Terrace Joinery | Custom Joinery | Sydney’s North Shore, Hills District & Hawkesbury
The laundry is one of the hardest working rooms in the house. It’s used every day, by everyone, often under time pressure. And yet it’s one of the most neglected spaces when it comes to design. A poorly planned laundry is frustrating in ways that are hard to articulate – things don’t have a home, benchtop space runs out, the drying rack gets in the way, appliances are awkward to access. A well-designed one just works. Quietly, efficiently, every single day.
At Terrace Joinery, we’re a family business designing and building custom laundry cabinets for homeowners across Sydney’s North Shore, Hills District, and Hawkesbury region. Grant and the team have redesigned more laundries than we can count – and the transformation is always one of the most satisfying. Here’s what smart laundry design actually looks like.
Why Your Laundry Deserves Proper Design
Most laundries are an afterthought. Builder-grade cabinets, a tub that takes up too much room, nowhere to fold, nowhere to hang, and a benchtop that’s either too short or completely absent. Sound familiar?
A custom laundry changes all of that:
- Every cabinet is made to measure for your specific space – no gaps, no wasted corners, no awkward standard sizes that don’t quite fit
- Appliances are integrated properly – washer, dryer, and tub all planned into the layout from the start
- Storage is designed around what you actually need to store – detergents, cleaning products, linen, ironing equipment, brooms
- The finish matches the rest of your home – not a utility room tacked on as an afterthought
And practically speaking – a well-designed laundry adds value to your home. Buyers notice it.
Appliance Integration: Getting This Right First
This is the single most important starting point for any laundry design – and the one most people get wrong when they try to design their own.
Appliance integration needs to be planned before anything else because it determines the entire cabinet layout:
- Front-loading washer and dryer – can be stacked to free up floor space, or side by side under a continuous benchtop. Both approaches work beautifully with custom cabinetry built around the exact appliance dimensions
- Top-loading washer – needs clear overhead access, which affects what can be built above it. A fold-down or pull-out benchtop section alongside is a smart solution
- Dryer placement – if wall-mounted above the washer, the cabinetry on either side needs to be designed around the clearance requirements
- Tub or sink – position relative to the washer matters. Getting the plumbing points and cabinet sizes coordinated from the start avoids expensive changes later
The takeaway – bring your appliance dimensions to the design consultation. Or better yet, let us help you plan the appliance selection alongside the cabinet design so everything integrates perfectly from day one.
Drying Solutions: The Feature Most Laundries Get Wrong
The BLUF on this one is simple – if your laundry doesn’t have a proper drying solution built in, it’s not finished. A drying rack balanced over the tub or a free-standing rack in the middle of the floor is not a solution.
Here’s what works:
- Retractable hanging rod – built into the cabinetry or wall, pulls out when needed and disappears when not. Takes up zero space and handles the volume of a full load
- Pull-out drying rack – integrated into a tall cabinet section, slides out to hold multiple garments and slides back in when done. A favourite with our clients
- Overhead hanging rail – a fixed rail above the tub or benchtop area at a height that works for hanging shirts and delicates. Simple, effective, always there
- Built-in drying cabinet – for those who want the ultimate laundry, a dedicated cabinet with ventilation for drying delicates out of sight
The right solution depends on your space and your laundry habits. We’ll help you choose.
Storage Design: Where Custom Makes the Biggest Difference
This is where a custom laundry cabinet design earns its place over anything you’d buy off the shelf. Good storage design makes the space genuinely functional – not just tidy-looking.
What we build into our laundry designs:
- Tall broom and mop cabinet – full height, narrow, with internal hooks and a small shelf. Everything upright and out of the way
- Overhead wall cabinets – above the washer and dryer for detergents, softeners, stain removers, and everyday cleaning products. Deep enough to be useful, positioned at the right height for easy access
- Base cabinets with drawers – far more practical than lower shelf cabinets for bulky items and cleaning supplies
- Linen storage – a dedicated section for folded towels, spare sheets, and bathroom overflow. Often overlooked and always appreciated
- Built-in hamper drawers – pull-out hampers behind cabinet doors keep dirty clothes contained and sorted
- Ironing board cabinet – a fold-out ironing board built into the wall or a tall cabinet is one of the most popular additions we do. When it’s not in use it completely disappears
Benchtop: The Unsung Hero of a Good Laundry
A generous benchtop transforms how a laundry functions day to day. Folding, sorting, hand-washing, treating stains – all of it becomes easier with proper surface area.
What to consider:
- Length – as long as the room allows. You’ll never wish it was shorter
- Height – standard benchtop height works for most people but can be adjusted for comfort
- Material – moisture-resistant laminate or stone are the most popular choices for laundries. Both handle the humidity and splashes of a working laundry well
- Integrated tub – a laundry tub set into the benchtop rather than a freestanding tub saves floor space and looks infinitely better
If the room is too small for a full-length benchtop, a fold-down section is a clever workaround that gives you the surface when you need it and folds flat when you don’t.
Finishes: Making Your Laundry Feel Like Part of the Home
The days of the utilitarian laundry are over. Homeowners increasingly want a laundry that feels like a considered part of the house – not a separate utility room with no design thought behind it.
Cabinet finishes that work beautifully in laundries:
- Polyurethane – smooth, easy to wipe down, available in any colour. White and soft neutrals are popular but we’re also seeing bolder choices like sage green and deep navy
- Laminate – practical, moisture-resistant, and available in a huge range of finishes including timber looks and textured surfaces
- Two-tone combinations – lighter uppers and a richer or contrasting lower cabinet or benchtop is a strong look that elevates the space
Hardware choices matter too. Integrated handles keep the look clean. Brushed brass or matte black adds warmth and a boutique feel. These are small details that make a big difference to how the finished space feels.
Small Laundry? Here’s How to Make It Work
Not every home has a generous laundry room – and that’s completely fine. Some of our most satisfying projects have been compact laundry nooks transformed into incredibly functional spaces.
For small laundries:
- Go vertical – floor to ceiling cabinetry maximises every centimetre of height
- Stack appliances – a stacked washer and dryer frees up floor space for a proper benchtop and storage run
- Use every wall – even a narrow wall can hold a pull-out ironing board or a retractable hanging rod
- Keep the colour palette light – lighter cabinets and a light benchtop make a small space feel larger
A small laundry well-designed is always better than a large laundry that hasn’t been thought through.
Ready to Redesign Your Laundry?
Whether you’re renovating your whole home or just finally tackling the laundry that’s never quite worked – we’d love to help. Every Terrace Joinery project starts with a free measure and quote. Grant will come to your home, look at the space, and show you exactly what’s possible.
You can also explore our full range of residential joinery – including custom kitchens, bathroom vanities, and walk-in wardrobes – on our residential page.
Get in touch today and let’s design a laundry your household will wonder how it ever lived without.
Terrace Joinery | Custom Laundry Cabinets & Joinery | Sydney North Shore, Hills District & Hawkesbury Australian-made cabinetry | Family business | Free measure and quote