Most Melbourne laundries were designed around a trough and a top loader, and then the family grew. Now there’s a basket on the floor, a drying rack in the hallway and nowhere flat to fold a fitted sheet.

Good laundry design ideas fix the workflow, not just the finishes. These five come up in almost every laundry renovation we plan.

Top Tips

• Bench space beats cabinetry. A folding bench at least 600 mm deep is more useful for daily use than an extra overhead cupboard.
• Lift the machines off the floor. Elevating a front loader saves your back and buys you basket storage underneath.
• Choose the dryer before the joinery. Vented and heat pump dryers need very different ventilation and cabinetry.
• Sort as you go. Integrated pull-out hampers stop washing piling up in the hallway.
• Benchtop rules have changed. Engineered stone is banned nationally, so porcelain, laminate and natural stone are now the options.

Idea 1: Design the Bench Around Folding

The single most useful surface in a laundry is a clear run of bench you can fold on. Aim for at least 600 mm deep and 900 mm to 1200 mm wide if the room allows.

Bench over the machines works well for front loaders. With a top loader, plan the folding zone on the opposite wall so you’re not fighting the lid.

Always leave a gap under the bench for a basket to slide in. Folding is faster when you can drop clean items straight down.

Idea 2: Get the Washing Machine Off the Floor

If you have a front loader, setting it into cabinetry roughly 300 mm to 400 mm above floor level changes how the room feels to use. No more crouching to unload a heavy wash.

That plinth space underneath becomes a drawer for baskets or detergent. Stacking the dryer above the washer frees a whole wall in a compact or European laundry. Just use the manufacturer’s stacking kit rather than improvising a shelf.

Idea 3: Plan Ventilation Around Your Dryer Type

Vented dryers push hot, damp air into the room. The National Construction Code requires that, where a vented clothes dryer is installed, it must have a shaft or duct to the outside air, or you’ll end up with wet walls and mould behind new joinery.

Heat pump dryers avoid that problem and cost far less to run. The Australian Government’s Energy Rating program puts an efficient heat pump dryer at 60% less energy than a conventional dryer. They’re deeper than vented models, so tell your designer before cabinetry is drawn.

Idea 4: Build the Sorting System Into the Cabinetry

Integrated hampers are the idea that clients thank us for most. Two or three pull-out bins behind a cabinet door let you separate whites, darks and towels as they come off, so wash day starts with a bin you tip straight into the drum.

Pair them with a pull-out drying rail for shirts and delicates. Timber, brushed brass, or matte black adds warmth to an otherwise practical room.

In a double-storey home, ask whether your floor structure can take a laundry chute. It isn’t always possible, but it removes the daily trip downstairs with an armful of washing.

Idea 5: Choose Surfaces and Fittings That Suit 2026 Rules

Benchtop options have shifted. Since 1 July 2024, the supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs have been banned across Australia following Safe Work Australia’s recommendation on silicosis risk, with an import ban from 1 January 2025. Porcelain, natural stone, laminate and sealed timber are the practical replacements.

Appliances deserve the same attention. Under the Australian Government’s WELS scheme, a family running a daily load who picks a 6-star, 30 L washing machine over a 3-star, 80 L model saves around 18 kL and $54 a year.

And fix the small stuff while the walls are open.One dripping tap can waste up to 12,000 litres a year.

Where to Start

Measure your appliances first, then design around them. Almost every laundry problem we’re asked to fix started with cabinetry drawn before anyone checked what would go in it.

If you’re planning a laundry renovation in Melbourne, our designers can map the workflow, appliance clearances and ventilation before a single cabinet is ordered, so nothing gets discovered on site. Explore our laundry renovations and bathroom renovations service or call 1300 767 611 to book a showroom consultation.