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How Professionals Would Design a Utility Room
Not sure how to squeeze a utility area into your home? See how these Houzz designers have done it
From stealing a bit of your home’s middle room to making use of a corridor or tucking laundry facilities into an upstairs cupboard, there are lots of ideas to inspire you here.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
The floorplan shows the reorganised ground floor layout. Part of the original rear reception room was used to create a utility room. “It prevents noise in the living zones and keeps it all out of the way,” James says.
Some of the original rear room was also given to the front reception to enlarge it.
See more of this cleverly rejigged ground floor.
Some of the original rear room was also given to the front reception to enlarge it.
See more of this cleverly rejigged ground floor.
Go for glazing
When your utility space is as beautifully designed as this one is, it would be a shame to hide it away.
Designer Emily Rumble of DeVOL Kitchens created this 3.5m x 1.8m utility room in a maisonette flat. A galley kitchen leads towards the back of the flat, where there’s a small breakfast room, to the side of which is this utility area.
To make use of the natural light that streams into the breakfast room, as well as to show off the bespoke cabinetry, a glazed partition separates the spaces.
When your utility space is as beautifully designed as this one is, it would be a shame to hide it away.
Designer Emily Rumble of DeVOL Kitchens created this 3.5m x 1.8m utility room in a maisonette flat. A galley kitchen leads towards the back of the flat, where there’s a small breakfast room, to the side of which is this utility area.
To make use of the natural light that streams into the breakfast room, as well as to show off the bespoke cabinetry, a glazed partition separates the spaces.
“I had great fun designing the utility room, particularly the built-in wall units, as they contain plenty of clever storage solutions,” Emily says.
From left to right, the cupboards house a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer, a rail with a heater underneath to dry clothes, another hanging rail, an umbrella stand and some practical coat hooks. The cut-out dots aerate the cupboards to prevent laundry and coats from becoming musty.
Opposite is a handmade fitted bench with cubbyholes underneath for shoe storage.
Take the full tour.
From left to right, the cupboards house a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer, a rail with a heater underneath to dry clothes, another hanging rail, an umbrella stand and some practical coat hooks. The cut-out dots aerate the cupboards to prevent laundry and coats from becoming musty.
Opposite is a handmade fitted bench with cubbyholes underneath for shoe storage.
Take the full tour.
Stretch it out
A long bank of tall units leading into this kitchen from the hallway houses all sorts of functional space, perfect for the large family who live here.
The cabinetry was designed by
Hannah Morris of Ian Dunn Woodwork & Design according to the homeowner’s requirements.
“We really wanted the utility stuff to be hidden away, so this run of cupboards is the piece I love most about the kitchen,” says the homeowner, Lou Edwards.
Lou worked closely with Hannah’s team, who came up with numerous storage ideas.
A long bank of tall units leading into this kitchen from the hallway houses all sorts of functional space, perfect for the large family who live here.
The cabinetry was designed by
Hannah Morris of Ian Dunn Woodwork & Design according to the homeowner’s requirements.
“We really wanted the utility stuff to be hidden away, so this run of cupboards is the piece I love most about the kitchen,” says the homeowner, Lou Edwards.
Lou worked closely with Hannah’s team, who came up with numerous storage ideas.
The tumble dryer and washing machine are stacked neatly behind one of the doors. “The section between them pulls out, so when you’re taking clothes out of the dryer, you can rest them on there,” Hannah says.
Within the run, there’s also a slot for an ironing board and a drying rack, plus lots of hooks for hanging things up, so all the laundry can be dealt with in one area.
See the rest of this storage-packed kitchen.
Within the run, there’s also a slot for an ironing board and a drying rack, plus lots of hooks for hanging things up, so all the laundry can be dealt with in one area.
See the rest of this storage-packed kitchen.
Take it up a level
The majority of homes you’ll see on Houzz have the utilities positioned downstairs, typically in or close to the kitchen. But with plumbing upstairs for the bathroom, there’s often no reason these can’t be located on an upper floor.
That’s exactly what Daniel Rees of REES Architects chose to do in this two-storey flat. He created a new utility cupboard at the top of the stairs to house the washing machine, tumble dryer and boiler.
“Before, the washing machine was in the kitchen, but a separate room means it’s not making lots of noise when the owners are watching TV or have friends round for dinner,” Daniel says.
The majority of homes you’ll see on Houzz have the utilities positioned downstairs, typically in or close to the kitchen. But with plumbing upstairs for the bathroom, there’s often no reason these can’t be located on an upper floor.
That’s exactly what Daniel Rees of REES Architects chose to do in this two-storey flat. He created a new utility cupboard at the top of the stairs to house the washing machine, tumble dryer and boiler.
“Before, the washing machine was in the kitchen, but a separate room means it’s not making lots of noise when the owners are watching TV or have friends round for dinner,” Daniel says.
The utility area was conceived as a dusky pink box. “The doors are flush, so it’s almost frameless,” Daniel says, “but you can see it’s something different.” The doors simply press open, so the effect is streamlined.
Tour the entire flat and see more photos of the utility area here.
Tour the entire flat and see more photos of the utility area here.
Create a divide
George Woodrow of Woodrow Architects came up with an interesting idea for housing utilities in this Edwardian terraced house.
A triangular bank of cupboards creates a partition between the middle room – a playroom – and the hallway, defining the spaces without closing them off from each other.
Inside this tapering unit, George has concealed laundry facilities as well as additional storage. It places the washing machine close to the kitchen without it having to be part of its footprint.
George Woodrow of Woodrow Architects came up with an interesting idea for housing utilities in this Edwardian terraced house.
A triangular bank of cupboards creates a partition between the middle room – a playroom – and the hallway, defining the spaces without closing them off from each other.
Inside this tapering unit, George has concealed laundry facilities as well as additional storage. It places the washing machine close to the kitchen without it having to be part of its footprint.
These before (top) and after (bottom) floorplans show exactly how the bank of units has been fitted into the ground floor footprint.
See more photos of this contemporary extension.
Tell us…
Where would you add a utility room or cupboard to your home – or do you already have one? Share all your tips and thoughts on the topic in the Comments section.
See more photos of this contemporary extension.
Tell us…
Where would you add a utility room or cupboard to your home – or do you already have one? Share all your tips and thoughts on the topic in the Comments section.
The utility room in this house is located behind the rear wall of the new kitchen-diner. “The back reception room is a difficult space to use once a side extension has been added,” designer James Bernard of Plus Rooms says.
“Rather than it being dead space or a glorified corridor, turning it into a utility room made it useful.”