Minimum depth for laundry equipment in a closet? (Including vent)

[Toxey McDavid]

I've got a 27" deep closet upstairs I'd like to convert to a laundry center, and it's looking pretty tight unless I buy some really expensive European compact washer and dryers. 

Is there a relatively cheap laundry product that I can squeeze in here? 

If not, could I squeeze out a few inches in the back wall? (There's a shower behind the wall, do it would just be the actual depth of the wall I could gain, perhaps with a small header making a recessed area). 

I think moving the laundry out of the downstairs garage would be a good selling point, but the logistics of the idea are confounding me a bit. Hoping someone has already solved this.

Thanks! 

Toxey