50 Incredibly Bespoke Laundry Utility Rooms
If the kitchen is the hub of the home, then the laundry room comes a close second. A tidy, dedicated space to keeping the family clothes clean is no small thing and those lucky enough to have such a space, really understand the difference it makes to be able to use a room for getting all the washing done.
A laundry or utility room in London might sound like a luxurious thing to have but if you are based in the countryside where homes have more space, you should definitely consider investing in one.
Utility rooms are great when you have a large family and want to store cleaning products for your home and your washer/dryer. In this helpful guide, we aim to inspire you with some incredible bespoke laundry and utility rooms ideas to suit all budgets and tastes.
Scroll down to find amazing inspiration for your utility room and the elements of a great utility or laundry room design.
Contents
Image credit: Makerista
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Where should the utility room be located?
The best place for your utility room in the house is adjacent to the kitchen. This is so you can store your cleaning products as well as a hoover, dusters and of course your iron and iron board.
The most natural space for a utility room in a smaller home is in the garage, where it may end up taking part of the footprint available either open plan or separated from the rest of the space.
If you are building a new home from the ground up and you are considering including a utility/laundry room, then you should also consider access to the car park and an external door, in case you can also use this space to bring shopping bags into the house.
If you are investing in your utility room and want to make it look great, then why not create a glass partition so that you can see through it from the rest of the kitchen?
Elements of design for Bespoke Laundry Utility Rooms
A hard-working utility room should have more than just laundry appliances. You will definitely want to include a sink and storage space so you can hide away iron boards and the iron, cleaning products, and the like. You will also need sufficient work surfaces.
Clothes rail
A clothes rail will make both drying more delicate clothes as well as keeping freshly ironed shirts without creases. It can be placed over your work surfaces.
Suspended drying rack
This might look more appropriate in a period home but it is a sure energy saver. Using a suspended drying rack for your clothes means you need to use a tumble dryer less and as such consume less energy. Clothes always smell better after all when dried naturally.
Remember though than when you add wet clothes on such a rack, the weight multiplies, so you need to ensure that it is securely attached to the ceiling, to avoid accidents. You will be able to lower the rack when in use, and when you don't need it it can be out of your way high up.
If you do encounter issues with your tumble dryer, such as not it not heating properly, you might find it useful to know what to do if speed queen is not heating.
Overflow selving
Open selves will allow you that extra storage that is much needed but also allow you to find things easier.
Integrated Iron board
If you don't want to fiddle with a stand alone iron board, consider integrating on within a cabinet so that it unfolds easily. If you do that, make sure there is space for your iron on the board too!
Baskets in the laundry room
Baskets are a great way to access products, they look good and are easier to move around. We love how they have been used by Neptune in a coloured laundry room.
Panelling
Panelling is a great idea to quickly cover an unfinished wall. It will make the space look good and finished to a higher standard and can be painted to your heart's contempt. Once painted, it can also handle water splashes better.
Image credit: Neptune
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How to light a utility room
Although you do not need to spend too much on fancy lighting for your utility room, you still need to consider task lights and in general, ample lighting so you are able to work in this space.
A single overhead light might not be enough, especially as this is likely a room with no other natural light.
Spotlights are always great but if you are working with an existing space that does not have many hard wired lights already in place, then your alternative will be to add a spotlights track. This way you can bring ample lighting in the room and light up the different task areas.
If you have wall cabinets, adding under cabinet lights is also a great idea.
Should I stack appliances in the utility room?
We have often come across images of utility rooms with stacked appliances - usually a tumble dryer over a washing machine. This is a great idea for those who need to have separate machines and want to use tall units to free some of the lower level cabinets.
One thing to remember though is that the heavier washing machine needs to always be placed on the bottom. The spin cycle of a washing machine could end up damaging a tall cabinet over time. So if you want to stack appliances, your tumble dryer should be the one on top.
A final consideration is that depending on your space limitations, you could also utilize the space above the stacked appliances for any HVAC unit installations, such as a mini-split. By positioning the unit either above or opposite stacked appliances, you can make efficient use of vertical space while keeping it separate from the main living areas.
Clever storage ideas for utility rooms
Bespoke floor to ceiling cabinetry will help you maximise the amount of storage in a laundry or utility room. If you do opt for tall units, having a step stool or a library ladder available will help you reach the top cabinets with ease.
Traditional-look utility rooms
If the look you are going for is traditional, consider adding shaker style cabinets and a butler sink. We also love checkerboard floors.
Colourful Laundry and Utility Room Ideas
Contemporary Utility Room Ideas
Get the Look: Essastone Ash Concrete | laundry bag with stripes | Turkish Hammam Towels
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched the award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
Download her free bathroom renovation guide here.
