a sink in my laundry room and if I had to choose I’d choose bigger laundry over shower but I think you can do both here!
Also, you could put in an outdoor shower for those after the pool rinses and super muddy jobs!
Abigail says
You’ll only have kids taking baths for a few more years, but you’ll have laundry forever, so my vote is for the more convenient laundry room!
Sherry says
What about if you put a shower where the sink currently is and use the wall for a side-by-side washer and dryer? Since you already have a sink in the 1/2 bath, I think you would be fine without one in this room.
Susan M Edwards says
I have 8 kids at home. We use 2 showers, the one in our bathroom never gets used. We have a sauna and the girls use their bathroom. I have two folding stations in our laundry room and love it. One is a dresser for the big boys clothes, they sleep by the laundry room and another shelve unit that I sort laundry into baskets to bring upstairs. Space in a laundry room is what I love!!
Margaret says
Thinking about your family and the room layout, I say laundry, which will always be with us, comes ahead of a third shower that you might never need. If your kids were using it regularly, and you wanted to take it away it would be a different issue, but they’re not, and it isn’t. Even then your need for more working space might weigh higher on the scale.
So I’d say side by side, with plenty of folding space, and a rolling canvas hamper, maybe divided. Personally, I’m not a fan of food and laundry co-inhabiting–I prefer to keep the E. coli a little further from the food–but people’s squick factors are utterly different, and I’m not claiming mine is rational; it’s just how *I* feel. If the space works for that sort of food prep, then do it, and it’s much safer to have your slow cooker sitting on a nice solid counter than on that tray table.
I read below that putting another bathroom in the basement would be lots of $$$, but you could always revisit that idea if it ever becomes necessary.
When there are good arguments on both sides it can be very hard to come to a rational decision, so go with what you feel. Are you thinking, “Yes, but…” as you read through the comments for one side or the other?
Oh, and full disclosure–I have no issues with cats on the counters or dogs pre-washing the dishes. I told you it wasn’t rational!
Kristina R says
I think I remember you saying in a post that you’re eventually going to turn your basement into a family room space, correct? With that in mind, I’d turn your current bathroom space into a spacious laundry room & then add in a small bathroom in the basement to the family space. That way, visiting family can sleep AND have a bathroom down there, kids have a bathroom and shower for when friends sleepover, after sports, etc. You don’t truly NEED the shower right now & it can wait until you finish the basement area.
Kate Valiente says
This is a really great idea. Teenagers get really funny about privacy, and having a bedroom/bathroom option down there is a good idea. This is especially true when they get to be college age. The space could even turn into a sort of apartment-y space.
Meghan says
We have a full bath in our finished basement – while I don’t love having another to clean, I’m glad we put it in. When we have parties that are in that space or the kids are having a sleepover the bathroom is a great addition. But with my other comment – if it’s between a third shower or great laundry area, I’d pick great laundry area.
Kristina R says
Yes! We have plans to add a bathroom when we finish our basement & I think that long term it makes mroe sense to have a shower down there than right next to the kitchen. We, too, have a former full bathroom that we switched to be a 1/2 bath/ laundry room & 5 years later I haven’t regretted losing that tun/shower yet! It’s SO nice to have the space to do laundry & I remember the frustration in Andrea’s post about how cramped and impractical her former laundry room was. Why recreate that in a new space? Sending my love, can’t wait to see the finished product!
Brenda says
Your kids all shower/bathe in the evening now, but as my kids got older, they started to like showering in the morning better. It wakes them up and helps with styling their hair, lol. You might discover that the issue of a line for the shower solves itself.
Also, who would want to shower next to the kitchen? They would either need to bring all their clothes to the laundry room with them to dress in a humid room or walk through the house in a towel/robe. That could be awkward, haha.
You already have a hot water tap outside. That could be used for rinsing off in the spring/summer/fall…
Debbie says
We have 3 kids (all teenagers) and they play sports year round. We have 3 showers (1 in the kids bathroom, 1 in the master bathroom and 1 downstairs in our finished basement). The basement shower RARELY is used and I can honestly say that we have never had a scheduling issue with our kids using the shower. In fact, the kids don’t use the shower in our master bathroom either. Sports schedules are typically staggered such that the kids don’t need to use the showers at the same time. For school, our boys tend to shower at night and our daughter showers in the morning. However, there is ALWAYS laundry to be done – especially with kids in sports year round. I would recommend the side by side washer/dryer combo with folding space.
Kimberly says
I would do a larger laundry room! I grew up with 9 siblings and there were only 2 showers, we were just fine. I think you would really LOVE having the larger laundry room with a sink, space for hampers, and a folding counter. You could also add cabinets above the washer & dryer for more storage space. But go with YOUR gut and what YOU want to do!
JJ says
3rd shower!!! We have a very small laundry room. We throw the clothes right inside the washer. After each kid dresses themselves, the put their right in the washer. So with after baths each night. I do a load every day, so it’s already there and ready to go. My grandma had a hamper shoot from the main floor to our basement where her laundry basket rested on the floor and caught the clothes. Every cousin and little kid that came over loved putting things down the shoot and running downstairs to see if they scored a basket. Haha!!! If we didn’t have a ranch, I would so want a hamper shoot. But I’m a kid at heart!
Melissa says
I think you’ll appreciate the bigger laundry area much more.
When I read your post, even though you said you like both options, I got a more enthusiastic vibe from the laundry option. So if I’m accurate on your tone, you like that option too
Lisa says
Do you use a laundry sink? I have never had or used one. Maybe you could put a shower where you were going to put the laundry sink and put a spray/handheld shower head that could be used in place of a laundry sink?
We had a family of three girls with one bathroom, it was never an issue as we all had different schedules.
Michelle says
I think I would get the shower. You don’t just have four kids, you have a very active family. There is already outside play and yard work. Soon there will be extra curricular activities. At some point it might be nice for the girls to use the shower upstairs and the boys have the smaller space downstairs.
A side by side laundry is visually appealing but it doesn’t really add more to your lifestyle like the option of a shower does. You also have the space in the basement if down the road you just need more space for laundry. A place to fold laundry is ideal but even better if you can get your children to each fold their own laundry as they get older.
Jen says
Laundry room…hands down. I grew up with four kids and one shower. We have four children and never had more than 2 showers. I honestly don’t remember a time when it was an issue. Couldn’t your kids use your shower now while some are taking baths upstairs?
Also, to me it’s weird to just have a shower in the laundry room with no toilet and only a laundry sink? And, I think that would be weird/awkward for guests, especially since it’s right off the kitchen. Could you put an outside shower somewhere for the purpose of rinsing off mud/chlorine, etc–nothing fancy but something simple that would still accomplish the purpose?
Finally, someday those kids who turn into teenagers will turn into college students and young adults who leave home. And it will be sooner than you know it! Then you’ll have an extra shower that you don’t use sitting alone in a laundry room?! (And who wants to clean an extra shower anyway??) You’ll ALWAYS use your laundry room–and the extra space in there is invaluable to me! I personally don’t think two washers and dryers is necessary either Again, at some point, you’ll barely need one set! 🙂
Katherine says
All of my thoughts exactly!
I am the youngest of four kids and now have four kids myself- two showers works just fine!
TJ in MD says
Outside shower was exactly what I was thinking too. Or maybe put one in your out building for that eventual in ground pool you think you might get. A.shower in a laundry room is somewhat awkward. You might eventually find that it doesn’t get used like you thought/ hoped it would because no one can actually get ready in that room without a toilet,basin and mirror. Who wants to move between rooms in the most trafficked part of the house while they get ready. Teens definitely don’t.
Sherry says
I think the side by side washer and dryer. You could add outlets above your counter space so you will be able to put crockpots there and still soak your grains. A third shower would be nice but in most houses two people can’t shower at the same time without water pressure issues and the temperature not staying constant. An actual shower usually doesn’t take long (except for teens). It’s the rest of getting ready that takes a long time. If the girls had a vanity in their room when they are older or one out on the landing that would free up traffic in the upstairs shower.
Jan says
I grew up in a family of 6 with 1 1/2 baths, so even two places to bathe/shower would be really nice! I see both sides, the benefit of a shower and of a spacious laundry area, and since my current laundry room is a hallway where everyone passes through, I would go with a spacious laundry.
As another option, would it be possible to go with a sliding door of some sort, put the shower and laundry sink on the wall where the shower is proposed, and put the side by side washer and dryer/storage on the door side? Then you’d have the best of both worlds!
Meghan says
Yes! A sliding door so there’s not that wasted space for opening the door!
Mary says
I would go with the side by side in the laundry room. My laundry is very close to the kitchen so becomes a staging area for large family dinners, etc. As your kids get older, they will shower at different times, morning, evening, after practice. An extra shower might be nice but they need to learn to be cooperative also. They could still fight over who got to shower where.
Kristin C says
Mom of 6 here. I’d choose the spacious laundry room. In my life, I can’t think of a scenario where there would ever be a need for three people showering at once. ( Although your argument for banning the kids from the master bath almost swayed me!!) Could your water pressure and water heater handle it? A very well appointed laundry though, would benefit you daily.
Emily R. says
I have four girls and love having three showers! If I were you I’d keep the washer/dryer in the basement and add the stackable washer/dryer….I would love to have double machines!!
Shelley says
Well, I am very practical and though a larger laundry room would be pleasing to the eye, I think you would get more use out of the shower especially in that location. Ultimately, go with YOUR gut. The times I have let people talk me out of stuff, I have been so sorry later.
Sheri says
I have three full baths and a large laundry room and if I could keep only one of these luxuries I would get rid of the extra shower. It’s super convenient having three showers but the amount the third actually gets used is minimal. We have two teens and overnight guests throughout the year so we do use the shower but the laundry room gets a ton more use. We love having a large laundry room with extra counter space and if we ever move this will be a requirement of our next home.
Cathy says
Are you planning to finish the basement? If yes, id put the third shower/ bathroom down there. As a guess I would feel weird showering right off of the kitchen.
Right up until the end I was all for the laundry room being in there.
Then you’ve mentioned the extra space being so nice for your slow cookers and things.
If doing the laundry in the basement isn’t something you hate I would keep it down there and turn that space into a fantastic pantry where are you could store things, but also have that tucked away work space!
Cathy says
Guest not guess LOL
Deanna says
I vote third shower with stackable W/D. But as a perk, I would also keep the current W/D in the basement. Who wouldn’t love having two W/Ds?!
I was the youngest of 5. Even when we were down to just 3 kids living at home, 1 shower and 1 tub/shower never seemed like enough. You will appreciate the 3rd shower, especially if and when your kids marry and have kids and come to visit!
However…if you went with the large laundry room, which I’ve never had AND WOULD LOVE, could you add a shower/bathroom in the basement? We have a finished basement, and not having to go upstairs to use the bathroom is sooooo nice.
Meghan says
I’d go with the larger laundry room. Before we had our third shower, one of our kids would use our master bath. It really wasn’t a big deal. I hate cleaning the third shower. I’d clean toilets over showers/ baths any day. Also, I think it’s good to teach your children to be courteous of each other and limit shower time. Plus, your half bath could be used by girls who need to do hair and makeup. I’m not sure how big your stack-able washer and dryer are, but two that I’ve used (my sister’s and one in a vacation home) where MUCH smaller than my ultra large capacity units. 3-4 loads in those stack-able machines equal one in my washer and dryer. To me, a HUGE washer and dryer are priceless.
I know you don’t line dry any clothes, but one thing I wish my laundry room had was a place to hang clothes. I have to line dry them on my shower rod.
Nancy says
Larger laundry area. Counter space is useful not only for folding but also for pretreating and scrubbing stains, and for working on messy school or art projects. Wall cabinets for storage. There are hooks that fold down from the wall, for hanging something short-term to dry or steam de-wrinkle (recent example: prom dress). You could wall-mount a TV if space allows.
Nancy says
This is the type of wall hook I’ve been thinking about getting.
https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Mounted-Stainless-Clothing-Organizer/dp/B079CDLT8R/ref=asc_df_B079CDLT8R/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241957922100&hvpos=1o18&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3668122583763844207&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9022144&hvtargid=pla-483051254557&psc=1
Shari says
Hi Andrea!
I’m so excited for you on this project. We have four kids (12-19) and two bathrooms. An extra half bath is really all I’ve ever felt would be nice to add. An extra shower would have been handy only a few times. I would much rather have the nice laundry space. And that counter space over the top of the washer and dryer would be amazing in my opinion! Good luck!
Sarah says
I’d go for the larger laundry room in a heartbeat. Laundry takes forever, sometimes all day in a family the size of yours. You will be in that room a lot, and it should function best for its primary role. Showers are quick and take at most an hour of dedicated time for a couple of kids to get through. Also, I have found that kids can be doing other bedtime tasks like brushing their teeth or choosing clothes for the next day while waiting for someone to finish using our one shower. We cycle three guys through in half an hour. There are always ways to use time efficiently, but you are stuck with the space you create. I would eliminate the shower, build in a countertop and include open space for sorted, unwashed loads waiting to go in.
Amy says
Hi Andrea! I would opt for the side by side laundry room and nix the shower. We’re a family of 10 with ONE shower (and a bath), and we manage just fine with shower schedules (2 teens and 3 tweens, and a bunch of littles so far). And it is REALLY nice not to have an extra shower to keep clean. Plus, it keeps us considerate of others with our shower usage times. 😉 Not sure if your water heater would be able to handle that extra shower anyway? I guess it ultimately comes down to what is most important: having a nice, spacious place to do daily laundry, or keeping that space for the occasional use of the shower. I can see the benefits of it, however, as I’m fighting the laundry monster daily, I’d vote for the side by side. 😉
Sonya says
Random Thoughts on Your Bathroom Scenario:
I too have an old farmhouse with an awkwardly placed bathroom. Our main bathroom is at the front of the house and has a small window. Our master is our only other bathroom so my two sons (ages 12 and 14.) use the main bath primarily. We waited a long time to remodel it for the same reason, we just couldn’t figure out how to make the space work and also debated about switching with the laundry room.
I am so glad I didn’t give up my laundry room space, with two active boys I’ve found having a side by side washer/dryer and more room in the laundry room has definitely been more beneficial. With their schedules, homework needs, etc… we have rarely run into time issues for the shower. You have two more kids than I do but also the extra half bath you have gives some flexibility…. Hope that helps!
Kim says
I’d opt for the larger laundry room. I’m sure you already have tons of laundry which will only increase as your kids get older and involved in sports, etc. When I was growing up, our family of 4 managed just fine with one bathroom. And perhaps you could add a long, slim, sturdy table in front of the window so that you can continue your slow cookers and bread making there. Or just use it to fold laundry and look out the window! Depending on the size of that area, perhaps have the table be able to fold down out of the way if needed.
Kate says
First I was going to say option 2, but after reading the post, I’m going with option 3 – stackable washer/dryer and shower AND an additional washer and dryer in the basement. It sounds like you could really use the shower, since you really only have one other. When the kids do get bigger, you would probably have 6 people wanting to use the same shower. And then you could have an extra place for laundry too!
Shelley says
Lol. You have my vote:)
Jeanne says
Hi Andrea, I’d go for the side by side laundry! I grew up in a family with 6 kids. I had 5 older brothers. We had one shower and one tub. I honestly don’t remember any big issues with showering. I remember taking mine at a very different time than my brothers, like if they showered in the morning, I showered at night. Still do as our current home has only one shower. It’s not an issue at all. You can limit the time for the shower itself. I DO remember that! You couldn’t stay in there for a super long time. LOL Go for the space you need that you will use long before and after the kids are teens. Good luck and hope the renovation goes smoothly. 🙂
Ann says
I think you would love the more spacious laundry room & it would be more restful to the eye!
My solution to the extra shower when you reach that point?
We have stairs to the basement right next to our back door just like do: come in, turn right & go down to the basement.
IF you have a drain down there, make a super simple easy shower down there for those TEEN years, which fly by quickly! You’ll still have your spacious laundry room for later!
My husband has a shower down there for extra dirty days & we both love it- no tracking through the house. Come in , clean up & come to the kitchen all cleaned up! Yes, he stores his every day clothes downstairs near that shower. Do I get extra a points for being ISTJ? Thanks for all you write, I found your blog before Nora was born!
I hope all the comments help you decide!
Alison says
I see your dilemma. However, based on what you have said, I’d opt to get rid of the shower. If you had a counter in your laundry room, you could still do all of the “bonus” projects you have been doing this past year. Also, while I like the idea of multiple people showering at once – can your water heater handle that? Many can’t. Also, a family of 6 (with multiple extracurriculars) generates A LOT of laundry. Having a pleasant area for that will be nice.
Debra says
I would go with larger laundry room and then add a shower in the basement.
Andrea says
it’s not really an option to add a shower in the basement — unless we spent A LOT of extra money (which is not worth it for us). We DO however have a 2nd laundry area in the basement already!
Meredith says
Think of HOW MANY loads of laundry you’ll do before you have even one teenager. The mild inconvenience of occasionally waiting for one of two showers to open up five years from now is not worth sacrificing a nice space to do laundry every week. You’ll enjoy a nice laundry space every time you use it—-which will be a lot more frequently than 3 kids will want to shower simultaneously!
Alissa says
I would go for the side by side washer and dryer. I would rather have a “dream” laundry room than an okay shower / laundry combo – just my personal preference. I am excited to see what yall pick and to see it done. This is your last big indoor project, right? Congrats on having the end in sight!
Casey says
If it were me I would go with the larger laundry room….in our house growing up, half of us would shower at night, the other in the morning (boys at night, girls in the morning). My mom went with a larger laundry room while building our house and never regretted it. She really did store a ton of stuff in there. I think having the extra space in there would be great, especially as your kids grow and potentially get more involved in sports, etc requiring more washing. Plus it sounds like you really like having a spot to soak grains, etc. I’d take that over cleaning a third bathroom any day! 😉
Julie says
I have 3 teenagers. Two boys and one girl. I can’t say we would ever use an extra shower. But I would love move space in the laundry. If it was me, I would put the washer and dryer side by side and have a big tub for soaking clothes, teen boys get dirty playing sport! And a table for folding and ironing. Teen girls, love to shop, so there is always plenty of ironing. I live in Australia and winter sport has just started.
Andrea says
haha — I think my laundry room would need to be twice the size to accommodate your soaking tub and folding table 🙂 But it does sound dreamy!
Michelle Bonk says
I would go with the larger laundry room.
The idea of a shower in the laundry room seems odd to me.
And our four teens/tweens manage to cycle their showers all in their bathroom without having to use our master.