It will save room to stack your machines, yes. I wouldn't put in drawers for your baskets. You want easy access to them and that doesn't seem practical.

I have 7 kids and my opinion on the open rod idea is the kids won't put their coats on hangers to hang them up and then I'd be stuck monitoring that too closely when I have better things to do. How are your kids about these types of things?

I don't think the door height things is important enough to change and I believe a garage door must be fire rated, so that might cost you more than you anticipate and I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.

If you put your vacuum in a cabinet, you'll have to lift it inside your cabinet every time. Is that what you want? I'd put it in the garage or just give it a dedicated space/corner to roll it into.

As far as cost is concerned, I suggest you draw up a possible plan on graph paper. Draw both walls and tweak them as needed until you have what you think will work, then get prices.

My suggestions would be:

Stack the machines.

Put in opening shelves for your baskets with a fold counter above and drip dry rack above your counter all right next to your machines. Take all cabinets to the ceiling.

I can't really make suggestions about the mudroom part without knowing number of kids and seeing a better photo of the wall and where you are struggling there.

I don't think you have room in here for everything you want to do. You might consider that spot outside the mudroom for another cabinet for vacuum or ironing center. Mudroom seems a tight space for ironing. Better yet, maybe build that into a closet, instead? Ironing board can drop down from the door of said closet, vacuum can wheel into it, shelves above for supplies?

I'd have a bench big enough for both girls and if you do a rod, make it reachable for them, of course. Cabinets for storage to ceiling. Unless you know what your cabinets are, you may not be able to match them.

I would stack the machines and then stack the shoe/basket cubbies under the cabinets. That will leave the opposite side for you to play with and make super efficient for all your needs; hooks, cleaning supplies and vacuum. No drawers.

what kind of budget should I plan for?

Draw the plan as I suggested and get a price from a cabinet shop.

What about updating your look with some fabric storage bins? You could go for a neutral shade or a bright color, either way it will give it a sleek new look and make it easy to store everything away in your cube shelving! Best, iCube

Stacking would be my last resort.

If you don't really use the under machine storage, and you don't mind the additional bending over, delete the consoles, and just try using the tops as folding area. If you keep the consoles in the garage, you have only lost some time, and moving stuff around, assuming your hoses and dryer vent are positioned to allow for the change. If you truly like it after several months, then think about a counter above the machines. Or, if you hate it, buy a stacker kit, and try that out.

When you've sorted those ideas, I'd look at nicer shelve s for the baskets. It's a mudroom, and I wouldn't get too carried away for the house price and neighborhood.

You can sample the arrangements for free. Give them a try. Big commitment to change if you spring outright for cabinetry and countertops changes.

We purchased this home as a builder foreclosure some years ago and are slowly remodeling to our tastes. It is very under-built for our neighborhood as the economy improved and new builders moved in. Most utility rooms are decked out and much larger. We have already added the pool and remodeled the kitchen, added hardwoods all downstairs. Being a local realtor, I am very caution not to over build for the neighborhood. With that being said, since we put in the pool, we are not moving until the kiddos graduate high school (11 years). I know we will have at least one more major renovation during that time. But for now I am to the utility room. I walk thru this room everyday as it is the entrance from the garage and I am trying to make it function and be beautiful at the same time. We have two kiddos so I need a drop zone for their stuff. :-)

I pulled the washer/dryer out today and I cannot stack them with out some major expense of relocated the dryer vent and washer hook ups. I like your idea of removing the pedestals and trying that for a while before buying granite counters, etc. I have always had my machines on them and don't really know what it is like without them.

I sketched out some ideas to get pricing. Open storage for the baskets seems simple enough. Yes, we can match the cabinet doors. They were custom made for the home and can be matched. They match the style of the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms. Bringing them to the ceiling seems expensive for no usable space. What if I painted or put a patterned wall paper up there to make it pop? I will be changing out the floors as I cannot stand the builder standard tile selection in 12x12. I have my eye on the wood plank style tile in a grey on a herringbone pattern. I just recently did this in my kitchen and love it.

I would like to keep the black and white theme I have going, so I am happy with my 6 fabric baskets that I already own, but thank you for the suggestion. The cubbies are not standard size and very hard to fit baskets (8ft tall x 10ft wide by 11. deep).

This home is 4300sf but lacks storage for things like your vacuum, games, seasonal items and linens. Driving me crazy! So I am trying to find a closed cabinet home for the vacuum to start in addition to a drop zone for the kiddos.

Thank you all for your ideas. Please keep them coming.

Since you have 11 more years there, take your time so you don't have to visit this again before you sell and move on. Meanwhile, have you considered moving the kiddo's offload space? If you built some cubby shelves all around the door to the other room, they could work as storage now (with baskets) and as a bookshelf later on. Then the laundry could be devoted to a closet for coats, another for the vacuum and supplies, with off season storage way up top above them. What is the adjoining room? Is there room for a small bench across from the door?

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I wish there were space for something like that, but it is a small hallway from the family room to the master bedroom, utility room, guest bathroom, and guest room. There are 4 doors in the small space with an opening to the family room. The wall I was thinking of building in a vacuum cabinet is visible from the family room and would drive me crazy as open kid storage. :-)

Do the kids always enter and exit through the garage? Perhaps that would be a good spot for their cubbies, backpacks, etc. Then do the two closets in the laundry.

You have a 4300 sq ft home - there must be space somewhere for the changes needed. I really would consult a pro to redesign your home for functionality.