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10 Inspiring Tips to Transform Your Utility Room
Boost your utility space with these clever design tips that will make the room both stylish and useful
If you’re lucky enough to have a utility room, there’s a good chance it’s the hardest-working spot in the house. Show your laundry some love with efficient, well-planned storage and beautiful decorative touches to ensure it’s a place where you’ll be happy to spend time.
Don’t forget to look up
Make the most of a utility room with a high ceiling by fitting a hanging clothes airer. In this galley-style scheme, the use of a pull-down airer ensures the room isn’t rendered useless when clothes are being dried.
Make the most of a utility room with a high ceiling by fitting a hanging clothes airer. In this galley-style scheme, the use of a pull-down airer ensures the room isn’t rendered useless when clothes are being dried.
Go dark
Light cabinets are the usual way to keep your utility room feeling fresh, but how about considering other options? A quick makeover with a darker shade, like this elegant navy blue, imparts an elegant, modern country look, particularly when paired with aged brass taps and hardware.
Light cabinets are the usual way to keep your utility room feeling fresh, but how about considering other options? A quick makeover with a darker shade, like this elegant navy blue, imparts an elegant, modern country look, particularly when paired with aged brass taps and hardware.
Have fun with the details
Since your utility room isn’t somewhere you’ll sit and relax – and, let’s face it, only your household will ever go in there – see it as an opportunity to have fun with colour and accessories.
Here, a fresh, 1950s feel has been achieved with pretty, mix-and-match pastels, bright splashback tiles and a retro wall sign, while the dark wood floor keeps the look grounded.
Since your utility room isn’t somewhere you’ll sit and relax – and, let’s face it, only your household will ever go in there – see it as an opportunity to have fun with colour and accessories.
Here, a fresh, 1950s feel has been achieved with pretty, mix-and-match pastels, bright splashback tiles and a retro wall sign, while the dark wood floor keeps the look grounded.
Mix it up
While concealed storage is ideal for appliances and ugly cleaning products, open shelves allow you to show off prettier items, such as ceramics, vases and baskets.
If space allows, an open-fronted cupboard, like the one in this Shaker-style utility room, enables you to store wellies and walking boots with elegant efficiency.
While concealed storage is ideal for appliances and ugly cleaning products, open shelves allow you to show off prettier items, such as ceramics, vases and baskets.
If space allows, an open-fronted cupboard, like the one in this Shaker-style utility room, enables you to store wellies and walking boots with elegant efficiency.
Zone the area
If your utility space is part of your kitchen, use panelling or paint to define the zone. Here, the half-height tongue-and-groove gives the area a country look, and also helps to protect the walls against scuffs and chips.
Discover how to squeeze a utility area into any size of home
If your utility space is part of your kitchen, use panelling or paint to define the zone. Here, the half-height tongue-and-groove gives the area a country look, and also helps to protect the walls against scuffs and chips.
Discover how to squeeze a utility area into any size of home
Utilise racks and rails
In a compact space with a regular-height ceiling, a wall-mounted airer can be a convenient alternative to the traditional ceiling-mounted design. Heated options are also available, making the business of drying clothes quick and efficient.
Check out more compact utility rooms on Houzz
In a compact space with a regular-height ceiling, a wall-mounted airer can be a convenient alternative to the traditional ceiling-mounted design. Heated options are also available, making the business of drying clothes quick and efficient.
Check out more compact utility rooms on Houzz
Plan your storage
Practical storage is one of the most important aspects of a utility room. If you’re fitting out the space from scratch, it’s worth commissioning a joiner to plan storage cupboards for your exact requirements.
Allow space for taller, bulkier items, such as the vacuum cleaner, ironing board and mop, and include a cupboard shelf large enough to hold your ironing basket, so items to be ironed are close by when the job needs to be tackled.
Practical storage is one of the most important aspects of a utility room. If you’re fitting out the space from scratch, it’s worth commissioning a joiner to plan storage cupboards for your exact requirements.
Allow space for taller, bulkier items, such as the vacuum cleaner, ironing board and mop, and include a cupboard shelf large enough to hold your ironing basket, so items to be ironed are close by when the job needs to be tackled.
Include some hooks
If you’ve run out of cupboard and shelf ideas, consider the simple addition of a peg rail. This smartly painted version, attached to the upper part of the wall, provides options for hanging shoe bags, aprons and towels, as well as being a handy place to air items on hangers after they’ve been ironed.
If you’ve run out of cupboard and shelf ideas, consider the simple addition of a peg rail. This smartly painted version, attached to the upper part of the wall, provides options for hanging shoe bags, aprons and towels, as well as being a handy place to air items on hangers after they’ve been ironed.
Consider your cupboards
Traditional ventilation grilles in cupboard doors have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years with the popularity of Shaker-style joinery, but their original use was purely practical. This nifty decorative detail ensures cupboard interiors stay fresh, so is perfect for areas where linen and towels are stored.
If you can’t afford to replace existing joinery completely, speak to a carpenter about creating bespoke replacement doors that incorporate these clever cut-outs.
Will you use any of these ideas in your own utility room? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Traditional ventilation grilles in cupboard doors have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years with the popularity of Shaker-style joinery, but their original use was purely practical. This nifty decorative detail ensures cupboard interiors stay fresh, so is perfect for areas where linen and towels are stored.
If you can’t afford to replace existing joinery completely, speak to a carpenter about creating bespoke replacement doors that incorporate these clever cut-outs.
Will you use any of these ideas in your own utility room? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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In this utility room, the owners have chosen materials that are both attractive and practical. The worktops are a hard-working wood that lightens up the space, while the butler sink is deep enough for hand-washing clothes and scrubbing muddy wellies.
The tiled floor is easy to clean, and the pretty decorative design elevates the room above the strictly utilitarian. The addition of ceiling spots, meanwhile, ensure a light, spacious feel despite the lack of windows.