Plan laundry storage by listing what the room must hold (brooms, vacuum, ironing board, baskets, cleaning products, linen) and giving each item a fixed place before the cabinetry is ordered. Tall items need a full-height cupboard, which competes with bench length, so decide that trade-off early.
The best laundry storage ideas start with a list of what you own, not a catalogue of cabinets. Storage is often the last thing decided and the first thing people wish they'd done differently. Once cabinetry is ordered, adding a broom cupboard or rearranging overheads usually means remaking parts of it.
Storage planning is part of every professional laundry renovation in Geelong we scope, because it's the decision most often left too late.
Why storage must be settled before the cabinetry order
Cabinetry is made to fixed sizes. If storage is decided afterwards, it ends up where it blocks appliance doors, covers taps, or takes bench space.
Cabinetry is often the largest visible cost in a laundry, so it pays to get the brief right first. A full-height cupboard added late can shorten the bench or crowd the machines. Overheads added late may clash with a top loader's lid or a window.
List what the laundry has to hold
Start with an inventory, not a design. Everything on the list needs a place.
- Broom, mop and bucket
- Vacuum (stick or barrel) and its charger, if it needs power
- Ironing board and iron
- Laundry baskets or hampers
- Detergent, stain removers and cleaning products
- Pegs, drying rack or clothes airer
- Linen or towels, if stored in the laundry
- Pet supplies, recycling or other household items that end up here
Tall storage: brooms, vacuum and ironing board
Long items need a full-height cupboard, one of the most practical laundry cupboard ideas. Decide early where it goes, because it takes wall length away from the bench.
A stick vacuum that charges in the cupboard needs a power point inside it, which means planning the electrical before the cabinetry. If wall length is tight, a tall cupboard at the end of the run or beside the door often works best.
Overhead cabinets
Overheads add storage without using bench space, but their height has to suit the people using them and the machines below.
Over a top loader, overheads must clear the open lid. Over a bench, they need enough height to work beneath comfortably. If the laundry has a window, overheads may need to stop short of it.
Hampers, drying and folding space
Decide where dirty washing waits, where clean washing is folded, and where anything air-dries, because each needs its own space.
Among compact storage ideas, a pull-out hamper under the bench is one of the most useful, because it keeps baskets off the floor. A fold-down or pull-out drying rail can suit rooms without space for a permanent rack. Keeping some bench clear for folding is usually worth more than extra base cabinets.
Keeping access to taps, waste and power
Leave a way to reach the taps, waste and power points behind or under the cabinetry, so machines can be disconnected and plumbing repaired without removing joinery.
Washing machine taps are often behind the machine or inside a cupboard. Hiding them behind fixed panels makes future repairs harder. Discuss access panels or removable sections at the design stage.
Pre-order storage checklist
- Every item on your inventory has a named place
- The tall cupboard position is fixed, and any power point inside it is planned
- Overheads clear machine lids, windows and your working height
- Hamper and folding space are allocated
- Taps, waste and power stay accessible
- Machine openings allow for a replacement machine
- Cabinet materials near the trough and machines suit a wet area
Once the checklist is done, the storage can be designed into the layout, whether that's a small laundry or a European cupboard-style laundry. If you'd like joinery designed around your list, that's part of our Geelong laundry renovation services.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you organise a laundry room?
List everything the room holds, give each item a fixed place, keep the bench clear for folding, and put tall items in one full-height cupboard. Plan it before the cabinetry is ordered.
How high should laundry cabinets be?
Set the bench height for comfortable folding and the machines below it, and hang overheads where the main users can reach them. Over a top loader, overheads must clear the open lid.
How deep are laundry cabinets?
Base cabinet depth is usually set by the machines they sit beside or over, plus room for taps and hoses. Confirm depths against your machines' dimensions with your cabinetmaker.
Need storage designed around your laundry?
Bring your storage list and we'll design cabinetry that fits it, with access to taps and waste.
Get cabinetry designed