Planning the Perfect Utility Room

Often small spaces, a little bit of careful planning will ensure your Utility Room is both super-functional and stylish.

The first consideration is how you would like to use the space. The size and location of your room will be influential factors but if you're about to embark on an extension or remodel of your home, you have the luxury of a blank canvas. Either way, read on for some useful tips and some visual inspiration to help you maximise this, sometimes undervalued, area in your home.

Image: Benchmarx Kitchens

How Do You Want to Use the Space?

Image: Armac Martin

The main function of your Utility is a place to do the laundry so the layout needs to make this as easy as possible. Space permitting, it's a good idea to locate your washing machine and tumble dryer side by side, at a height where you can open the doors without bending down. A pull out shelf is really useful for popping your laundry basket on too, as seen in the above image.

When space is more limited, stacking your washer and dryer can work well. In this instance, a small step stool is handy to help you access the dryer above.

Space for laundry baskets is always useful and you may wish to label these to separate your darks and your lights to make life easier! If you have room, you can organise your laundry with built in cupboards as seen in the the image below.

A decent sized sink makes hand-washing easier and is a good places to clean muddy footwear.

Image: Armac Martin

Image: Armac Martin

Drying racks are hugely helpful and can be wall or ceiling mounted as shown below. You could also incorporate a rail of hangers so your clothes drip dry and are less likely to need ironing.

Images: Garden Trading Company; Carpetright; Benchmarx Kitchens

Don't forget to plan in a tall cupboard to store things like your mop, ironing board and vacuum cleaner. You may even decide to include a larder cupboard or a place of an extra fridge in your Utility so think out exactly how you want the space to work and whether you have enough room. It's so much easier to be organised and keep everywhere tidy when you have a designated place for everything!

Image: LochAnna Kitchens

Some people have a multi purpose Utility where it doubles as a downstairs toilet / shower room and this makes sense for plumbing purposes. And if you have a dog, a built-in dog bath is absolutely invaluable! Usually a warm space, it could be a good spot for your dog's bed too as per the image below.

Images: Monica Hibbs / Armac Martin; Armac Martin

In larger spaces, your Utility could also function as a Boot Room with coat and shoe storage but the key is making sure you have sufficient space - best not to compromise and pack too much in to a small space.

Images: Olive & Barr; Benjamin Moore

Where to Locate Your Utility Room?

In American homes, the laundry room is often located upstairs, close to the bathroom. This does make good sense for ease of putting clothes in the washing basket and returning them to wardrobes.

That said, perhaps a more practical option (and much more commonly in Britain), is to locate the Utility Room by the back door, leading directly to your garden. This makes it easier to carry wet clothes out to the washing line and its also a good route for muddy feet and paws to enter your home.

Image: Benchmarx Kitchens

We typically locate the room near the kitchen as its often somewhere where cleaning products are stored so its a good idea to keep some continuity with the kitchen units. If do you don't have the space, you could locate your Utility in your garage or basement.

Whilst condense dryers can be placed anywhere, vented tumble dryers should be located on an outside wall. Either way, good ventilation is essential as this rooms gets hot and steamy! Windows, a door and an extractor fan are all worth consideration.

Functionality and Style:

Image: Ca' Pietra

To reiterate, in a room with constant moisture and potential leaks, you need to be mindful of the finishes you choose. Wipeable surfaces are a must and we suggest you use acrylic paint that can be easily wiped down. Getting the flooring right is essential and it must be water resistant, so tiles are a good choice.

Underfloor heating is a great option as it will help to minimise condensation and it also replaces a wall hung radiator creating more wall space. Plus, with an even heat across the room, your clothes will dry quicker on the drying racks. A dehumidifier is another effective way to dry your clothes quicker and helps reduce condensation.

The aim is to create a streamlined, organised room that is a practical as it is stylish. Open shelves are really convenient but think through whether you will keep them uncluttered and organised before committing to them.

Images: Simon Taylor Furniture; Higham Kitchens

We hope you find these tips useful if you're planning your Utility Room. If you would like any further guidance, you can contact us at hello@sointeriordesign.co.uk.