Patent ID: 8459067

Claim:
A modular laundry system comprising: a first laundry appliance comprising a housing having a width, an upper surface and defining an interior, and configured to at least one of wash and dry fabric items; a second laundry appliance comprising a housing having a width, an upper surface and defining an interior, and configured to at least one of wash and dry fabric items; and a vertical laundry module comprising: a housing defining an interior and having a front face, an upper surface, and a width less than the width of each of the first and second laundry appliances; multiple shelves located in the interior of the housing; a door opening from the front face of the housing of the vertical laundry module to access the interior and to the multiple shelves; and one or more functional elements located exteriorly of the housing, wherein at least one of the one or more functional elements comprises a hanging element overlying the upper surface of the housing of the vertical laundry module; wherein the first laundry appliance, the second laundry appliance, and the vertical laundry module are of the same height such that the upper surfaces are co-planar and form an effective continuous upper surface; and wherein the first laundry appliance, the second laundry appliance, and the vertical laundry module are stand-alone units arranged in a contiguous relationship to form a coherent modular system.