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laundry roomGarages/WorkshopsDesign Dilemma
khmiller614

Creative fixes for door dilemma?

Kari Miller
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

My house was built in 1994, apparently by someone who didn't give much thought to how the laundry room would function. We're planning to sell the house soon and I'm looking for a possible solution. To be code, the garage door is supposed to open in. The laundry room door also opens in. After a few pinched fingers, we went with a temporary solution of a storm door that opens into the garage. But it's still a really tight laundry room, especially as the wall oven goes into it. I love the idea of a pocket door to go behind the fridge, but it's more work than we want to take on, and there's really no place to move that light switch anyway. A barn door going over the oven might work, but can it slide over the oven handle and still actually fit the door frame? The washing machine is loud. A barn door would be the easiest and cheapest solution, but I don't know if it will slide out over the handles and then slide back into the door.

There's also really nowhere else in the house to relocate the laundry room and just convert this into a mudroom. Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer
  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    6 years ago

    Take down those cheap shelves over the washer/dryer and replace with wall cabinets & make your laundry as tricked out as your kitchen. No one can resist a cute laundry room

    Comments (21)

    • smitrovich
      6 years ago

      "A barn door going over the oven might work..."

      That's a terrible idea, especially if you are planning to put the home on the market. Do you need a door on the laundry room at all? Remove it entirely and put your money into making the laundry room look amazing.

      Kari Miller thanked smitrovich
    • PRO
      BeverlyFLADeziner
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      I have the exact same conditions with the garage door and kitchen door both opening into the laundry room. I'm sure lots of other homes have the same condition.

      You cannot have a barn door slide over the double oven. Just leave it as is. I don't think many will consider this a problem. Likely most will be happy to just have a laundry room.

      Paint the walls of the laundry to match the kitchen & Install a better light fixture in the laundry that coordinates with your kitchen.

      Kari Miller thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
    • Kari Miller
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      There has to be a door there; the washing machine noise is too loud.

      Our realtor told us when we bought the house that it was on the market so long partly because everyone hated the laundry room. It's mostly new construction around here with huge laundry rooms upstairs. So I was hoping to come up with a better solution.

      Replacing the original door that opened into the laundry room with a storm door that opened into the garage helped, but a contractor told us it's technically a safety violation.

    • tackykat
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Yes, I believe you need a steel or some kind of metal (solid - not storm) door between a garage and a house, per fire code?

      I am piping in because we have the exact same laundry room set up. Ours looks exactly like yours in terms of space and the door swings. It is really not a problem for us. We just replaced all the interior doors so the door from LR to kitchen is now solid as opposed to hollow core. It does help with the noise. Yours looks like a solid door?

      I personally like having the laundry where it is, so close to kitchen, but do wish the room was bigger.

      so I would not change it, but I understand the desire to do so. If you are worried about resale, every home will have some "flaw."

    • Denita
      6 years ago

      Can you post a pic of the laundry room so we can see the whole thing?

      A nice, clean, well appointed laundry room will overcome the door issue in buyer's minds.

    • PRO
      Solana Flooring
      6 years ago

      Quick fix:

      A Mr. Clean Eraser to restore the White on the screen door and a fresh coat of paint to any worn trim.

      @BeverlyFLADeziner also made a great suggestion to change the light fixture.

      With intentions to sell in the near future, it's best to decide if the space in question is functional for its intended propose. In your case, it's an architectural awkwardness rather than a design dilemma.

      Try to approach the space with the eye of a potential buyer. Are the washer and dryer units included in the sale of the house? Could the space use a face lift by upgrading storage space, wall paint and trim refresh?



    • Cedric Owens
      6 years ago

      Why not install the barn door on the inside of the laundry room between the kitchen?

    • acm
      6 years ago

      I'd put a real door on the garage, and then get a bifold door or accordian door for the laundry room, which only needs to be closed when the machines are running.

    • smitrovich
      6 years ago

      If the concern is noise, a barn door won't do anything to help. They are pretty much decorative.

    • jhmarie
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Since you are selling, I would just put things back the way they were when you bought it. If you wanted to solve the problem without the cost of a pocket door, you could think about a door like one half of a closet door that divides in half and folds on itself when opened.

    • girlnamedgalez8a
      6 years ago

      I have the same setup off of my kitchen. I hated seeing the laundry room from the kitchen, I have no door. Try painting the laundry a shade or tow darker then the kitchen. I did that & now you really don't notice that it is even there. It made a huge difference.

      Kari Miller thanked girlnamedgalez8a
    • Kari Miller
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Thanks, everyone. You've helped me to see that this might not be the big deal I thought it was. And that's a really good thing, because there are other issues (like bathroom remodels!) that definitely need to be addressed.

      Painting in there and either replacing or cleaning up the existing door is definitely on the list, as is staging once we're at that point. And now I'll consider a new light fixture too.


    • Kari Miller
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      That's a great idea, BeverlyFLADeziner. The stencil/wallpaper idea is really cute too!

    • lcubed
      6 years ago

      if i were planning on staying in that house, i'd replace the machines with quiet ones. will the potential buyers actually run a load of wash to hear how loud the current machines are??

    • mrb6228
      6 years ago

      What is it about your machines that makes them so noisy? Is there a possible problem brewing? If you leave the machines with the home, you'll likely get dinged for their age and have to include them in your home warranty. I would list your home as not including the W&D and donate these to charity as your moving out.

      MRB

    • Kari Miller
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      The machines are old, and we will probably give them to our college-aged daughter when we sell this house. We're moving onto a boat so we won't need them.

      I'm mulling the idea of just removing that door if I can make the laundry room cute enough. We'd have to replace the storm door with an insulated one but that might be the easiest solution all around.

    • whirlpool_trainee
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      I, too, was thinking to get rid if these Maytag Neptunes and either put something quieter (and maybe stackable?) in there or to let the next buyers buy a w/d set they like.

    • mrb6228
      6 years ago

      How about a bi-fold door with an etched glass insert?

      MRB

    • mrb6228
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago


      Like this...

    • Fori
      6 years ago

      Just remember that prospective buyers won't KNOW it's going to be loud if you put in a lesser door. :)

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