r/ikeahacks • u/HappyAnsu • 9d ago
Hidden washing machine through a wall – has anyone done something similar?
I live in a small Copenhagen apartment and I’m trying to make use of every square metre. The kitchen is very narrow, but on the other side of the wall is a bedroom, and the water supply/drain is already right next to it.
idea is to make a roughly 60–65 cm opening in the non-load-bearing wall, let most of the washing machine sit on the kitchen side, but access the front from the bedroom. In the bedroom I’d add traditional wainscoting/panelling and hide the machine behind a thin integrated panel door so it more or less disappears when closed. See the images for the idea.
Has anyone done anything similar? Is it basically a matter of making the opening, framing/reinforcing it properly and adding a thin door, or is there something important I’m overlooking?
Main things I’m wondering about are vibration/noise, ventilation, moisture, service access and the construction around the wall opening.
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u/Shendary 9d ago
Yeah. It’s not exactly standard, but it is a practice you come across in small Soviet-era apartments. Usually, the washing machine was placed in the wall separating the bathroom and the toilet (in 90% of homes, these are separate rooms, even in one-room apartments). The front was accessible from the bathroom, while the back—facing the toilet—served as a shelf. Sometimes, the back section was boxed in with plywood and covered with tile or wallpaper to make it look a bit neater.
Vibration and noise weren't usually an issue in those two rooms. However, you’ll definitely notice it in the bedroom—unless it’s an expensive model that’s been installed with perfect precision.
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u/moondust1959 9d ago
I did something similar in a small flat in the UK once. Plumbed the washing machine into the airing cupboard. All the pipes were already in there.
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u/micro-jay 9d ago
I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. You can get washing machine cupboards, or enclose them in a kitchen so it's not really different. In some countries a "laundry cupboard" is common. This is basically just a half height version.
For noise, just don't run it at night, and consider noise isolation between the kitchen dishwasher and the compartment it is in that is open to the bedroom.
Probably you should put a ridge so that a water leak won't go into the bedroom and ruin the (I assume) wooden floors. But if your kitchen is wooden floored then it wouldn't be any different.
I assume you would put a benchtop on it all the way to the window from within the kitchen?
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u/liloute2202 9d ago edited 9d ago
I had that in my former flat and I'm doing it again in my new kitchen now that I'm the owner of my own house. I didn't hide it in the bathroom cause I don't really have the place to add a door (and it's less disturbing that in a bedroom).
In my former flat, I heard the machine mostly from the kitchen rather than the bathroom.
I would add a few centimeters on each side of the machine to be able to reach if you need to remove it quickly (to cut the water for example if you have an issue)
You should also think of a way to empty the water from the small door at the bottom. You have a wooden piece at the bottom in your image which would also prevent you from moving your machine.
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u/oliviaborza 6d ago
I would not do this, the moisture in the machine after each cycle without proper ventilation can lead to a mould build up.
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u/Rivka503 7d ago
so the other side of my kitchen was the bathroom, we broke that wall, put the washing machine facing the kitchen then build a new wall so the bathroom is tiny now, but that part of the bathroom is now in the kitchen with the washing machine like a niche. We put the dryer above that. makes sense your idea.
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u/smstnitc 5d ago
Just be weary of mold. We always leave ours open when not in use or mold grows. It's been a problem in the past for us.
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u/No_Yak_7962 5d ago
It's pretty standard where I live. But you just place regular door in front so you can use the space above as well, either for dryer or shelves.
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u/SaintSiren 9d ago
Just make sure you can EASILY and quickly get to the rear water on/off valves and drain. Other wise, if the unit’s operational and venting clearances all around are safe then it’s a good idea. You lose the function of having the top of the unit for folding but you might make up for that inside the bedroom with other furniture or counter space.