For the lower cabinet, drawers are my preference. Large things can go in the upper cabinets. If you feel that you will have items too large you can buy pull out shelves with a lip to keep items falling off instead of drawers.
@CheddarcheeseMN You mean like the sock that always seems to jump out of the basket to behind the washer? 
That is an interesting idea, although if you had more than that one countertop, you would need a way to hold it in the upright position. With just cabinets above at the previous house, I just climbed on top of the machine to retrieve whatever was back there with a yardstick!
The mud room laundry is fantastic! In our old house I put a flat piece of waterproof something (so long ago- piece to use for a shower??) on top of the front loading washer/dryer that I custom cut to fit against the walls and padded underneath with a cheap bit of carpet pad. I missed the back of the old top loader (the only aspect of the old I did miss). Current house with pedestals the tops are high enough to not really get used as counter space. A step stool dragged from the kitchen is needed even by my tall height to reach top cupboard items, but space is at a premium in this house and I take what I can get. Consider dust in a laundry room if thinking about open shelving- there is always a bit of fine lint that escapes and floats, especially if a vent fan blows it around.
We will be building a small addition, hopefully, in the next year with space for laundry. Currently it is in a detached garage and even though it’s only a few steps outside the kitchen door, that seems like a very long walk.
It won’t have much space and I was planning on wire shelves above the W & D for giant bins of Xmas lights and all. We have no basement, a moldering old detached garage that is coming down (hopefully before it falls down), and a 300 degree attic.
Closets are small too. I’ve gotten creative with some storage, hiding bins behind a couch that that a “sofa table” behind it (actually an Ikea headboard), but I need more space.
I would love to have laundry upstairs by the bedrooms! No more up and down with baskets and laundry bags. We had a laundry chute in our old house and that was fun.
@CheddarcheeseMN - the piano hinge concept is intriguing and could have come in for us more than once.
Our laundry room is on the main floor near the garage exit and the cabinet layout is L shaped. The washer/dryer have a countertop over them for folding. Above that is a 24" hanging rack and closed overhead cabs to the ceiling. That is where I keep my laundry supplies.
The long side of the L has both base and overhead cabs. One of my favorite features is a double door in the lowers which opens to 4 pullout (maybe 18" deep white coated metal baskets.) In them goes whites, darks, mismatched socks and the 4th is a catch all for items needing repair, etc. I also have a row of drawers with the top one holding a scissor, screw drivers, tape measure, etc. I have lots of uppers which hold all sorts of main floor treasures, but I really don’t know what i would put in them if they were on 2nd floor…though they would somehow magically become full.
I’m wondering --do you folks who have a clothes rod really use it? And, if so, are you the type that also uses an iron (which would disqualify you)?
I use my hanging shelf for items that do not go into the dryer. That includes my jeans, wasable silk tops and other shirts. I put sweaters and my husbands knit shirts on a rack.
The only things we have that I iron are shorts and a few tops. Hubby’s work shirts go to the cleaners!
I use my clothes rod to avoid ironing. And drycleaning! Many garments can be washed and hung on padded hangers instead of taking them to be cleaned. I use a steamer to take out any residual wrinkles.
I hang everything that doesn’t go into the dryer and everything that I put in dryer on “damp dry” cycle. That includes almost all my tops, jeans, leggings, bras, etc.