We live in a condo are looking to expand our laundry W/D space by a few inches so we can upgrade to a standard machine (27" wide). We only need about 2-3 inches to accommodate a larger machine.
The W/D sits in a space where the right wall is facing toward the exterior wall and has piping and vents running through its cavity so it would be best not to touch that wall. On the left of the W/D, we have a wall shared with a linen closet and has only a few electrical wires running through it and what appears to be a transformer. The left wall is about 4" thick from sheet rock to sheet rock. Steel studs.
I am thinking — is it possible to remove the sheet rock on the side of the wall facing the W/D and somehow decrease the width of the steel stud by 3 inches and put the sheet rock back, giving me 3 more inches of space? This would create a wall that is about 1 inch thick in between the linen closet and my W/D space. Is this idea possible?
We are also open to the option of taking the entire wall down between the linen closet and the W/D, if we can confirm whether or not it is load-bearing or holding any weight up.
Here are photos:
Best Answer
Pantries built with studs and drywall often waste a ton of space, and this looks to be no different. You might be better off restructuring this area to remove the doorway and pantry wall. I would reclaim the pantry space through installation of efficient cabinets that maximize the space (I redid my first kitchen like that and gained more storage with cabinets).