Free up precious space with these clever utility cupboard and ideas.
Designers and architects continue to offer up the best way to adapt our homes to suit modern life. For example, creating a feeling of space and light heralded the desire for more open-plan living, and with that came a host of clever solutions to make that viable, from quiet-but-effective extractors that suck up and away smells to creating natural light and ventilation via rooflights.
Utility rooms are being repurposed as ‘back kitchens', necessitating new locations for laundry appliances, and people in smaller homes want to reclaim the kitchen space occupied by bulky washing machines.
Enter the purpose-built functional, stylish utility cupboard.
The department of missing socks
Laundry is an unavoidable chore in large homes and tiny apartments alike, and it takes up precious room because the appliances involved are huge! Washing machines occupy prime space in kitchens and utility rooms across the land, hence the rise in popularity of utility cupboards.
It's time to put on your designer's hat and rethink the entire laundry situation to make it both practical and attractive. Whether you call in the plumber and carpenter, a dedicated laundry zone can be functional and look great. If you're planning a new kitchen, talk to your designer or architect about designing a dedicated utility cupboard.
There are plenty of ideas that will help you reclaim your utility room or create more kitchen space. The best place to start is with the aesthetics:
Hey, good looking…
When it comes to white goods, fridges have morphed into stylish statement pieces. Meanwhile, poor old washing machines and tumble dryers still languish in the unsightly appliance lane. Unless laundry appliances are behind doors in integrated fitted kitchens or tucked away in dedicated utility rooms, these chunky white goods are often on show.
Take a good long, hard stare at your washing machine and ask if it aesthetically pleases you. Observe whether your eye is drawn to your carefully curated home items, or is it drawn to that huge round washing machine window and a bunch of flashing lights. If you're not delighted by what you observe, it's time to give the laundry zone a rethink.
Double-decker appliances and utility cupboards in other places
Modern life means you can put your laundry station in any room you like. Back in the Victorian days, it made sense to wash your bloomers in a butler sink by the back door with quick access to the mangle and the washing line. Now, modern appliances have fancy spin settings and drying functions… so do we really need to do the laundry in the kitchen?
The reality is that you can do the laundry anywhere you like. All that is required is a little imagination and an area that can accommodate the width of your washing machine:
Bathrooms and en-suites
Bathrooms, en-suites or the downstairs toilet/cloakroom are ideal spots for a utility cupboard or simple laundry zone. The plumbing is already in place, and with a little imagination and an area of around just 70cm x 70cm, you might find you can wiggle in a washing machine.
Under the stairs, wardrobes, hallways and narrow nooks
The area under the stairs is another space that can be repurposed as a utility area, as can a nook at the end of a hallway or even a wardrobe in a spare bedroom.
Your beautiful launderette
Be very intentional about designing a stylish utility cupboard or laundry zone. Also, consider all the paraphernalia that comes with doing the laundry, from the ironing board to the cleaning products, and opt for items that will please your eye.
Here's how:
Inside the utility cupboard
While planning your utility cupboard, remember to include space for the ironing board, iron, laundry baskets, and laundry products. Ironing boards are easy as they can be tucked inside the cupboard alongside stacked appliances. Neatly stow away the iron and cleaning products on shelves.
Conventionally bulky items such as laundry baskets and clothes airers is a trend you can also buck:
Laundry totes and ironing
Wicker laundry and ironing baskets can look lovely, so make a feature of them on a dedicated shelf. Consider interesting rattan trugs or even wicker picnic hampers. If you'd like to create some space, swap baskets for large wall-hanging tote bags. If you're taking wet laundry outside to a washing line, a foldable tote will work just as well as a laundry or a woven basket. John Lewis has canvas laundry totes, or for a touch of luxury, Menique has organic linen hanging laundry bags.
If your laundry sundries are on show, go the extra mile and seek out items that suit your aesthetic.
Stowable clothes airers
While we may long to see the washing gently blowing in a summer breeze, the reality is that the climate is becoming wetter, and our winters are long and damp. The environmental cost of running tumble dryers for 100% of the laundry does not sit well with everyone, so… more people now dry clothes indoors.
Most households have a concertina or collapsible clothes airer that is almost impossible to store. They are an absolute pain, but fear not! The answer is on the walls and ceiling:
Big ticket or budget clothes airers are available for all interior styles:
Wall-mounted drying racks are both pretty and unobtrusive when they are flat.
Extendable wall-mounted racks are another neat solution.
A suspended Sheila Maid uses rising heat trapped near the ceiling to speed up the drying process. (Those old-fashioned ideas were pretty smart!).
Ventilation and fresh air
When drying damp laundry indoors, be sure to consider ventilation. Locating your clothes airers near an open window or extractor fan will protect the room from dampness and keep your clothes smelling fresh.
Hide and seek or show and tell
Whether you want to conceal all your laundering paraphernalia discretely behind doors or make a big visual deal out of your stunning utility cupboard, laundry will be less of a chore when it takes place somewhere attractive and functional. You'll save time, create space in your kitchen, and most importantly of all, it'll make you smile.
Happy laundering.
I hope this article has inspired you. Bliss Interiors and Architectural Design is renowned for thoughtfully designed home refurbishments, extensions, and new-builds.
I'm Julie Bliss. Follow me for more design and architectural inspiration, or contact me if you'd like to discuss a project.
I'd be delighted to hear from you