Utility room ideas for beautiful, functional and lovely storage rooms
While utility rooms may have the reputation as the most unglamorous in a house, they are nevertheless vital to a smoothly-operating home. Historically, they were the domain of domestic staff, sealed off from the rest of the house by green baize doors and accessible only by narrow staircases. Today, however, utility rooms receive more traffic and are just as likely to be closely positioned (and aesthetically aligned) to the main living spaces of a home - and we've plenty of beautiful examples to share.
A utility room is a functional room often next to the kitchen or boot room, used to house larger household appliances like washing machines, dryers and even sometimes chest freezers. A great utility room should help you perform daily tasks and chores efficiently, as well as keep more unseemly appliances out of view. Usually, utility rooms are designed with functionality as a first priority, aesthetics secondary – but with our assistance, you can design your utility room to be high-functioning and elegant.
A utility room has the pitfall of becoming a catch-all room in which laundry is done and objects are stashed. However, a great utility room should affixed as much attention as any other room in your home. The use of a utility room, too, is wholly dependent on the household - do you have several loads of laundry each week? Is there an overspill of food and drink that needs storage? Where do you usually take your first sip of coffee in the mornings? In her utility room, designer Rita Konig maximised its use: it is there where she keeps her ironing board, steamer equipment and Miele iron press, a freezer and coffee machine, which is “especially useful if [the utility room] is near the bedrooms - it is nice to be able to make coffee upstairs in the morning before venturing downstairs”.
A utility room is optimally positioned next to the kitchen. However, we've also seen houses in which utility rooms whose primary function is for doing laundry are housed upstairs closer to the linen closets and bedrooms. “In family houses,” says Rita, “I recommend putting them close to the bedrooms so that the laundry can be done near to where it all comes from and has to go back to.” Konig also notes that “it is not necessarily the most practical thing to have [utility rooms] in the basement or near the kitchen”.
The most attractive fitting rooms should be bright, clean and ordered. Rita Konig's own laundry room is laid with Popham Design tiles ("quite the extravagance", says Rita), as the pretty patterns help to spruce up the small space and make the chore of doing laundry less of a bother. Tongue and groove wall panelling, also, for example, adds character and helps to hide ventilation or drainage systems. Investing in stylish basics, such as brass rails for hanging laundry or stain-resistant marble countertops (as seen in the utility room of Beata Heuman's Sussex cottage) helps to elevate your utility room without sacrificing its primary function.
While a utility room can certainly be used for doing laundry (the room, after all, often houses the washing machine and dryer in a house), it can also be used for other additional functions, such as storing chest freezers and bicycles, or housing a dog shower and other clunky items. A laundry room, on the other hand, is exclusively utilised for the purpose of doing laundry. In a well-equipped laundry room, Rita highly recommends “two washing machines in family houses with more than three people. This is not as unecological as it sounds - you just do things in half the time. It is maddening waiting for a load of whites to end in order to put in a load of colours or delicates.”
Already have a washing machine installed? May we suggest reading up on proper cleaning techniques with our handy guide on this essential household task.
Boz Gagovski1/22If you have a small utility room, why not make it a charming place to spend time by splashing out on a pretty wallpaper? The laundry room in designer Stella Weatherall's London house is papered in Pierre Frey's ‘La Pannonie’ (BP330002), paired with joinery in Sanderson's ‘Yacht Blue’. The splash back is made from Mosaic Factory Zellige tiles.
Milo Brown2/22Interior designer Lonika Chande has transformed an owner's rather dark childhood home in Holland Park into a light-filled oasis perfect for family. The utility room was a necessary addition to the house. With LAB Architects, Lonika brought more natural light to the space by installing a skylight. The utility room's doors have a decorative fretwork that acts as ventilation. Inside, cabinetry is painted in Yellow-Pink by Little Greene and the worktop is a sky-blue Formica. The flooring is a chequerboard linoleum.
Michael Sinclair3/22With her innate sense of proportion and symmetry, interior designer Pallas Kalamotusis has capitalised on the lofty dimensions of a hotchpotch mansion flat in west London to create a harmonious home. The all-white space is a laundry-cum-guest loo, a sensible (but still chic) mix.
Ngoc Minh Mgo4/22When interior designer Harriet Anstruther took possession of her run-down Sussex farmhouse, she put her eclectic mark on it, while keeping its original features. This room, though technically a scullery found through the kitchen, is also used for flower arranging.
Paul Massey5/22A handsome Victorian house in Cambridge that had seen better days has been respectfully rejuvenated by the architect Neil Dusheiko, taking inspiration from the renowned mid-century Case Study Houses in California. The core of the house holds the utility and laundry area and a guest bathroom, all concealed behind beautifully detailed oak veneered cladding. This blends into the engineered oak floor, while Vitra’s ‘Vegetal’ chair echoes the organic form of the ‘Coral’ pendants.
Christopher Horwood6/22Decorator Victoria von Westenholz, working with her longtime friend Xenia Buckhurst, has infused the interiors of the cottage where Xenia lives with warmth and a welcoming atmosphere. In what was once the kitchen, a smart, striped Décors Barbares blind in 'Naboika Red' hangs above the sink. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Minster Green’. A Décors Barbares cushion in ‘Rimski Blue’ provides a comfortable spot for taking boots off.
Simon Brown7/22By cleverly reconfiguring the space and adding in a harmonious blend of new and vintage furniture, Beata Heuman and her team offer a masterclass in enlivening the blank canvas that was this London apartment. The room that most excited Beata and Caroline, and which they designed first, was the utility room. The cabinetry is all custom designed with doors painted in ’Stone Blue’ from Farrow & Ball and BH Coin doorknobs. The flooring is a red and cream chequered lino and the counter top is custom stainless steel with an integrated sink.
Christoper Horwood8/22Digital creative and brand consultant Lucy Williams has tackled her first renovation with confidence and flair, filling the Victorian terrace with bold colour and considered pieces. After “years of drying laundry in [the] kitchen,” Lucy knew she wanted to put the utility room upstairs. The nook is painted in Farrow & Ball's Dimity and the thin cupboard to the side conceals the ironing board. To make the “whole thing feel a bit less utilitarian and softer,” linen curtains and vintage wall plates were employed.
Simon Brown9/22Unifying the vast proportions of a barn conversion and its adjoining 17th-century manor house is no easy task, but with a light touch and a delicate colour scheme, Caroline Riddell has achieved a pleasing sense of harmony. Off the passageway between the barn and home is a utility area, complete with reclaimed floor tiles from Bert & May.
Owen Gale10/22When Joanna Plant and her husband Nick upsized into a semi-detached 1920s house in Acton Town, they were embarking on a decades-long journey to shape and adapt their comfortable family home. The curtains in the utility room – Joanna’s favourite – are made from a vintage French mattress cover which she cut up and sewed herself. The tiles are from Bert & May and the hanger is a classic Pulleymaid.
Paul Massey11/22A cottage in a Sussex village has been transformed into a distinctive family home by the designer Beata Heuman, who has given the interiors a bold update with her confident use of colour and playful blend of styles. The smart utility room has brass wall lights from Visual Comfort and cupboard façades in Pierre Frey’s ‘Aquila’ wallpaper.
Owen Gale12/22The couple behind Buchanan Studio have taken a blank canvas of an Edwardian house in north-west London and transformed it into an airy, bright and deeply comfortable home for themselves and their young family. The laundry room is built on to the back of the larder. Appliances are hidden away behind curtains made from Buchanan Studio's ‘Stripe Two Vert’ linen.
James McDonald13/22The cabinets in the utility room of this riverside house designed by Kate Guinness are painted in Papers and Paints' ‘Apsley House Railings’. Adam Bray's ‘Fela ticking stripe’ has been used for the sink curtain.
Simon Brown14/22Salvesen Graham painted utility cupboards in Farrow and Ball's ‘Bancha’ in this unusual Georgian home, affectionately called the ‘Clock House’.
Simon Brown15/22In the same unusual Georgian home, storage was built underneath the counter in this utility room space. The mustard curtain (Salvesen Graham's ‘Zig Zag Stripe Mustard') keeps the space looking tidy. The walls are painted in Farrow and Ball's ‘Stone’ whilst the woodwork is ‘Stone Blue’. The taps are from Waterworks.
Christopher Horwood16/22This first-floor laundry room in this London home is painted in Paint & Paper Library's 'Rouge II'. Tongue and groove panelling combines beautifully with the units, which were made by Howdens to interior designer Natasha Howard's design. Checkerboard lino lines the floor, while a frilly pendant from Retrouvius provides a pretty finishing touch.
Oivind Haug17/22In a historic rectory in rural Kent, the architect Ptolemy Dean has brought its disparate array of architectural styles into harmony, enabling decorator Alexis Wylie to create inviting interiors with bohemian touches. In the laundry room, a drying rack on the ceiling means that laundry isn't taking up space on the floor, while the zinc-topped table is from Alexis Wylie.
tom mannion18/22The combined utility and flower room in this Oxfordshire house decorated by Max Rollitt has a relaxed, layered feel – created with a mix of freestanding pieces, including a reclaimed sink, rather than built-in units. A curtain in Robert Kime’s ‘Tansy’ linen cotton hides cleaning products while keeping them easily accessible. ‘Antique stained-glass lanterns and a vintage painting were chosen to provide colour and character,’ explains Max.
Michael Sinclair19/22Having seen the potential of a rundown Cotswold farmhouse with outbuildings, Catherine Chichester has devoted years to their restoration, drawing inspiration from their original features and introducing elements from her Belgian heritage. The kitchen transitions into this tidy utility room, with a washing machine and dryer stacked at the far end, hooks for baskets, and a curtain hiding further storage.
Paul Massey20/22In Carlos Garcia's Norfolk manor house, this dual pantry-utility room adjoins the kitchen. Open shelves display homemade jams and chutneys. Curtains in a gingham from Ian Mankin hide additional storage. Carlos bought the table from his gardener for £5 and painted its legs in ‘Mole’s Breath’ by Farrow & Ball.
Ngoc Minh Ngo21/22Exposed original beams give a rustic feel to this scullery in Harriet Anstruther's farmhouse. The space, accessed through the kitchen, features a butler farm sink and a curtained under-sink area for a classic country style design.
'You really have to listen to a house like this,' designer Harriet Anstruther says. 'There are no straight lines here, and there is nothing that doesn't have a hole or a chip or a bird in it. But if you spent your time worrying about spiders and symmetry, you wouldn't live here.'
Paul Massey22/22In Alastair Hendy's charming restored Tudor home, the rustically-designed utility room is used primarily to store logs. Foliage decorates a drying rack for plates above an industrial-looking sink.
