They're the must-have room for any busy family home, and as utility rooms rise up the wish-list for many homeowners, it's a space you'll want to get up and running straight away. A utility room is generally a hard-working space. It often contains our washing machine and clothes drying area, as well as storage for those unglamorous essentials such as cleaning products, recycling boxes, pet food and infrequently used kitchen kit – all within what is typically a compact space. But just because it has to be practical and functional doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful and stylish. Here’s a few real-life examples we’ve put together to give you some inspiration for your utility room!
Narrow doesn’t mean not usable
Having a smaller, more compact area to work with is a typical issue when it comes to utility rooms. Many utility rooms are part of a large kitchen extension where a small area has been sectioned off for the utility, making them often fairly narrow spaces. But being narrow doesn’t have to mean an unusable space, just as this narrow utility room from @firstsenseinteriors shows. It’s a classic size and yet it’s still practical and stylish.
Make use of the vertical space!
If floor space is lacking, think about rigging up a hanging clothes airer from the ceiling on a simple pulley system. This way the floor is left clear of clutter, but your clothes can still dry inside on wet days.
Another tip is to stack your washing and dryer, rather than placing them side by side. Again this saves on floor space and makes the most of the height of the room rather than the width, and also makes it much easier to transfer your clothes. A perfect example of this can be found at @athomewiththemiddletons where they maximize the space available to them by using the height of the room. We also love the neutral palette and those lovely pink tiles which make this utility as pretty as it is functional.
Maximise natural light
Create a light and airy space where you can by making the most of any natural light. This stunning example of a newbuild extension by Bean Interiors has incorporated skylights and a glass door to fully maximise the light potential in the room. This has been complemented beautifully with a neutral colour scheme to make the space feel instantly bigger and brighter. Under cabinet or shelf lighting is also great to illuminate the space if it’s on the smaller side or if there isn't a huge space for spotlights on the ceiling.
Go for durable flooring
Flooring is another important factor to consider as it needs to be both hardwearing and functional. Unless you want to be constantly cleaning the floor, it has to be able to conceal dirt and marks. For this reason, both tiles and vinyl floor are the best options as they won't scratch and a dark, patterned tile will be the most forgiving. We love this vintage style tile in the home of Insta account @goldenfoxcottage. It looks wonderful and will do a great job of hiding marks.
This utility room from the home of @jo_chis_home has a striking contemporary look and is so practical for a busy family home. The lighting is particularly effective, and especially handy if you find yourself carrying out chores in the evening. Dark units are a bold choice but can be more forgiving in a utility area. We also love the streamlined look accented with chrome and glossy finishes for a smart and polished touch.
Think about how you’ll use your utility space.
Think about your needs when planning your utility space and make sure that the space works for you as best as possible. A large sink will always be practical in the utility and large belfast sinks in particular are extremely hard wearing. We absolutely adore the dog shower in the home of @redcliffhouse_renovation and think it's a really innovative idea. It can also double up as a place to clean muddy boots, or place vegetables harvested from your veg patch, so it's practical in every way.
This multifunctional bootility room by Tom Howley combines both a boot room and utility room by bringing the best of both features. It showcases a built-in seating area with sophisticated panelling and hidden storage for the bigger bulky “white goods”. The classic peg rail is not only decorative but also functional too. Styled to perfection and just stunning. Floating shelves add to the charm, whilst providing additional storage space for everyday essentials.
These real-life examples of utility rooms show just how important it is to strike the perfect balance between functionality, practicality and style. If that has given you a flurry of inspiration and you can’t wait to get started on creating your dream utility room, here’s a quick round-up of some of our top tips!
- If you are short on space, maximise the storage by stacking your washer and dryer and having plenty of storage on the walls. Consider height rather than width.
- A practical seating area with plenty of space to hang clothes and store shoes will also be useful.
- Dark units will be more forgiving in the utility area but don't be afraid to go for bright colours too!
- Practical flooring is a smart option. Consider a patterned tile, either porcelain or a vinyl which will wear well and also not be as obvious when it's dirty.
- Always incorporate a large hard-wearing sink in your utility room. It will be used to clean shoes, cut flowers from the garden and clean muddy pets!