I’ve always wanted a beautiful utility room to do the washing and laundry! A space where the washer and dryer sit comfortably together and the pegs, powders and baskets can be organised and stored stylishly in one place. If you have a big family or a busy lifestyle, it may feel like you are forever doing laundry, so creating a smart and sophisticated utility room that is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing is the perfect way to make this chore more enjoyable.

If you are looking to build a utility, transform another room into one, or decorate an existing utility, here are a few ideas on how to make the most of the space:

Multi-Purpose Shelving

Spruce up your laundry area by adding lots of open shelving to store pretty detergent boxes, glass softer bottles and vintage-style brushes and boot cleaners. Open shelving makes everything easily accessible as you can find what you need quickly. If your utility space is too small for shelving, hang a brass rod with hooks along the wall so that you can hang small baskets to place items inside.

As well as day-to-day washing necessities, it's also a good idea to keep everything laundry-related in the utility room so that you know where to look for it if required. Store laundry equipment accessories like Beko washing machine parts and tools in the room for emergencies.

Add Colour

As the laundry room tends to be one of the smaller rooms in the home, have fun with it using colour. If you tend to shy away from using stronger colours around the house, the utility is a great place to be a bit braver and use shades that are more vibrant. As the utility room is a functional room and not a space where you would usually relax or spend long periods of time in, you can afford to paint it in bolder hues that will make you happy every time you step inside. To make a smaller utility look bigger, consider colour-drenching the entire room by painting the walls, ceiling and woodwork all one shade.

Add Lighting & Art

Even though the utility is ultimately a working room, adding some small framed prints onto the wall or installing wall lights makes all the difference when it comes to styling the space. Elegant lighting and framed art will blend the room in with the rest of the house and give it a homely feel.

Add panelling

A hard-working room like a utility is susceptible to knocks and marks on the paintwork. Toughen up the space by adding favourable tongue & groove cladding painted in a durable, washable eggshell paint that won’t stain easily.

Add multiple hooks

When it comes to laundry, there are never enough places to hang items; sports bags, trainer bags and delicate wash items all need a peg or hook to keep them off the floor. If you are not a fan of drilling into your walls, there are some excellent strong adhesive hooks available on the market that won’t cause any damage when removed.

Do away with the plastic

Unfortunately, most laundry products come in ugly containers (unless you purchase higher-end laundry brands). Instead of having this gaudy plastic on display, decant your powders and tabs into aesthetically pleasing jars and tins which can be labelled.

Organised storage

Invest in a number of storage baskets to add to the room to keep things organised. Baskets in natural or woven materials add texture to a space, while breathable, plastic baskets with bamboo lids offer a natural element (while being easier to clean and keep hygienic).

Add wall or ceiling drying racks

Make sure that you make the most of all of the space within your utility by adding fold-out or extendable drying racks and airers to the top of the walls or on the ceiling. These laundry racks can be lowered when required and kept out of the way when they are not needed.