Having a washer and dryer in the kitchen is very convenient, especially for multitaskers. Doing laundry using a washing machine doesn’t require constant supervision; you can run your load of laundry while cooking or cleaning.
Washers and dryers – or combined washer dryers – can be very bulky unless you have the budget for higher-end models, and they can ruin the aesthetics of your kitchen when exposed.
Due to their bulk, washing machines can take up a lot of space that isn’t readily available in modern living arrangements.
So how can you experience the joy of multitasking while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing kitchen?
This article focuses on the tips and tricks to help you hide your laundry machine and dryer in your kitchen.
Things to consider when deciding where your washer and dryer will go
- How much room do you have?
Hiding your laundry machines can be an easy job if you have the space to play around in your house. The problem comes when you are restricted space-wise.
Finding a place with a dedicated laundry room can be challenging due to constricted living spaces, especially in modern housing. These tiny living spaces make for creative occupants because they have to find space for all necessary home appliances.
- Map out the electrical outlets, water and venting connections
Washers and dryers are electrical equipment, and most of their connection cables happen to be relatively short. When planning on hiding your washer and dryer, consider where the electric outlets are and where the plumbing is.
Some of these devices require efficient venting and plumbing, so check out the water inlet to your kitchen and how the greywater will get out.
- How do you plan to hide the washer and dryer?
There are three ways to make your washer and dryer inconspicuous. If you have extra space in your kitchen, you could plan on repurposing the extra space into a laundry area.
You could plan on moving the appliances to a better fitting room or simply creatively hiding them out of sight. These options will help you decide which hiding mechanism works for you.
- Foot traffic flow
Knowing where household members frequent more while in the kitchen is also an essential aspect of appliance placement. Your laundry devices shouldn’t be somewhere busy where people can bump into them, and they should also be close enough that you’re able to monitor your laundry as you perform other tasks.
1. Repurposing extra space in your kitchen
If you have a large house or kitchen, this segment is ideal for showing you ways to make functional laundry areas while still keeping your design intact. How can one repurpose extra kitchen space?
- Segment the room with a fancy curtain
If you have some space in your kitchen, you can dedicate it to your laundry appliance, and a long curtain can be one of the cheapest ways to segment the room. The good thing about using curtains is choosing patterns to blend with the walls or the kitchen design you chose.
Creating this segment will essentially create a mini laundry room and leave you with a lovely kitchen. You can also change up the curtains, which will make your kitchen look brand new and livelier every time you put up a new one.
To hang your curtains, go for a tension rod or a closet rod because you can install them without needing professional help, and they’re readily available in DIY stores.
- Use a room divider
You could always use extra storage space regardless of how big your kitchen is. You can create a large cabinet to act as a wall between the kitchen and the laundry room you’re trying to make. If the cabinet is double-sided, then well and good.
You can store your extra kitchen items on one side and your laundry items, e.g. detergent and fabric softeners, on the other side. You can even turn the cabinet into a large display case for the kitchen side to showcase your favorite utensils and kitchen supplies.
You can also make use of a real room divider to do the separation. You can choose between a single-panel and multi-panel divider, depending on the size of your kitchen. A more permanent solution is to build a wall to separate the two rooms.
- Use the entry way
Some houses have entryways leading into the kitchen. Most entryways are long, and some walls have nooks you can place your laundry appliances in.
If the nooks are narrow, you can stack the washer and dryer, especially if they’re both front loaders, and you’ll be good to go. Stacking them up saves you from banging into them when walking to the kitchen and also hides the appliances. You can even use a door to mimic a cabinet.
2. Finding a better fitting space in your kitchen
Are your washer and dryer somewhere visible? Looking to find a better space to place them? These appliances are mainly built for functionality and not appeal, and you may feel like they’re ruining the entire aesthetic of your room. How can you find them a better placement?
- Stack them up in a narrow cabinet
Does your kitchen contain a narrow cabinet? Narrow cabinets are the best places for your front-loading washer and dryers. You can stack them up, start a wash and then offload your laundry while placing them in a dryer above it.
This placement is not only a space saver; it also saves the time and energy required to offload and move clothes from laundry machines that aren’t adjacent.
Cabinets are also convenient because they have doors, and once you’re done with laundry, you can lock the cabinet up and voilà. Remember that these machines can make a lot of noise, so it may be necessary to pad adjacent walls.
- Repurpose the bottom of a display cabinet
Most people focus on stocking the top of a display cabinet, and the bottom is mostly either left empty or carries non-important stuff. You can make the bottom of your cabinet useful by repurposing it for your washer, dryer or both. If both your washer and dryer are combined, then well and good.
For a display cabinet, all the focus lies on the goodies displayed at the top and not the bottom; this way, you can hide your appliances there. You can use a curtain to hide them or even use cabinet doors to conceal them.
- Use empty nooks and crannies
Sometimes, when designing and furnishing your kitchen, some corners may be left empty. Take advantage of this and fit your washers and dryers in them. Planning your space such that things don’t look scattered gives your kitchen uniformity.
- Use extra space in the pantry
It’s possible to store your washer and dryer somewhere spacey such as a pantry. All you need to do is separate foodstuff and laundry supplies, such as washing powder. You can separate them by using the furthest wall dedicated to the washer, dryer and laundry supplies such that you aren’t contaminating your food supplies.
It’s essential to be creative when working with limited storage spaces such as pantries so that you can build extra shelving and cabinets above the space allocated for the washer and dryer. This also works with pantry cabinets because not everyone has a full-sized pantry.
- Find space near a sink
Delicate clothes need to be hand-washed, and there’s no need to carry all your socks and underwear to the bathroom from the kitchen. If you’re looking to hide your washer and dryer in the laundry room, then consider placing them under a sink in the kitchen.
The space below sinks is usually left unutilised, and if the area is big enough, why not take advantage of it? The sink is also necessary, especially if your washer and dryer aren’t built-in. Some portable washing machines require manual drainage, and having a sink nearby is a wise decision.
- Place it under a kitchen counter
The kitchen counter can be the optimal place to fold your clothes after they’ve gone to the laundry. Still, the most important factor is that kitchen counters can have purposeful enclosures that hide your laundry appliances.
Most washing machine manufacturers these days combine both washing and drying capabilities in one appliance. The washer will fit under the kitchen counter as a stand-alone.
3. Keep your washer and dryer out of sight
Has your laundry equipment always been in the kitchen? You can keep your kitchens neat by making your washer and dryer invisible.
- Hide them behind a door
If you’re looking to hide your washer and dryer, adding a door to the space you’ve crammed them into elevates the design factor. This elevation makes the kitchen look well thought out and put together.
You can do specialist doors such as a sliding door, a double door or a pull-down door, depending on where you’ve stored your washer and dryer. A pull-down door can work well with a rustic wood finish and a double or a sliding door with something more fancy and sophisticated.
You can use a seamless door to carve out a laundry room inside your kitchen. Seamless doors can mimic a sliding door sometimes and also look more sophisticated and modern.
- Blend them with your kitchen layout and design
You can make your laundry equipment less conspicuous by adding them into the design. For example, if your kitchen is U-shaped, placing both your washer and dryer in the middle will help blend the kitchen, and they won’t stick out like a sore thumb.
With an L-shaped kitchen, you can place the devices on either end of the shape. You can even choose to separate the shapes between the stops to make the L more even.
Your kitchen’s colour scheme also matters. When purchasing the laundry equipment, ensure their colours blend with your kitchen’s themes. They need not necessarily be the same colour, but the colours should complement each other.
You can also choose to wrap materials such as vinyl in your washer, dryer and cabinet doors to give your kitchen a uniform look.
- Mimic a drawer
In case your washer and dryer’s colour doesn’t complement your kitchen’s schematics, then create drawer-like crevices in your kitchen to conceal them.
We will work with the U-shaped kitchen as an example. Make drawer-like contraptions smack in the middle of your kitchen’s layout to blend the design. You can also get rid of any unused drawers and cabinets to make room for your laundry equipment.
- Blend your washer and dryer with kitchen appliances
Blending equipment works best in fancy kitchens. If you can afford to buy stainless steel kitchen appliances and then find washers and dryers with a stainless steel finish, then you can elevate your kitchen’s wow factor. As long as there is a uniform look to your appliances, then your kitchen will look flawless.
- Use a curtain
As mentioned before, a curtain is excellent for room separation, especially long curtains. Still, they can also be helpful when hiding laundry equipment placed below counters or in any place that makes them look odd.
- Hide your laundry equipment behind kitchen appliances
Do you have a large fridge or freezer in your kitchen? You can set up your laundry are just behind large kitchen equipment to conceal them.
Final thoughts
Throughout this article, you have discovered the numerous ways to conceal your washer and dryer in the kitchen. However, these aren’t an easy fit because some may require the help of professionals, especially when you need to build functional cabinets and permanent walls to create a small laundry room inside your kitchen.
Washing machines are noisy, and this is something to consider when choosing where to place them; the noise can get even worse when they become faulty.
Remember to consider your water inlets and outlets when moving your laundry equipment and account for ways to contain and clean up leaks, especially if your option involves placing your washer and dryers into tightly fitted areas. If you have time for a DIY project, consider one of the numerous concealing methods we have provided and run with it.
