For laundry room ideas that work, I'd start with a tape measure before any photo of a big, bright room with a sink and a window. The machines set the layout, and the decor fits around them. Two 27-inch machines side by side take 54 inches of wall, before the side gaps their makers ask for.
Many homes on Vancouver Island have a hall closet, a basement corner or a garage wall instead of a full room. A laundry room is the space set aside for washing, drying and folding clothes. It can be a full room, a closet behind bifold doors or a stacked pair in a bathroom. What makes one work is plain enough. The machines fit with the gaps their makers ask for, the dryer is vented safely or not at all, and there's somewhere to fold.
On November 1, 2026, our laundry room appliance lineup at Merit Home Furniture listed 69 washers and 69 dryers. All are carried at our Campbell River store, our Port Alberni store or both. Laundry centres, all-in-one combos and pedestals sit alongside them. The machines named below are those store-listed ones, priced online. Prices are as listed that day, before applicable taxes.
Laundry room ideas that start with the machines' footprint
Every laundry layout comes down to a handful of shapes, and each shape has a footprint. Two 27-inch machines side by side take 54 inches of wall before any gap. The same pair stacked takes 27 inches of wall and a lot more height. A 24-inch laundry centre or an all-in-one combo fits where neither of those will.
Here is one listing of each shape from the laundry appliances Merit lists, with the maker's width, height and depth in inches.
| Layout | W x H x D (in) | Listing and price |
|---|---|---|
| Side by side | 27 x 39 x 30.25 washer, 30.125 dryer | LG 5.2 cu. ft. front-load washer, $999.99, beside an LG 7.4 cu. ft. dryer, $1,099.99 |
| Stacked with a kit | 27 wide, two machines high | An LG 27-inch front-load pair on LG's stacking kit, $79.99 |
| Single-unit tower | 27 x 74.375 x 30.375 | LG WashTower, 5.2 cu. ft. washer under a 7.4 cu. ft. dryer, $2,399.99 |
| 24-inch laundry centre | 23.875 x 74.25 x 26.625 | Whirlpool stacked laundry center, 1.8 cu. ft. top-load washer, 3.4 cu. ft. dryer, $3,149 |
| 24-inch ventless tower | 23.62 x 63.7 x 26.77 | Whirlpool heat pump laundry tower, 3.2 cu. ft. washer, 4.3 cu. ft. dryer, $3,849 |
| All-in-one combo | 23.5 x 33.5 x 23.5 | Midea 3.1 cu. ft. washer dryer combo, $1,199.99 |
Depth matters as much as width in a hallway closet. The LG washer's listing gives 55 inches of depth with its door open, and the LG dryer's gives 51.375 inches with the door at 90 degrees. That is the clear floor the hall in front of a closet has to spare. A machine also has to get into the house first. Measuring the doorways and stairs on the way in works the same for a washer as for a sofa.
More shapes sit in laundry centres and towers and washer dryer combos.
Stacked or side by side: how much room do the makers ask for?
The gaps around a stacked or side-by-side pair come from each maker's installation instructions, and they differ by brand. Samsung asks for at least 4 inches behind a dryer for the vent, and at least 1 inch at the sides and top. In a closet or alcove shared with a washer, Samsung wants two unobstructed air openings with a combined area of at least 72 square inches. Where the washer's figure differs, Samsung says to use the higher one for both machines.
Whirlpool's dimension guide for its 24- and 27-inch stacked washer/dryers recommends 1 inch at each side, with zero as the minimum. It notes that most installations need 6 inches behind the dryer for the exhaust vent and its elbow. Any closet door needs air openings at its top and bottom, by the same guide.
Side by side keeps both doors at the same height and leaves the tops free for a folding counter. Stacking frees floor space, but each stacking kit on Merit's site names the maker's front-load machines it fits. They run from Whirlpool's kit at $69 to Samsung's SKK-8K at $199. For a top-load washer under a dryer, the shape to look at is a laundry centre. The Frigidaire 27-inch laundry center puts a 4.5 cu. ft. top-load washer under a 5.5 cu. ft. dryer, at $2,949.
Where else can a washer and dryer go besides a laundry room?
A washer and dryer can go anywhere with water, a drain, the right power and somewhere for the dryer's air to go. Samsung adds a rule for garages and other unheated spaces. There, its dryers sit at least 18 inches above the floor on a platform or pedestal, so they give off heat properly in winter. That's worth knowing for a carport laundry or an Island cabin.
A kitchen or bathroom with no route outdoors suits a machine with no vent at all. The Midea combo runs on a 120 V outlet. The Whirlpool 24-inch heat pump tower needs no outside vent, according to its listing, though its dryer runs on 240 V.
Small laundry room decor ideas that keep the floor clear
In a small laundry room, decor earns its place by doing a job as well. Shelves, a counter, somewhere to hang things and good light carry most of the room. A few that fit a closet or a narrow room:
- A worktop across a side-by-side front-load pair, for folding. Leave the maker's top gap, Samsung's 1 inch, and keep it lift-off so the machines can come out for service.
- One deep shelf above the machines. Health Canada says to keep laundry detergent packets out of sight and reach of children, and a high shelf or a closed cabinet does both.
- A rail or pull-out line for the things that never go in the dryer. BC Hydro suggests hang-drying anyway, since it cuts dryer use.
- Hooks or a basket for each person, so clean laundry leaves the room the day it's done.
- A bright ceiling light over the folding spot, plus a plant or a framed print on the shelf if they clear the vent and the door swing.
Laundry room cabinet ideas and storage
Upper cabinets over a laundry pair work when their doors clear the top of a stacked dryer or a raised top-load lid. A tall cabinet at one end holds the ironing board, the mop and the vacuum. A utility sink with a tall faucet is the other piece worth planning for, for soaking stains and rinsing muddy gear. If the washer drains into it, Whirlpool's guide asks for a laundry tub at least 39 inches high on its 27-inch models.
Contemporary laundry room ideas: finishes, tile and hardware
Contemporary laundry room ideas can start with the machines' colour, since white is no longer the only finish. Merit's listings include LG's Graphite Steel and Black Steel, Samsung's Brushed Black and Dark Steel, and Maytag's Metallic Slate. The black steel WashTower is $2,599.99, $200 more than the white one. A tiled floor copes with a spill or a leak, and matte black or brass cabinet pulls tie the cabinets to a dark machine. A single pendant or a small chandelier suits a room with a high ceiling, as long as it clears an open lid.
If I were fitting a laundry closet, I'd measure the opening and the depth with the machine door open before looking at a single colour. White or graphite is the easy choice. Whether the folding counter still clears the dryer door is the question that's easy to miss.
Laundry pedestals for a washer and dryer: height, drawer and price
A washer and dryer pedestal is a box with a pull-out drawer that lifts a front-load machine off the floor, so there's less bending to load and unload. Merit lists two pedestals for 27-inch front-load machines, plus an LG washer built into a pedestal. All three are listed for our Campbell River store.
| Pedestal | Height | Price |
|---|---|---|
| LG pedestal with storage drawer, Graphite Steel | 13.625 in | $299.99 |
| Maytag pedestal with storage drawer, White | 15.5 in | $599 |
| LG SideKick pedestal washer, 1.0 cu. ft. | 14.125 in | $699.99 |
A pedestal raises the machine, and it also adds to the floor needed in front. The LG drawer reaches 43.875 inches deep when open, and the SideKick 50.5 inches, per their listings. Neither pedestal reaches the 18 inches Samsung sets for its dryers in an unheated garage. In a garage, the dryer maker's own figure decides. The pedestals and stacking kits are together in laundry accessories.
Are pedestals worth it in a small laundry room?
Pedestals earn their price for a side-by-side front-load pair used by someone who finds bending hard. The Maytag listing says its pedestal minimizes bending and stooping at the doors, and the drawer is a bonus for detergent. Raising a pair takes two, which adds $599.98 for LG pedestals or $1,198 for Maytag. The SideKick is the odd one out: it's a second washer, so a small load can run while the main washer does a full one.
Dryer venting and lint safety in a laundry room
A vented dryer pushes hot, damp, lint-filled air outdoors, and the duct that carries it is the part of a laundry room most worth getting right. Montreal's fire service, the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, sets out its dryer rules plainly:
- Clean the lint filter before and after each use, and clear any lint around it.
- Vent the dryer only to the outside, through a metal duct kept as short and straight as possible.
- Use no more than four elbows, or follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Check the outside vent for lint, snow or ice, and that it opens while the dryer runs.
- Turn the dryer off when leaving home or going to bed.
Samsung's setup page rules out flexible plastic duct and calls for a 4-inch rigid aluminum or galvanized steel one. Natural Resources Canada adds that dryer sheets leave a film on the lint filter, and suggests scrubbing it with a toothbrush once a month.
Gas dryers bring in one more rule in BC. Technical Safety BC lists installing or replacing gas appliances among the work that needs a homeowner gas permit, and strata owners can't get one, so they hire a licensed contractor. The Electrolux 27-inch gas dryer on our site, $1,149 at Port Alberni, is one example where that applies. Ask a licensed gas contractor before it goes in.
Skipping the duct altogether is the other route. The Marathon 24-inch condensing dryer at $999 and the Electrolux 24-inch heat pump dryer at $1,099 are both ventless and listed for Merit's Port Alberni store.
What does a laundry room cost to run? ENERGY STAR and BC Hydro numbers
Laundry running costs come down to heating water and running the dryer. Here is what Natural Resources Canada and BC Hydro publish:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR washer vs standard (NRCan) | 25% less energy and 33% less water, on average |
| ENERGY STAR dryer vs standard (NRCan) | 20% less energy, on average |
| Heat pump dryer (NRCan) | Savings of 20 to 60% more than standard models |
| Washer energy spent heating water (BC Hydro) | About 80% |
| Possible saving from cooler washes, three loads a week (BC Hydro, 2020 rates) | $22 a year |
BC Hydro also says a clothes dryer uses more energy per use than any other appliance in the home. For cold washes, it suggests a detergent made for cold water. When two machines look alike, NRCan points to the EnerGuide label, where the lower number is the better one. The Electrolux heat pump dryer's listing gives 275 kWh/year. For a laundry room planned from scratch, the LG WashTower with a heat pump dryer is $3,199.99, listed for Campbell River. The rest of the range is under washers for every size of laundry room and dryers, vented and ventless.
Making laundry day easier for everyone in the house
A laundry room that's pleasant to use is mostly one where nothing has to be moved first. NRCan suggests drying light, quick-drying things in one load and towels or jeans in another, and using the sensor setting instead of a long timed dry. Both cut drying time.
A basket per person, labelled, saves the Sunday-night sort, and it helps in the back-to-school weeks when sports kit piles up. Of the 123 store-listed laundry machines on Merit's site, at least 37 mention Wi-Fi in their descriptions, such as LG ThinQ or Samsung SmartThings. A phone then says when the load is done, so wet clothes don't sit overnight. A short card taped inside the cupboard door, with the cycle for towels and the one for delicates, lets a teenager run their own loads.
Laundry room ideas that cause trouble later
- A closet with solid doors and no air openings, when the maker's instructions ask for them.
- Plastic or foil duct, or a long duct run with more elbows than the maker allows.
- A stacking kit used across brands. Each kit on our site names its own maker's machines.
- Ordering before checking the outlet. The LG WashTower's dryer needs 240 V at 30 A, while the Midea combo runs on 120 V.
- A pedestal drawer or an open machine door that blocks the only way out of a narrow room.
- An all-in-one combo in a house that runs loads back to back. One drum washes and dries, so the next load waits until the first is dry.
Where these laundry room facts come from
- Samsung, Samsung dryer setup and installation, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool, dimension guide W10894254A for the WET4027E and WETLV27F electric washer/dryers (PDF hosted by Lowe's), checked November 2026.
- Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Household Dryers, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Laundry detergent packets, checked November 2026.
- Technical Safety BC, Homeowner Gas Permits, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, ENERGY STAR clothes washers, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, ENERGY STAR clothes dryers, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, No-cost, low-cost, and deep dives into energy savings, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Turning down the heat on washing hands and laundry, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live laundry listings, prices and store availability, and our delivery page, read November 1, 2026.
Asking our Island stores about laundry machines
The washers, dryers, centres and pedestals named here are listed for Merit's Campbell River store, our Port Alberni store or both. Each listing shows its price online. The store that carries the machine is the one to call. Each Merit store sets its own delivery rates, so it's worth asking about delivery on the same call.
Campbell River laundry questions: (250) 286-0868
Port Alberni laundry questions: (250) 724-6644
I work the floor in Duncan, so for a washer or dryer those two stores are the ones to call. Where each of our four showrooms is, and which towns it serves, is written up separately.
The rest of our writing on washers, fridges and ranges is gathered on one page.